Parks Canada is changing its reservation system. What you need to know to secure your favourite camping spot
Canoers paddle on Kejimkujik Lake at Kejimkujik National Park in Nova Scotia.
For some Canadians, the date their favourite Parks Canada campground opens for reservations is as thrilling as a Beyoncé concert ticket drop.
Parks Canada, which manages nearly 11,000 campsites, says it has had six consecutive years of record-setting demand for camping reservations, and is expecting interest to be even higher this year.
Experienced campers at some of Canada’s top campgrounds know that time is of the essence if you’re looking to book, especially if you’re in pursuit of some of the country’s top campgrounds, such as Prince Albert National Park, Cape Breton Highlands National Park and Prince Edward Island National Park.
To keep up with technology and help combat mass reservations by tour groups on its service, Parks Canada’s reservation service is getting a reboot this year. Here’s everything you need to know to ensure you’re not scrambling to secure your favourite spot for summer.
Write down your favourite sites by Sunday, Feb. 26
Feb. 26 is the last day to access what will be the old Parks Canada reservation service. If you’ve booked the same site each year and used the service to remember which one it was, you’ll need to log in and jot that information down before this date. From Feb. 27 to March 2, the reservation service will be down and after that, you won’t be able to access your old account again.
Make a new account before reservations open as early as March 3
To get yourself to the front of the line on reservation days, make your account with the new booking service starting March 3. Parks Canada has created a step-by-step guide to help you make a new account (it even includes screenshots). You will be able to book campsites starting March 3.
Make note of the date your favourite campgrounds open for reservations
Parks Canada is using staggered reservation dates for campgrounds. This means you may need to try for the front of the queue on more than one…
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