An unseasonably cool and snowy winter has created the perfect conditions for outdoor sports, but the province's parks are so popular that many would-be adventurers are having a hard time just finding a parking space.

Mountainous provincial parks are a big part of what draws people to British Columbia, but they're becoming difficult to access.

At Mount Seymour, a family told CTV News they'd gotten up at the "crack of dawn," hoping that an early arrival would help them find a place to park.

"We're here to try to beat the hour-long lineups every morning," Jennifer Oliver said.

It can be a stressful start to the day, especially when you're packing up outdoor gear for a full family, and sometimes, the effort is all for nothing.

"We've turned away quite a few mornings because the lineups are just way, way too long," she said.

As many as 10,000 people visit the park on busy days, and its main lot and overflow lot were both full before 11 a.m. Saturday.

The province is looking at ways to solve the gridlock caused by over-filled parking lots, and to improve access to Mount Seymour for skiers, snowboarders and snowshoers. BC Parks recently surveyed visitors to find solutions to the growing problem.

"Access by way of shuttling, car-pooling, there's been talk potentially of a gondola," Mt. Seymour Resorts general manager Eddie Wood said.

Wood has been part of the discussions, and says currently the parties involved are keeping their minds open to all options.

In a statement to CTV News, BC Parks said the survey was intended to help develop a long-term strategy for Seymour based on feedback from park users. The survey was meant to capture data about the high-use winter season, and the results will be used for future planning and management.

"It is anticipated that the results will help form an asssessment of the park carrying capacity and facility design needs," the Ministry of Environment said.

But Seymour isn't the only park with a problem, says parks advocate Steven Jones.

Jones, who runs a Facebook page called North Shore Dawn Patrol, said many of the parks in the Vancouver area are difficult to access.

"If we could open those up then there would be less people that need to come here," he said.

"We really need the provincial government to stand up for public access to public parks."

With a report from CTV Vancouver's Scott Hurst