Free camping and cell signal in Thompson-Okanagan & Similkameen

Where Crown land camping is allowed in Thompson-Okanagan & Similkameen, where you'll still have signal to work or call for help, and what's on the road in: logging, surface and parking. One map, saved to your phone for use with no signal.

Open Thompson-Okanagan & Similkameen in the map

478recreation sites, 2,941 campsites

203remote spots with signal

838licensed cell sites

4,850cut blocks with active logging

Can you camp on Crown land in Thompson-Okanagan & Similkameen?

Yes, on most of it. Provincial Crown land in BC allows free camping for up to 14 days in one spot, as long as you leave no permanent structures and follow posted closures and fire bans. In Thompson-Okanagan & Similkameen the map shows which land is Crown, which is private (including private forest land), and which is park, First Nation or municipal land, so you can tell a legal pull-off from someone's property before you drive in. Parks and protected areas here include VANCE CREEK ECOLOGICAL RESERVE, ADAMS LAKE MARINE PARK - SPILLMAN BEACH SITE, ADAMS LAKE MARINE PARK - POPLAR POINT SITE, ALEXANDRA BRIDGE PARK, ALLISON LAKE PARK and more; camp only in their designated sites.

Where will I have cell signal?

Coverage in the backcountry follows the valleys and the highways. Using every licensed cell site and a terrain model of where each one can reach, the map estimates that a clear line of sight to a site covers about 13% of Thompson-Okanagan & Similkameen for Telus and Bell, 9% for Rogers and Fido and 2% for Freedom. Telus / Bell reaches the most of this region. The region has 643 Telus/Bell, 152 Rogers/Fido and 43 Freedom cell sites. Speed tests from other campers show where it's good enough to work from.

Remote spots with signal in Thompson-Okanagan & Similkameen

Ranked by distance from town and signal. Tap one to open it on the map.

Ripple (Silver) Lake · unpaved track · 14.4 km from Bridge Lake · line of sight to Telus / Bell
Bob Lake West · unpaved track · 18.5 km from Stump Lake · line of sight to Telus / Bell, Rogers / Fido
Crown land near Mount Henning · gravel road · 19.3 km from Tulameen · line of sight to Telus / Bell, Rogers / Fido
Crown land near Spuzzum · gravel road · 14.3 km from Yale · line of sight to Telus / Bell
Crown land near Tikwalus Creek · gravel road · 16.2 km from Yale · line of sight to Telus / Bell
Crown land near Zum Peak · gravel road · 25 km from Tulameen · line of sight to Telus / Bell, Rogers / Fido
Crown land near Fallslake Creek · gravel road · 18.5 km from Tulameen · line of sight to Telus / Bell, Rogers / Fido
Crown land near Gilt Creek · gravel road · 16 km from Yale · line of sight to Telus / Bell
Crown land near Mount York · gravel road · 15.4 km from Fauquier · line of sight to Telus / Bell
Crown land near The Wart · gravel road · 23.5 km from Bankeir · line of sight to Telus / Bell, Rogers / Fido

Logging and road access

4,850 cut blocks in Thompson-Okanagan & Similkameen have harvesting under way according to Province records. The map marks them so you can avoid log-truck roads and fresh clearcuts, and shows which roads are paved, gravel, rough or unpaved tracks, plus parking lots and trailheads.