BC Parks: May long weekend reservations soar

A pair of Lower Mainland mayors are bracing for the surge in visitors next weekend, and welcome the tourism, but have some concerns.

BC Parks says May long weekend reservations are up by 60 per cent this year, at approximately 4,000 — up from 2,500 in 2025.

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Dan Ruimy, Mayor of Maple Ridge, says Golden Ears Park welcomes nearly 1 million visitors per year.

With a possible spike in tourists, he says it’s especially important that residents have the opportunity to explore “their own back yards.”

To help handle the traffic, Ruimy says the provincial government needs to widen the road network in the park.

“This is a great opportunity for us to work with the province and get them to help fund some of that road improvement, because it is one of the busiest parks in B.C.,” said Ruimy.

Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove says more visitors bring a backlog on parking, and says the communication could be better when things do get busy.

“I’ve always kind of contended with that at some point we should put a sign on the highway that says, ‘Cultus [Lake] is full. Keep on going.’”

As fewer Canadians choose the U.S. as a holiday destination, both mayors anticipate an increase in visitors.

Cultus Lake and Golden Ears parks ranked fifth and eighth, respectively, among the province’s most-visited in the 2024-2025 season.