Public Access to Crown Land

Public Access to Crown Land

All Crown land is owned by the Province of British Columbia, and the public can undertake certain activities on Crown Land without an authorization.

Contents:

About this Activity Guide

This guide summarizes the most common requirements and recommendations for your chosen activity and is designed to help you submit a complete application. Be aware that this information is for guidance purposes only.

Eligibility Requirements

Ensure that you meet the eligibility requirements prior to applying.

Requirement Description
Location Permission does not apply in following areas: Protected Area; Municipality; Lease; Area where activity will interfere with existing granted rights; Land Act Reserve; Crown land area, including private roads, which are posted or otherwise signed to prohibit all or some activities; and Designated “Application-only Areas”
Appropriate use 1. Activities are undertaken in a safe and healthy manner; No permanent structures or buildings are allowed on the land; Campfires are undertaken in a safe manner as per the FLNR “Guide to Campfires and Outdoor Stoves” Activities must be undertaken in manner which respects the environment and wildlife; and the enjoyment of other Crown land users is respected.
Transitory Activity Any person may use Crown land for transitory activities such as hiking, rock climbing, boating, skiing, swimming, filming/photography, bird watching, horse-back riding, caving, and snowmobiling, as well as motorcycling, biking and use of all terrain vehicles and other similar activities.
Camping on Crown land Any person may camp on Crown land for up to 14 consecutive calendar days.
Investigative Activities Any person may use Crown land for data collection and investigative activities including stream gauges, wildlife and habitat inventories, weather stations, non-mechanized soil sampling, investigations in/over the water and other similar activities.
Aggregate testing See link to policy for criteria.
Organized Events Non-Commercial groups may use Crown land to undertake an Organized Event. See the links section for the various criteria that apply.
Link Description
Crown Land Use: Permission Policy The Crown Land Use Policy which provides the details of the land use program being summarized by this document.

Other Things You Should Know

Archaeology Information
Archaeological sites are protected under the Heritage Conservation Act and must not be altered or damaged without a permit issued by the Archaeology Branch. Information regarding potential risks to protected archaeological sites may be obtained by submitting an online data request form to the Archaeology Branch or by contacting a professional archaeologist via the BC Association of Professional Archaeologists (www.bcapa.ca) or via local directories. Visit the Archaeology Branch website for more information.

BCeID - What Is It and Why Get It?
BCeID is an online service that allows you to create a user ID and password to sign in securely to many Government services in British Columbia. The benefits of having a BCeID account include:

  • Stop and start. Save and return later to complete your application without losing any information previously entered.
  • Real time status information. Check the status of your application in real time.
  • Access your applications for multiple people (Business BCeID only) to edit or submit your application or check its status. To enroll in this service, visit the BCeID web page: FrontCounter BC - BCeID

Consulting with First Nations

  • The Province is committed to reconciliation as part of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People Act.
  • The Province is responsible for ensuring adequate and appropriate consultation and accommodation, it may involve the proponent in the procedural aspects of consultation.
Proponents are encouraged to engage with First Nations as early as possible in the planning stages to build relationships and for information sharing purposes. To get more information about the guidelines and procedure manuals that are designed to assist government officials and proponents with meeting consultation obligations, please visit the Consulting with First Nations web page.

Legal Disclaimer
This guide provides the most current and accurate information available to the Government of British Columbia at the time of publishing; however, we make no warranty regarding the completeness, currency or accuracy of this information. This information is for guidance purposes only and does not replace legislated requirements. Each application is unique and circumstances may result in additional requirements beyond those included in this guide.

Last Updated: July 14, 2023