Living Forest Oceanside Campground & RV Park

4-4.5 overall. A large campground that is for RVs but you can also camp via other means as well. Good facilities of actual washrooms and sinks stand alone and a larger one with showers (coin operated). There is also a cafe on site for quick bites like bagels, ice cream and also serves coffee and hot chocolate. Well managed and facilitated just a lot less wild and typical campground style-esque bc of the amount of road + RVs. Lots of children around as well. There is enough privacy between sites from your neighbours. Some nice lookout areas too if you go for a walk.

Very clean and well looked after staff was very helpful definitely a place to go anytime you want to get away to relax

Clean, quiet and beautifully located.
Toilets and showers are rather very rustic. INTERNET on site only for a fee.

Very nice campsite! The location is convenient if you arrive by ferry.
Above all, the places right on the water are beautiful and have a fantastic view!

We love coming here before the long weekend in September. We come to Nanaimo to visit family and have our own space. We love the little cafe for lattes and icecream and the beautiful view

Very well maintained for a campground. Great bathroom facilities and not a far walk wherever you are with dish washing stations. River is gorgeous and the boat rentals are really a nice activity, but depend on the tides. Playground is great for kids, it is most metal but its got good tree coverage so even on a 30 degree day it didnt get burning hot. Games room is quite hot inside and everything is in pretty poor condition but not unusable, would benefit from some new equipment and better air flow since it does seem to be so popular. The little cafe is very basic and maybe on par with a skating rink shack but 100% of the money spent is invested back, so it makes sense to keep expenses low. No complaints there. The only thing I would mention is, no matter where you are, expect zero privacy and a lot of noise. Also it is huge, make sure you keep your map with you.

Very well maintained campground. We had a lovely ocean view spot last week for two nights and were very impressed with the whole place.

Absolutely a beautiful camp ground to go to sites are always clean and ready for us to come to. Staff are always friendly and welcoming.

Great place to camp with either trailers or tents, there are lots of trees and nature around and there is a small beach that you can swim and kayak in, overall great place.

Love this campsite. Little Cafe is awesome, nothing like walking g up to grab an ice cream and sit and enjoy the view. Well, you eat it.

Great campground (especially for a private campground), secluded and shaded sites, very close to BC ferry.
But: showers are extra!

I came to Nanaimo for the first time. I came to this camp for the first time. Thank you for your respect. You are a good staff
The camp was quiet and pleasant and the staff were like friendly. I hope to find my place again in Canada next year.

What an amazing accesible washroom! Just the best I've ever seen and free for use. People were accommodating as well as friendly. Camp was very clean and well kept. Ocean veiws were stunning. Playground for kids. Perfect.

One of the worst camp sites. Iam not aloud to stay for 2 weeks even if we pay, we are underage but homeless and they refuse us even tho we can sign a lease. You also need to have a home address. Still don't make sense bc of we are homeless and sleeping in the truck whats the difference

There is next to nothing to do onsite for active people, and the 24/7 noise from adjacent mills is not conducive to a restful stay. We left after 2 nights of a 4 day reservation.

Great spot, have camped here ourselves + have had many campervan rental customers report positive experiences too! Great local Nanaimo camping spot in a great location, with great amenities, location + staff:)

We stayed here for three weeks in July and enjoyed our visit. We find the staff super friendly and they Do a great job of keeping everything clean and tidy.

We love the fact that the cafe Donates all proceeds to a charity - this is the first Campground cafe that we Saw that did this, and we have travelled 55,000 km the past year.

The sites are very spacious and although it is a big campground you do not feel like it is. There is great trees that gives you that sense of privacy, lots of room in each site to move around.

There’s lots of trails to explore. The river is great for taking your kayaks or SUPS down for a paddle and if you do not have one they have kayaks to rent which is a bonus.

There are basketball courts, and lots of Campground “Roads” for kids to ride your bike around or you can venture two minutes From the campsite and bike under the Hydro lines.

There’s great swimming spots to bring your dog as they are not allowed on the campground beach. Close enough where you still feel like you’re in the campground.

It’s a very quick drive into town or a 20/25 minute bike ride. Close to the fairies to go check out some of the islands; one of our favourites is to go to New Castle for the day. However we did make a quick trip over to Galiano, picked up a pizza and watch the sunset)

There’s a grocery store, liquor store, pharmacy and hardware store within walking distance.

