Jayne Seagrave's Camping with Kids in British Columbia: A Complete Guide to Provincial and National Park Campgrounds. 4th ed.

Sandy Campbell is a reference librarian in the Science and Technology Library at the University of Alberta.

Seagrave has been camping with kids for eight years. A seasoned camper
before motherhood, she shares with readers both her experiences and
advice, as well as descriptions of the best B.C. provincial and national
park campgrounds.

Seagrave is the author of numerous camping guides, including Jayne
Seagrave’s Camping British Columbia, now in its fourth edition.
Compared with that volume, this one is very limited in scope, listing
only 21 B.C. parks and three in Alberta. However, the information she
provides for each park in this volume is much more detailed than in her
more general volumes. Most of the book is dedicated to campground
descriptions, which include history, location, facilities, recreational
activities, and a summary. The first three parts of each entry contain
general information. It is in the “recreational activities” and
“summary” sections that Seagrave gives us the most detail related to
children. Hiking, fishing, boating, and wildlife-viewing opportunities
are all described with children in mind. The section on “family
activities” focuses on such things as play equipment, shallow-water
beaches, gold panning, rollerblading terrain, interpretive centres, and
nature walks. Seagrave also comments on the availability of conveniences
that parents need. The “rainy day” section of each entry covers what
entertainment is available in the nearest town, since there is usually
not much to do in a campground when it rains.

In the “summary” section, Seagrave reviews more general
information. For example, she tells us which campgrounds are small
enough that the children can roam safely, which ones are quiet, and
which ones require reservations.

The volume is illustrated with photographs. The reproduction quality is
not high, and many of the photos look like family snapshots—which adds
a note of authenticity to the book.

The introductory material would be a good starting point for anyone
planning to camp with children for the first time. The book is most
valuable, however, as a tool to help families select the best place to
camp in British Columbia.