Last updated on April 27th, 2025 at 11:32 pm
Planning a trip to Southern Vancouver Island? Goldstream campground has probably popped up on your list of spots to stay. This highly popular campground is within a 30 minute drive from downtown Victoria but couldn’t feel further away from the hubbub of a large city!
We decided to try our luck one Friday morning for a first come first serve site at Goldstream campground. Apparently this place doesn’t really operate like that though, since when we showed up there was a line of people waiting at the gate who had been on a waitlist since I don’t know what time. I hung out at the back of the line, waiting my turn and assuming the odds were not in my favor.
I get to the window to be told they are all booked out, the other lady in the gatehouse says ‘oh I do have one not very private site for you though if you aren’t big’. We weren’t big, a tiny two man tent small in fact. So we took it for the weekend, sandwiched between two other people living on the road.
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Where Is Goldstream Campground
Goldstream Campground is just under 20 kilometers from downtown Victoria. While driving on Highway 1, look out for signs, the campground is clearly signposted. Note the Goldstream campground is a separate turnoff to the main provincial park day use area, they are approximately two kilometers apart.
Coming from Victoria, the Goldstream campground is the first of the two turns, just after the city of Langford. Once off the highway its a five minute drive to arrive at the gatehouse and clearly signposted.
The Goldstream Campground
The Goldstream campground in Goldstream Provincial Park is huge. It is home to a whopping 145 sites! No sites are serviced but there are water taps at regular intervals and pit toilets. There are two shower blocks with running water and flushing toilets as well as a sani dump for your trailer if needed.
Most sites at Goldstream campground are large, with many offering a good amount of privacy. Most camp spots are surrounded by big old trees meaning a tarp can be used at most sites if you are tent camping and want some relief from the island rain! The standard picnic bench and fire pit adorn each site. The gatehouse has ice, wood and even sells ice cream! They also deliver firewood in the evening to your site if you leave the tag on the site post.
The Goldstream campground is really well kept, on our second trip we reserved a nice spot with a specific tent pad which had sand on it for softness and was raked perfectly when we arrived.
How To Reserve A Spot At Goldstream Campground
As I mentioned, Goldstream campground is an extremely popular spot. Although it has some first come first serve spots, these are very limited! I would recommend booking online with BC Parks to avoid disappointment.
BC Parks operates a 4 month rolling window for booking, so you can reserve your site four months in advance. They also have the ability to set up cancellation notices if you don’t get the site you want. You can set up to get an email whenever a site becomes available.
In 2025 a night at Goldstream campground will cost $35 per night.
When To Visit Goldstream Campground
The main operating dates to stay at Goldstream Campground are from March 15th to October 25th with reservations being possible from early May to mid September. Note that outside of the main reservable camping season, fewer sites are typically available. When we visited in mid September, it was very quiet and one of the loops was already closed.
Id recommend booking a site in the shoulder seasons for a more peaceful experience. In mid September there was hardly anyone around, it was such a nice trip that was super relaxing. Meanwhile when we visited in July, it was incredibly busy with every site fully booked.
Goldstream campground also offers limited winter camping from January 1st to March 13th, there is no running water during this time and there are only 6 sites available.
Top Things To Do Near Goldstream Campground
There is so much to do in and around the Goldstream campground. I was shocked, we didn’t want to leave as we hadn’t done everything we wanted!
1. Hiking in Goldstream Provincial Park
The number one thing to do near Goldstream campground is hike one of the many trails in the provincial park. We took the trail system right from the campground all the way to Niagara Falls, an incredible waterfall you can get really close to the base of! For those with more energy and enthusiasm there is also Mount Finlayson to tackle or a whole load of other trails from the campground including to the Goldstream Falls. Make sure you have a day pack and some solid hiking boots for this option!
2. Check out Victoria
The capital city of British Columbia, downtown Victoria is under a 30 minute drive from the Goldstream campground, straight down Highway 1. We followed the highway all the way to the coast and parked up. Hiking the shoreline trail around the breakwater and over to Fisherman’s Wharf for some fish and chips for lunch! You drive right through downtown Victoria, so a day trip to the city from Goldstream campground is really easy!
3. Fort Point
This Parks Canada historical site is just a 15 minute drive from the Goldstream campground. An awesome spot to take in some local maritime history. The site has a lighthouse and bunkers which take you back in time. Well worth a visit, if you have a Parks Canada Discovery Pass, entry is free, otherwise it’s just under $9 to visit in 2022.
What We Took For Staying At The Goldstream Campground
Tent – We love our tungsten tent for front country camping. It gives us lots of space for our queen inflatable mattress and room for storage which is perfect if the trip ends up being wet and cold.
Cooler – regardless of the weather, you’ll want to keep your food stored somewhere to keep it cool or stop it freezing, depending on the time of the year.
Camp chairs – Nothing beats a comfortable chair to relax in by the fire. So much more convenient that the picnic bench which is often provided and much softer to sit on.
Bear Spray – The campground is in prime bear area, carry bear spray and know how to use it.
