An Epic RV Trip to Western Canada and the Canadian Rockies PT. 3 (Vancouver)

An epic RV trip through Western Canada doesn’t have to be all mountains, lakes, and national parks. After exploring Calgary, Banff, then Jasper, the Icefields Parkway, and several other spectacular destinations in the Canadian Rockies, Gretchen Holcombe and her family headed west toward Vancouver for the final leg of their adventure.
This stop offered a completely different experience from the first two parts of the trip. Instead of filling every day with mountain hikes and scenic drives, the family mixed outdoor adventures with great coffee shops, historic sites, museums, restaurants, and some of Vancouver’s most popular attractions.
They also discovered an excellent campground in the charming community of Fort Langley, found a workable strategy for getting into Vancouver, biked and drove through Stanley Park, crossed the famous Capilano Suspension Bridge, solved a murder mystery in Gastown, and finished their Vancouver adventures with a rainforest hike filled with waterfalls—and a surprising number of banana slugs.
Here’s how to plan the Vancouver portion of an epic Western Canada RV trip.
Driving from the Canadian Rockies to Vancouver
Before arriving in Vancouver, Gretchen’s family spent a couple of days in Revelstoke, a mountain town that didn’t make it into the previous episodes simply because there was already so much ground to cover.
Revelstoke is smaller and less touristy than Banff and Jasper, but it still makes a worthwhile stop on a Western Canada itinerary. The town is best known as a ski destination, but there is plenty to enjoy during the summer as well.
The drive from the mountains toward Vancouver was also an experience in itself. Over roughly six hours, the scenery changed dramatically. The route moved from the mountains through a surprisingly dry, high-desert landscape before eventually entering the lush Pacific Northwest.
It felt a little like compressing the geography of the western United States into a single day of driving.
Where to Camp Near Vancouver
Choosing a campground for a Vancouver RV trip presents an interesting dilemma. RVers can stay close to the city and sacrifice some campsite space, or camp farther outside Vancouver and enjoy a more traditional campground experience.
Gretchen considered both approaches.
Capilano River RV Park
For RVers who want to prioritize easy access to Vancouver, Capilano River RV Park has an impressive location.
The campground is just minutes from Stanley Park, making it an excellent base camp for exploring the city. Reviews of the campground frequently mention tight sites, which initially made Gretchen hesitant to book there.
After visiting Vancouver and realizing just how convenient the location is, however, she reconsidered that decision. For a future visit, she might be willing to trade a little campsite space for such easy access to the city.
Fort Camping in Fort Langley
For this trip, the family chose Fort Camping in Fort Langley, about 45 minutes east of Vancouver when traffic cooperates.
That meant a longer trip into the city, but the campground itself became one of the pleasures of the Vancouver stay.
Fort Camping is located directly across the bridge from downtown Fort Langley. From the campground entrance, visitors can reach restaurants, coffee shops, stores, and attractions within minutes on foot.
For RVers who love campgrounds that allow them to park the truck and walk into town, this is a terrific option.
Most campsites are long, back-in gravel sites, although some pull-throughs are available. There isn’t a tremendous amount of privacy between sites, but there is landscaping, along with enough outdoor space for a picnic table and fire pit.
During Gretchen’s stay, full-hookup sites were around $60 Canadian per night, making the campground feel like a particularly good value after accounting for the exchange rate.
Amenities are fairly simple. There are laundry facilities, a small playground, and a seasonal camp store, but no swimming pool or extensive res...