B.C. Parks officials have successfully shut down an online scalper who was reselling reservations for popular campsites at Alice Lake and Porteau Cove. This action underscores the importance of maintaining fair access to public campsites.
According to an article by CBC, a tip led B.C. Parks to investigate and confirm that reservations for Alice Lake and Porteau Cove were being resold online.
The Ministry of Environment confirmed that all upcoming reservations made by the involved party were canceled without refund. The ministry stated that the same person was behind both attempted reservation flips.
Alice Lake, located north of Squamish, B.C., and Porteau Cove are high-demand campsites, especially during summer weekends, where demand almost always outstrips supply.
Both campsites are about an hour’s drive up the Sea-to-Sky Highway from Vancouver. A Reddit user brought attention to the issue by posting a screenshot of a campsite reservation being sold for $40 plus the reservation fee on Facebook Marketplace.
B.C. Parks emphasized the importance of maintaining fair and equitable access to reservations and advised campers to only purchase campsite reservations from official sources like camping.bcparks.ca or authorized agents.
They warned that if they suspect a reservation holder of reselling, they will investigate and, if the behavior is confirmed, cancel the reservations without refund.
This incident highlights the need for campground owners to be vigilant about reservation scalping and to collaborate with regulatory bodies to prevent such practices.
It also underscores the importance of maintaining trust and satisfaction among campers by ensuring that campsites are available to genuine campers.
Encouraging the camping community to report suspicious activities can help maintain the integrity of the reservation system and promote a fair camping environment.
B.C. Parks’ swift action against the scalper serves as a reminder of the ongoing efforts required to protect the interests of campers and campground owners alike.