Campgrounds and RV parks near North Saanich, BC

North Saanich sits at the northern tip of the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island, about 30 minutes north of downtown Victoria and only minutes from the Swartz Bay ferry terminal. The location makes it a practical base for RV travellers combining Greater Victoria with trips to the southern Gulf Islands and the BC mainland. Campground options range from private RV parks with full hookups to provincial and national park sites with basic facilities. SMONECTEN (McDonald Park) Campground sits at 10740 McDonald Park Road in North Saanich, a few minutes from Swartz Bay ferry terminal, and is RV accessible with no services. The campground includes 49 drive-in frontcountry campsites with picnic tables and fire pits, two pairs of pit toilets, and four places to get potable water. Further afield, Bamberton Provincial Park sits across the Saanich Inlet on the Malahat, while Ruckle Provincial Park lies on Salt Spring Island, reached by BC Ferries from Swartz Bay. Oceanside RV Resort and Fort Victoria RV Park and Campground round out the local options with serviced sites better suited to larger rigs.

Booking runs through different systems depending on the park. Reservations are recommended for drive-in RV and car camping sites at SMONECTEN and can be made at reservation.pc.gc.ca or by calling 1-877-737-3783. The Parks Canada reservation launch for the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve season opens in late January. BC Parks sites, including Bamberton and Ruckle, are booked through camping.bcparks.ca. Bamberton is reservable during the peak season of May to October, with sites otherwise first come, first served. At Ruckle, the RV campground has 8 sites with no electric hookups, half of which are reservable, and only 10 of the 78 walk-in sites are reservable through the BC Parks online system. Private parks such as Oceanside RV Resort and Fort Victoria RV Park and Campground are booked directly with the operator and typically open year-round.