The only couple of issues we had were as follows;

there was a short trail behind our campsite that led down to the path that goes along the water. People thought it would be a good idea to use our campsite as a cut through. We did make a suggestion to the staff to have a sign or something at the bottom that reminds people that it is a private campsite and not a walking path. They were very receptive so I Believe that this will be corrected.

The second item is the traffic on check in and check out. It’s not so much the traffic but there’s a lot of times when two trailers are head to head and there’s nowhere to move over for one to pass. I’m not sure how this can be fixed as it would be very difficult to make some of these roads one way. You just have to make sure you go very slow and be courteous and patient.

Very nice, well laid out campground. Sites are treed and private. Only complaint is that there is only one site for garbage and one shower building with 3 stalls in a large campground. WiFi in not free.

Living Forest was a great experience all around! The staff were very friendly and kept the park very clean and tidy. The showers and washrooms were very clean. Facilities such as the cafe and the staffed office were fantastic amenities. Most of the sites have great views including our site, T6. We had views of the water and river. Although a tent site, we had plenty of room to ourselves. My only complaint is the lack of privacy for some of the sites, but it varies greatly between sites. The whole park was extremely tidy and well kept. Firewood was well priced as well as the other things sold in the office. Water and power were provided at even the small tent sites which was a pleasant surprise. The rules of the park are extremely fair and enforced. The nightly rate for our night was great considering the amenities provided.
All in all this was a fantastic experience for our first time at this campground and we will 100% return.

La fille a la réception était tellement gentille & souriante:) Elle a pris le temps de bien m'expliquer puisque mon anglais est moyen:) De plus, elle m'a donné un super beau terrain. Tres beau camping:)

It is the best campground in our 14 days trip. Friendly stuffs， nice environment, amazing scenery on the trail. The rest room is the best than other campground, even hotel. My friends visited us and very like the rest room that help them overcome the scare of alberta park rest room. Have to say it has a amazing trail that must have a try when sunset.
The bad thing is the gust wind stop electric power supply. It is not their failure.
Anothe one is someone stole our fire woods when we drive out. Maybe BC is colder than AB.
Highly recommend again.

100% will book again. The campground is massive! Power, water and sewer hookups.
Had site 123, great ocean views (felt very lush and private). Also really liked the looks of #204 backing onto a hill.

Liked that I could pre pay for firewood and could pick up at check in.

(I use my propane tank the first night while travelling with a little one, wood fire the second day when all settled in).

Very close to the ferry terminal, groceries and liquor store.

Stayed April 1st- April 4th.

Here in December what a beautiful spot, the ocean view is really amazing and I watched eagles and a huge variety of water birds as well as the sea otters play, just delightful. Well organized-reasonable long term and daily rates, hot showers and laundry. Nice and clean and well cared for. Very friendly. My only complaint would be that some residents don't leash their dogs as required. Also there is a small mall within walking distance so access to groc and liquor store, drugstore, post office, Rona, restaurants etc, very convenient. Will most definitely be back.

Awesome place if you want quiet. I've had enough of other sites with no control over people and kids running around all day and all night. I brought my elderly parents there and they loved it. Only reason I did not give it 5 stars was for that grumpy old guy in the golf cart sneering and belching rules out at everyone. What a buzzkill he was. Next time I'm there I'll just throw eggs at him.

Gorgeous campground! 12 mins from the Duke Point Ferry situated where the river meets the ocean, this campground was perfect for us. Very quiet with large sites and lots of privacy. They don't allow outside music which is first for us and potentially a deal breaker for some. The roads aren't one-way which I think they need to be as it's too narrow for 2 passing RV's and when I talked to someone who works there, they said they hear that a lot but have no plans on changing it. I ended up leaving right at 11a to avoid running into another RV which would force one of us to drive backwards.
It's also very close to stores and downtown so you don't have to go far for anything.

Right near the ferry terminal. Some ready pull through sites. Very level lots so we didn't even bother to disconnect. All areas very clean. Staff very friendly. Pretty views.

Clean sites. Bathrooms and showers are kept clean and stocked.
Nice area. Quiet at night.
Beach area a bit chaotic. Small with large number of kids. And a ton of seaweed. Would have gone in the water if it didn't involve trudging my way through a ron of it.
Perhaps the park can rake it out once in a while to making swimming area more enjoyable.

