Gas prices in Kamloops: confirm access when your vehicle needs more space

Kamloops is where the Coquihalla ends and the Trans-Canada carries on east, so a lot of people looking up fuel here are passing through with a trailer, a boat or a long day still ahead. We don’t show live prices. This page covers what you pay in tax at a Kamloops pump, how the mountain passes either side should shape where you fill, and how to make sure a cheap station is one you can actually pull a trailer into.

What’s in the price at a Kamloops pump

As of November 2026, a litre of gasoline in Kamloops carries:

BC motor fuel tax: 14.5¢/L. That’s the rate for most of the province. The higher transit-area rates on the same page apply only in the South Coast region around Vancouver (27¢/L, including 18.5¢ for TransLink) and the Victoria transit area (20¢/L) (BC motor fuel tax rates).
No BC carbon tax. It was eliminated effective 1 April 2025 (same source).
No federal excise tax for now. The usual 10¢/L is suspended until 31 January 2027, with 5¢/L charged in February and March 2027 (Finance Canada).
GST at 5% (CRA), worked out on a price that already includes the fuel taxes (Natural Resources Canada).

If you’re driving up from the Lower Mainland, that 12.5¢/L gap in motor fuel tax is a big part of why Kamloops and Metro Vancouver pump prices can look so different. It’s built into the tax system, so it won’t go away by searching harder.

Fuel planning on the highways around Kamloops

The Coquihalla’s Merritt-to-Kamloops section opened in 1987 (BC Gov News). South of town it climbs through Surrey Lake Summit (1,444 m, about 25 km north of Merritt) and the Coquihalla Pass (1,244 m, about 60 km north of Hope). Heading east on Highway 1, Rogers Pass in Glacier National Park reaches 1,327 m on a two-lane rural highway (BC summit elevations). The province is also four-laning Highway 1 between Kamloops and Alberta and warns the work may cause travel delays along the corridor.

Long climbs use more fuel than the same distance on the flat, and a closure or construction delay can leave you idling. With a trailer, it adds up fast. So leaving Kamloops with a fuller tank than the price alone would suggest is often the cheaper choice overall. Winter tires or chains are required on most BC routes from 1 October to 30 April (BC designated routes), so check DriveBC before a winter run as well as the fuel gauge.

Confirm access when your vehicle needs more space

A station that suits a car may not suit a truck and trailer. After comparing prices, check the entrance, exit and room to manoeuvre using the operator’s information and a satellite map. A small saving isn’t worth an awkward turn across traffic or reversing a trailer out of a tight forecourt.

Using GasBuddy Kamloops results

Narrow GasBuddy Kamloops results to a few stations in your grade (or diesel) near the highway you’ll leave on.
Check each station’s exact address. Kamloops listings sit on different streets, and similar names can be some distance apart.
Open the operator’s page and a satellite view to judge trailer or RV access.
Check report times, then confirm the price at the pump. Current reports are on the official GasBuddy website.

What Kamloops search results show

The Kamloops results include station listings on different streets, reinforcing the need to check the actual address. See the referenced page. Checked 4 November 2026; recheck the page before relying on it.

Kamloops worked example: is the extra drive worth it with a trailer?

This is an invented comparison, not a quoted Kamloops price. Say you’re towing and need 80 litres, a station across town is 4 cents per litre cheaper, and reaching it adds 6 km of town driving at a towing consumption of 18 L/100 km, with fuel at an illustrative C$1.60/L.

Item	Calculation	Result
Gross saving	80 × 4/100	C$3.20
Extra driving fuel cost	6 extra km × 18 L/100 km ÷ 100 × C$1.60 per litre	C$1.73
Net saving before time and other costs	Gross saving − extra fuel	C$1.47

In this example, towing more than doubles what each detour kilometre costs, so over half the saving is gone before you count the time or the access risk. A suitable station on your way out of town is usually the better pick. Put in your own figures with the trip fuel cost calculator.

Should I fill up in Kamloops before the Coquihalla?

If you’re heading south over the passes, it’s sensible to leave with plenty in the tank, especially with a trailer or in winter. Whether Kamloops or Merritt is cheaper on the day is something only current reports can tell you. Both sit outside the South Coast region, so both pay the same 14.5¢ provincial rate.

Can I use a map pin to confirm trailer access?

No. A pin doesn’t show the layout. Check a satellite view and the operator’s information, and ask the operator about restrictions if they matter for your rig.

More Kamloops fuel planning

Fuel Route Guide is an independent publication and is not affiliated with GasBuddy or the fuel retailers mentioned here. Illustrative calculations were prepared for this guide; no station visit or live-price verification is claimed.