- Gabriola
Not currently accepting bookings on Hipcamp
Similar campgrounds nearby
Reviews
83% Recommend41 ratings · 36 reviews
Beautiful campground, out of a fairy tale! Maire welcomed me and was so nice. Dramatic thunderstorms overnight, but the beautiful evergreen trees shielded me!
At $60/night, this site just isn't worth the value. We'd just spent two weeks camping all over Vancouver Island and this was our most disappointing stay. There was a stagnant looking jug of water that we avoided, a composting toilet (all good) but with damp TP that doesn't have a dry container to sit in, and a patio table that looks like it's never been cleaned. Generally the site didn't feel terribly private, with the house fairly close and playground equipment pretty much in the camp site.
The tent pad was flat - so that was good, and we did feel safe. It's also off the road enough to be relatively quiet.
We're not picky campers- we spend plenty of time in the backcountry with zero amenities. If we'd paid $20, we would have been happy with this site, but at $60 it felt like a massive rip off.
If this had been my first experience with hipcamp, I'd probably not revisit the website.
The campsite was beautiful and quiet.
I was on foot, but could walk from the ferry with my backpack. Her place is just a short walking distance through the beautiful community Gardens, which takes you to the village center where you can catch local buses to different parts of the island. I also purchased a meal and a tour from Ashley and they were splendid. I swam in the ocean at night to see the phosphorescence, and we watched the sunset at a spectacular site. Ashley was very gracious and open and introduced me to parts of the community. I wouldn’t have otherwise found out about. I did a tremendous amount of exploring on the island walking through trails through the forest. Highly recommend her place.
The owner is A very nice lady . The campsite is easy to find and quiet and neat. Would like to recommend to everyone!
Great location and Ashley was really helpful with local recommendations. The site isn’t super private, but was perfect for what we needed, quiet and peaceful site and a good home base for exploring a magical island
Ashley made me feel at home. The personal touch! I loved her site and felt in a state of zen the whole stay.
Recommends
· September 2025
Tent ·
The Forest
Fantastic spot tucked away in the woods. It was such a treat finding Ashley's peaceful and well equipped camp spot. Each area is really unique and we'd love to come back to try out the other area.
Thanks for having us!
Recommends
· August 2025
20 ft campervan · With kids ·
The marsh
Thanks Ashley, we appreciated your flexibility and comfy tent spot. Was quite sheltered and dry despite the wet weather, and so centrally located.
Recommends
· August 2025
Tent ·
The marsh
The Marsh was luckily available for a last-minute booking, and I am so glad it worked out to have Ashley as my host for my short stay on Gabriola! She's got great advice on areas to check out, weekly events on the island, and such a warm and welcoming demeanor. The site had all I needed: I set up my tent in a little blackberry nook and found the jungle composting toilet to be quite the novelty.
I'll be keeping her place in mind for when I return to Gabriola.
My partner and I had a lovely time staying at The Marsh. It was a quiet and relaxing place to spend the weekend. Ashley was fantastic, she sent us helpful tips on where to go and what to see, and was very accommodating throughout our stay. We would definitely return and spend more time at this site. The directions were clear, and all the information we needed was provided. The facilities were exactly as described.
Recommends
· July 2025
Tent ·
The Forest
I had an incredible experience tent camping at Ashley’s campsite! The host was giving me rides around the island and showing me all the best spots. We had wonderful time cooking together and chatting, and I especially enjoyed meeting her adorable two-year-old son. I’m already looking forward to returning when I visit Gabriola Island again. Highly recommended!
Recommends
· July 2025
Tent ·
The Forest
It was lovely to stay with Ashley. The place is as advertised. Everything you need to camp and perfectly located near the ferry to use as a starting point to explore the rest of the island.
Recommends
· July 2025
15 ft campervan ·
The marsh
Ashley was very welcoming and friendly. A beautiful rustic spot.
Recommends
· July 2025
This site was a delight! The tent is roomy and the bed is super comfy. Ashley was a great host.
Recommends
· June 2025
Tent ·
The marsh
Very friendly and understanding! Beautiful camping spot!
Recommends
· June 2025
Tent ·
The marsh
Great location and Ashley was a super kind, responsive host! Site had everything we needed.
Recommends
· May 2025
Tent ·
The marsh
Extremely warm and welcoming host and made us feel very at home camping at her spot! Ashley was great at communicating and loved her place and location on the island. Thank you!
Ashley is amazing host, I had a short yet sweet stay. The only thing I would like to suggest to her is putting a light at the toilet. It was very dark and even though it was right beside the tent it was difficult to navigate. Overall I would say it's 10/10 must stay place.
Not recommend
· September 2024
Tent · With pets ·
The Forest
- drinking out of a hose is bad for people
- misleading advertisement: never mentions how close the campsites are to the hosts house
- compost toilet is too close to sites and really awkward to walk by the person at the glamping site
- driveway access for vehicles is very limited; no turn around spots for larger vehicles
- no privacy at all at any of the sites; should be mentioned in advertisement
Recommends
· August 2024
It was a unique place to stay. The tent was like a tiny house set in the forest and very private. The bed was very comfortable. Ashley was always available and very nice to talk to.
