Camping
Add one part scenic majesty and two parts outdoor activities and the result is a near-perfect camping territory.
Cumberland campgrounds cover a territory from the shores of Comox Lake to Buttle Lake in Strathcona Provincial Park. They provide a convenient base for fishing, hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing.
Cumberland Lake Park Campground
On the shores of Comox Lake 5km/3mi from Cumberland, the Cumberland Lake Park Campground has 18 RV sites, 44 tent sites plus wooded areas, hiking trails, swimming, picnic area and playground. Its boat launch provides access to Comox Lake for boaters and anglers. The campground lies within easy reach of Cumberland, the Comox Valley and Strathcona Provincial Park.
Puntledge River Campsites
The remote Willemar and Forbush Lakes on the Puntledge River, south of Comox Lake also have two campsites accessible via logging roads. This is an opportunity to hike the magnificent old-growth forest of the Upper Puntledge before forging on to Puntledge Lake.
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Strathcona Provincial Park
Nearby Strathcona Provincial Park, the oldest and largest park of its kind on Vancouver Island, offers camping at two major sites, Buttle Lake and Ralph River. Both provide water, toilets and firewood. Both provide vast natural grandeur and wildlife in the order of deer, elk, cougar and wolves, abundant birdlife. Plus good freshwater fishing for rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and Dolly Varden char. Hiking begins two steps out of the tent. The park boasts 52km/32mi of trails.
Buttle Lake & Ralph River Campgrounds
The Buttle Lake campground has 85 campsites plus two boat launch ramps, picnic ground and adventure playground. There are marine back-country camping sites on its western shore. Mountain views are grand. More than a dozen hikes and walks start at Buttle Lake. One begins at the south end of the lake and leads 6km/4mi to Upper Myra Falls and back. The road to the campground also leads to Darkis Lake, a small lake especially good for cutthroat trout fishing.
The Ralph River Campground has 75 campsites and a nearby boat launch.
Backcountry Camping
Backcountry campers are permitted to camp 1km from main roads or at designated sites where provided. Strathcona provides numerous such wilderness campsites along the Della Falls Trail, at Bedwell Lake, Phillips Ridge and the Elk River Trail. Lake Helen Mackenzie, Kwai Lake and Circlet Lake campsites are accessed by the Paradise Meadows trailhead.
For more information on camping in and near Cumberland, pop into the Comox Valley Visitor Centre in nearby Courtenay.
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