Disappointing! Our site is unbelievably noisy and has zero privacy with a common area on rear with group camping sites, a neighbor on one side with 2 small
Children who play in the dirt on our small lot and two neighbors on the other side one facing into our skinny patio area and one about 2 feet from the end of our awning. This morning at 5 am one neighbor departed and we can hardly blame him. We asked to be moved and a very
Unsympathetic worker refused to assist.

Great RV camping spot close to walking, hiking, and mountain bike trails. Camp sites are surrounded by trees, which I personally really like.

We had problems with our trailer. Long story short one of the maintenance workers lent us equipment free of charge and recommended a great RV mechanic.

I recommend this place to anyone who appreciates nature.

Love the sushi truck, cafe over the water, spacious sites and well priced kayak rentals. Disliked the lack of privacy; we are open to three sites and one is super loud every moment and the others smoked either pot or cigarettes all evening long. Clean washrooms, friendly staff.

Great place close to Ucuelet and the National Park. We stayed in the Back Lot in a full service site. Site was large and fairly level. We would stay here again.

Our group has been coming here for few years now and next year we will be celebrating our milestone and we are super excited. Living forest has become a yearly tradition for us and our kids are always looking forward to seeing their friends and build new memories. This is a very safe place for our kids to play and roam around. Staff are exceptional too. They are super friendly and very welcoming. THANK YOU Living Forest! Until next year.

The family and I have been visiting this site once a year for at least five years. They have never messed up my reservations, and have good amenities on site. Flushable toilets, hot showers (each 5-minute token is $2), a Cafe, and nice short walking trails around the site. The grocery store, gas station, coffee shop, and liquor store is only five minutes drive away. My absolute favorite is when the sun starts to set in the summer, it lights the field beyond the trees a beautiful gold colour. My only complaint is hearing the 5am boat horn.

An absolute gem this place is fabulous. Friendly staff. Clean grounds. I appreciate the organization of the campground. The views are stunning as well. Great place to be with your friends and family members! I will definitely come back! Thank you ️

This is one of our favourite campgrounds on Vancouver Island. To have a view of the inlet from some of the spots is really special.

Great location but way too crowded now. No privacy just jam packed spots. Used to be one of the nicest private campsites but not anymore unfortunately.

Had an awesome time camping at Living Forest! Stayed in a shaded site with stunning ocean views. I enjoyed all the trails in the area. As well as the many amenities the campground had to offer! Can't wait to camp here again!

I lived here in an RV for two winters while finishing my undergrad at VIU. Felt so grateful to wake up in such a beautiful place every day. Nice folks, too.

Great sized and private sites, close bathrooms. Little bit pricey but nice and clean, nice walking trails. Cute little beach with easy access. Friendly and accommodating staff.

I have been here several times and love the campsite, however this occasion we were in Site 236 in a newer area. The sites are very tight and you feel as if you are right on top of your neighbours. The Sani hookup is at the front of the site, and 90% of RV tanks are at the back, so we had to go and buy an extension to our 20ft sewer hose to reach it.
Just looks like it was hastily put together. I will make sure to request a better site next time.

Very nice place, packed in pretty tight, so be neighbor nice. Bathrooms are all flush, playground is in good shape. Good trails around campsite easy access to water.

Came here for 2 weeks in July 2019. BEST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE! Wonderful staff, great café, and we had an oceanfront tent site and it was absolutely the most beautiful campground I have ever stayed at! Worth every penny spent and I’m coming back here next year to do it all over again! WOOHOO!

Had a very nice 3-day stay check-in was easy it is a beautiful campground and is well run the only problem we had was with the internet it was hard to get on and never did get the TV on the internet

Pretty nice Campground for a privately owned place. Could be a little tidier, but that is partly to do with the long term "campers". Some of those spots are pretty bedraggled. Otherwise, we still really like coming here, even though the water access is minimal.

Pictures will never do this place justice. What an absolute gem! A beautiful campground, very friendly staff, and a stunning location. Birds of all sorts of variety are everywhere, including dozens of eagles. And several sea lions on the hunt for salmon. Who knew a spot not far of the highway would be this beautiful, and this quiet! It’s no wonder this place gets such amazing reviews and people from all over Canada and the world stay here. So highly recommended.