Not recommend
· August 2024
Tent ·
The Forest
Good location on the island and I appreciated the suggestions from the host in her initial message but there were some communication lags due to the host’s travel that resulted in some discomfort (lack of toilet paper and car parked in the middle of the driveway so we had walk our gear a bit further). Not big deals but would deter me from booking again. Two things to note that were not issues for us but may be for others - the spot is up on a steepish incline so would not be great for those with mobility issues, and it is close to the house / driveway so would not be very private if other people are around.
Recommends
· August 2024
Ashley was such a great host! We got in late and she still came to greet us and help us with some questions. Also gave great suggestions and even brought us homemade muffins in the morning. Gorgeous site and lots of fun. Thank you!
Recommends
· August 2024
Tent · Group trip ·
The marsh
Great little camping spot! Ashley was a super host with great recommendations for all things Gabriola. We got two tents very comfortably! A nice composting toilet and table for meals :)
We really enjoyed the quiet and privacy. There’s a really nice walk into town through the picturesque Common, and there are hiking trails nearby. It’s a safe, central place to be on Gabriola. The site itself seemed a bit unfinished. We had our camper van and parked on the driveway beside the site, which wasn’t level. It required backing down the narrow winding driveway. The site had some clunky furniture and an old compost bin, a chicken coop, some tarps around it and the jungle toilet, which is a cool idea, but wasn’t very private. We had a little trouble finding the potable water source, which ended up being a garden hose in the glamping site beside the house. We never met Ashley but her communication was great. Her Workaway helper was available to show us around.
Recommends
· August 2024
Tent ·
The Forest
Ashley was super kind and sweet. She was helpful in recommending places to explore on the island. The camping spot on her land was perfect for our tent and our dog was able to live her best life. We loved the compostable toilet surrounded by beautiful nature.
We are easy going islanders who are used to travelling with the bare minimum, but I don't think we would stay here again.
We were greeted by a guy in the driveway who had no idea we were coming and asked if the host knew we had booked? After explaining for a few minutes we had booked on this platform, Ashley had luckily turned up.
I was under the impression we would be able to sleep in the truck because of the description in "The Forest". I re-read it again and think the listing is a little unclear as it states there is room for 1 vehicle? It was unfortunate we were unable to access the site because the walk-in only site would have been a more comfortable stay. We were offered to park in the driveway instead, so we did just that. For $44 we showed up at 9pm, slept in the uneven driveway, used the composting toilet (with no walls) once, and left first thing in the morning because of the lack of privacy & amenities.
Wasn't the worst, wasn't the best. Communication could improve, and clearer instructions as to where to park/find the appropriate sites if the host is not there to greet you :)
Recommends
· July 2024
20 ft campervan · With pets ·
The marsh
Ashley was very helpful with information about the island and what to do. The site is perfect for camping, though a little small to park our camper van. Ashley made great accommodations to make it work great for us though!
We booked with the intention of staying two nights but left without staying either nights. The site was not what we expected. It was very unfinished in fact it was under construction with power tools, lumber, and electrical cords across the entrance to the site.
The ground was very un level making it hard to find a place to put both tents (we are family of 4). The composting toilet was barebones. No privacy screen from the host or other campers and was located very close to tent, so the smell was an issue.
We found a site at a near by campground and left.
The host was very pleasant through text, although we did not meet her in person as she was not home.
I think some improvement could make this a very nice place to stay.
pros:
shady, forested spot for someone who wants quiet. nice to sleep with the sounds of the marsh, no car traffic
cool outdoor toilet
host was very friendly and accommodating
cons:
campsite was not quite as expected, and on a significant tilt which made using the table and sleeping difficult. tables and chairs in poor condition
pricey for the bare bones amenities
host replies to our msgs were not timely
could be nice for a different person who is not me or my camping partner! unfortunately we couldn’t get very comfortable. I think im more of a public campground guy, i should prob leave this app.
Not recommend
· July 2024
Tent · With kids ·
The marsh
Facts
This was a last minute booking,
* we took the 9:10 pm ferry over and the host is fully aware we are arriving 9:40 pm -10 pm or so on Friday night. We were intended to stay for 2 nights
* the area she intended the guest for tent set up was not even, so we are roughly 2 feet away from the chicken coop - thou no chickens
* we did find a last minute book through public site later Saturday as first come as serve at site 17.
* at host site, 2 chairs are moldy and damaged. Host mention Saturday morning she had cleaned with vinegar and bleach
* the chicken coop at the host camp site, the damage chairs and mold stained table is not in list description
* we did not use the bathroom or refill water or left any garbage .We pack in and pack out,
Host initial offer refund me 100 out of all I paid via hip-camp in cash and changed into platform, both idea I agree.
I got around 90 dollars back ( total cost roughly 130 -135 all in Canadian dollars for two nights and, included a bundle of fire wood we never used)
do not feel comfortable sharing my personal feelings on the site as host texted me later on Saturday night, made me very uncomfortable.
Location
Gabriola, Nanaimo, British Columbia, CanadaTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
Hosted by Ashley A.
Joined in May 2024Things to do nearby
Hipcamp is created with ❤️ and hope for our future.