Camping & Hiking · Water Sports · British Columbia
A provincial campground on Buttle Lake in Strathcona Park, Vancouver Island, with large treed sites, clear cold water, mountain views and no cell service; expect dust, pit toilets and hand pumps.
Buttle Lake Campground sits in Strathcona Provincial Park, surrounded by mountains, and reviewers describe it as the kind of place you'd see on a BC camping magazine cover. Sites are large and separated by trees and shrubs, and most campers found it quiet and relaxed. There's no cell service, which many visitors say they enjoyed.
Facilities are basic: vented pit toilets, many of them new and clean, and hand pumps with good, cold drinking water. There are no showers or power. A recent visitor found one of three pumps out of order and another barely working, and noted the last park staff round is early in the evening, with no host on site that week. Campers suggest bringing your own toilet paper and a wagon for hauling water.
The lake is cold, clear and good for swimming, though it's a walk from the sites and the shore is steep and rocky, so water shoes help. Canoes, kayaks and paddleboards can be rented on site, and wind picks up most afternoons, so paddle early. Myra Falls is a popular day trip, and there are forest walks and other waterfalls nearby.
Dust is the most common complaint. Sites are fine dirt rather than gravel, so bring outdoor mats and a tent footprint. Some campers were warned about mice or swimmer's itch but had no trouble with either. Quiet hours aren't always enforced, and with no cell service, there's no one to call about noisy neighbours.
Summarised from visitor reviews on Google Maps. Based on 135 Google reviews. Details change — confirm hours, prices and bookings with Buttle Lake Campground directly.
