Some of the best stories don’t start with a plan. Scott and Yvonne’s story with Fort Camping started with a full campground, a borrowed patch of grass, and a tent they’d received as a wedding present. Thirty-one years later, they’re back to Fort Langley, this time in their own travel trailer. And the park feels just as good as they remembered.
Where it all began: a wedding gift and an open gate
Fort Camping sits within Brae Island Regional Park in Fort Langley, BC — a quiet, tree-lined campground tucked between the Fraser River and the historic village of Fort Langley, about 50 km east of Vancouver. For Scott and Yvonne, it wasn’t a planned destination. It was a happy accident.
In Scott’s own words:
“We moved to BC in February of 1995 and this was our first long weekend away from our family in Saskatchewan. We got a tent and sleeping bags for a wedding present and wanted to use them. We stopped at Derby Reach Regional Park, but they were full, so we kept driving and came across Brae Island Regional Park. When we stopped at the camping office, they also said they were full and could not accommodate us, so I asked if they could find us any patch of grass so we could even stay just one night. Thankfully, they said yes so we were ready to enjoy the night camping. But as luck would have it, someone must have cancelled and we ended up staying the entire weekend and had a wonderful time.”
It was hot during the day and cold at night sleeping in a tent, and they made several trips to Langley for camping gear they hadn’t thought to bring. But none of that took away from the joy of it. It was their first real adventure in their new home province, and Fort Camping was where it began.
Some places never leave you
After that first trip, life got busy. All their vacation time in the years that followed was spent driving back to Saskatchewan to visit family. Camping took a back seat for a long time. Then came 2024, and a visit to a familiar place they almost didn’t recognize.
“I did not realize it was the same park we stayed at in 1995 until we drove up to the gate! It was very surreal. After our first camping trip in 1995 we never really went camping again. We did make one trip to Fort Camping in 2024, but I did not realize it was the same park we stayed at in 1995 until we drove up to the gate. Our first night was spent reminiscing about all our trips to Langley to get extra camping gear and how cold it was at night in the tent. Walking around we realized a lot had changed in those years, but the park was just as quiet and relaxing as we remembered. We knew we wanted to come again in 2025 so as soon as the reservation system was available, we booked a spot.”
Creating memories when it matters most
Scott and Yvonne both grew up camping with their families in Saskatchewan. They have three children of their own. But it was a diagnosis in 2012 that changed everything.
“It was not until I was diagnosed with Lymphoma in 2012 that we decided to purchase an ex-rental motorhome and create our own family camping memories as we had no idea what my future would look like. In the past 14 years we have made several trips with the RV — we have camped in Washington State, Oregon, Idaho, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. We even moved our eldest daughter to school at Mount Royal University with the RV — hopefully we did not embarrass her too much 😊”
“Thankfully my Lymphoma has not progressed any further so we are enjoying life as much as we can. Although our kids are all grown up and have moved away, Yvonne and I still feel camping is our ‘happy place’, so we decided to upgrade our old motorhome to a newer travel trailer in the spring of 2025. We ended up making 3 trips to Fort Camping in 2025 with the new trailer and each visit was better than the last, especially when our grown kids come to visit. We hope to make at least 2 trips to Fort Camping in 2026.”
Fort Langley: good food, good finds, and good company
Part of what keeps Scott and Yvonne coming back is everything that surrounds Fort Camping. The village of Fort Langley is just minutes walking from the campground, and it’s become an essential part of their camping ritual.
“Our favourite things to do around Fort Langley is to wander the village and go through all the antique shops. We also try to frequent a new pub/restaurant for at least one meal when camping. So far, our favourite places are Trails End, Fort Pub & Grille, Trading Post Eatery and Little Donkey Food & Drink. We also check out the Farmers Market every time we are there. On our next visit we will try Wendel’s Bookstore & Café.”
There’s always something new to look forward to, even on a route they know well.
When asked to describe Fort Camping in three words, Scott didn’t hesitate:
“Three words to describe Fort Camping would be ‘great weekend escape.’ Being only 20–40 minutes away from Vancouver, Fort Camping is a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of the city for a weekend. Kids can ride their bikes and have fun in the park without worrying about traffic. Although there is no pool or hot tub, there are plenty of other things to do in the park and surrounding areas.”
Thank you, Scott and Yvonne. Your story is exactly why we are here. We’re honoured to be your happy place, and we can’t wait to welcome you back!
