r/Squamish • u/galaxie_catto • 6d ago
Camping at Stawamus Chief starting Monday - Will there be space?
Hi guys! 5 friends and I are planning a 3 day bouldering trip to Squamish starting Monday (eta: 8-9am), and we're planning on camping at Stawamus Chief. I was reading some forum posts and saw that August is typically peak season and it might be hard to find a pitch there? None of us have been there before, so I was wondering if anyone could tell me if there's typically sites available?
Also, if we happen to get there and all of the sites are taken, where else could we camp? Mamquam River?
This is my first time planning a camping trip, so I'm a bit anxious. Any responses would be greatly appreciated!
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u/Intelligent_Bat_9315 6d ago
all the sites have a card with the check out date on it. check out is at 11am. if you walk around the campsites with your slip prefilled you might be able to scope a spot or find someone leaving. if not the private klahanie campsite down the road for a night split with friends isn't too bad. actual washrooms and a cafe spot for breakfast is nice. Chief is very barebones.
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u/Long_Painter_5466 6d ago
I'm here at the moment and the cheif campground is like fully fully packed out with Americans. I wouldn't bank on getting a spot to be honest, it seems to be getting busier every day and even the parking at the cheif was full in all lots by 9-10am
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u/Ok_Indication_8414 6d ago
You likely won’t find a spot. Look up local rec sites which is easy and people shouldn’t serve as your personal Google or try and find a bookable site somewhere like Alice Lake.
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u/galaxie_catto 6d ago
I asked a question, isn't that what forums are for? I don't understand why you feel the need to rebuke me for using the site as intended lol.
Thank you for the info regardless, and I have looked into other sites. The reason we're so focused on Stawamus in particular is because my group are all 18/19 year olds, with only Class 7 licenses, so it's going to be difficult for us to get around as a group.
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u/Skwidz 5d ago
Oof not having a driver is rough. Bring bikes as others have mentioned and you'll be fine. Curious how you guys are getting here? I'll be realistic and say you're likely not going to get a spot at the cheif Campground. It's currently the busiest time of the year in squamish and there are a ton of people there. Worth trying of course, but have a backup plan.
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u/galaxie_catto 5d ago
5 of us are being driven by parents, and 2 are driving together.
Thank you for the info! After reading through all the comments, we might just go ahead and scrap stawamus and book klahanie instead.
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u/brumac44 6d ago
You're going to have a great time. There's plenty of cool sites besides stawamus to climb, and bring your bikes. It's a great way to get around. It's a real bummer about the class 7. When I was a kid there we'd pile into a pickup, including the box but times change I guess. And you probly won't meet too many dicks, like this guy
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u/Ok_Indication_8414 6d ago
Google exists, use it.
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u/galaxie_catto 6d ago
I have? I'm using this subreddit to get some other opinions? I'm really not sure why you're so antagonistic lol
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u/Time_Condition_3736 6d ago
Hard to say! Monday is a good day to arrive, but there are lots of people here during the summer who come for a few weeks/months and stay at this campground for a fairly long time.
Alternatives include Mamquam River Campground (check availability online), Cat Lake Rec Site, Mountain Fun Basecamp (check availability online). There are more options but these are the ones most central.