Looking for a 'beginner friendly' camp spot
 

Hey guys and gals!

I'm looking to introduce my girlfriend to camping, then slowly work up to overnight trips and eventually multi-day trips. Originally I was thinking to get a spot at Porteau Cove for one of the coming weekends (we both work monday-friday). Thought process being to acquaint her with sleeping on a pad in a sleeping bag, and using camp kitchen equipment without being too far from our car / civilization should we need a change in equipment. That being said, all reasonably close provincial parks look to be booked solid through till September. I'm from Ontario and don't know the options all too well yet.

I was wondering if any of you have recommendations for a relatively easy access camp site within ~1hr from Squamish/Vancouver. I have camped at Cat / Alice lake in the past and the groups there tend to be quite rowdy, which is what I'm hoping to avoid. Unfortunately we don't have a 4x4 vehicle at the moment either, eliminating anything with a rough road in.

Thanks!

Porteau Cove tends to book up totally at the beginning of the reservation season, so you may be out of luck reserving a spot. Try this site: www.sitesandtrailsbc.ca for ideas for camping at rec sites.

Nairn falls, likely a bit more regulated and easy access

Weekends are really tough to find a peaceful camping spot during the summer. For that reason I end up driving on backroads for an hour or more as I like some peace and quiet, especially at night.

Years ago we would camp at the tent sites beside Shannon Creek @ Klahanie Campground adjacent to Shannon Falls as it was close by.

There are a few rec sites (free) as Big Ian mentioned but again the close ones are generally gong shows on summer weekends.

Cheakamus Lake, 6 km flat walk in. Keeps the rowdy drunks away.

Thanks, I might do this with my son as a first overnight hike. Get him used to carrying his pack. Any other walk in hikes (Preferably hammock friendly) please post them.

2-5 hr hikes each way sounds right.

Get used to hiking if you want to get away from the rowdies without a multi-hour drive!

Deeks Lake is beginner-friendly, steep in parts, a fairly good trail, well marked, long and hard enough to know you worked to get there but not crazy. Lake is excellent, pretty, remarkably low in bugs and high in hungry small fish. (Low bugs, not no bugs! This is bug country after all.) Fish are small, numerous, easy to catch and frankly not really great eating fish, skinny and pale but that doesn't matter much for your purposes. Bring worms, a bobber and a way to get it floating twenty feet out, all you need for kid entertainment and dinner. Much excitement and joy will result when the bobber bobs! Camping to left when you reach the lake, more on gravel flats where the creek enters the lake, follow the trail to the right around the lake. If you have two nights a day hike to Deeks and/or Windsor, or along the HSCT as far as you like are nice.

Cheakamus is very suitable as well. Easier trail. Beautiful. Less backcountry feel. Worse bugs.
Don't count on fish though, they are much bigger, better and tastier but not nearly as easy to catch. Do the worm thing at Deeks and you can pretty much count on dinner.

Thanks for the responses! How is the access to Cheakamus? Is there a remote parking lot at the trailhead? Been hearing a lot about break ins at local trailheads, don't want that to ruin the experience on the first go..

Cheakamus parking lot requires a few km of bumpy potholed gravel road to access. The typical break-in spot is parking at the end of a paved road.