Fernie Mountain Park
Fernie has grown into a camping destination, with three distinct campgrounds now giving visitors more ways to stay close to the water, the trails, and the outdoor lifestyle that defines the valley.
Not too long ago, camping in Fernie largely meant one thing: Mount Fernie Provincial Park. Set beneath Mount Fernie and along Lizard Creek, the provincial park offered the classic mountain campground experience: forested sites, shade, simple services, trail access, and a quiet base for hiking, biking, fishing, and exploring the Lizard Range.
It was, and still is, one of Fernie’s most loved places to camp. But it was also a traditional campground, best suited to tents, smaller RVs, and visitors looking for a more rustic provincial park stay.
That changed in 2016 when Fernie RV Resort opened beside the Elk River, Maiden Lake, and the Fernie Golf Club. The resort brought a different kind of camping to town: full-service RV sites, pull-throughs for larger motorhomes, private washroom buildings, laundry, Wi-Fi, landscaped grounds, tenting, and eventually heated yurts and rental RV lodges.
It also helped stretch the idea of camping in Fernie beyond summer. With winterized infrastructure and snow-clearing services, Fernie RV Resort established itself as a four-season basecamp for skiers, snowboarders, Nordic users, long-stay guests, families, mountain bikers, golfers, anglers, and event travellers.
Mount Fernie Provincial Park also evolved, with additional camping capacity and upgraded amenities helping maintain its role as Fernie’s classic forest campground. Today it remains the natural choice for campers who want shade, forest, Lizard Creek, trail access, and a traditional provincial park setting just minutes from town.
Now, 10 years after Fernie RV Resort opened, Coal Creek Camping and RV has added a third camping option. Opened in 2026, the new campground brings full-service camping to the Coal Creek side of town, directly beside Coal Creek and the Montane trail network. With mountain-view sites, pull-through options, treed sites, large sites, washrooms, showers, hookups, and direct access to trails, Coal Creek gives visitors another way to camp close to Fernie’s outdoor lifestyle.
The result is significant. Fernie now has three distinct campgrounds, each with its own character.
Mount Fernie Provincial Park offers the classic forested provincial park experience beside Lizard Creek. Fernie RV Resort offers full-service, year-round resort camping and lodging beside the Elk River and the Fernie Golf Club with trail access to shopping and downtown. Coal Creek Camping and RV offers a new full-service option beside Coal Creek with direct access to Montane and close proximity to the downtown.
Fernie no longer has camping as a limited side option. It now has enough campground inventory, enough variety, and enough services to stand as a camping destination in its own right.
Together, they have created the critical mass Fernie was missing. For campers planning trips through British Columbia and the Rocky Mountains, Fernie is now on every camper’s list.
Editor
