Monday morning I logged into the Parks Canada Reservation site and watched the countdown begin. Reservations opened at 8 AM MST for those seeking campgrounds. That’s two hours behind Toronto time so, seeing as I got up early, it was a wait but I’m so glad I did. When the countdown ended I found myself back 6180 people and the wait was 35 minutes. Once in I tried a couple National Parks located in the Rocky Mountians and am very happy to say we booked a total of 15 days at two seperate sites located in Kootenay National Park.

After an hour or so I tried to get another site in the Rockies just to see if I could and they are booking up fast. Glad we planned ahead, especially given Banff and Jasper are such incredible places. Still waiting for the National Park system to take reservations in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, but we got the big one out of the way.

As I’m writing this I’m in the queue again, with 5951 users ahead of me and a 16 minute wait. If you plan to camp this year I’d take last year as a guide and book as soon as you can.

Campgrounds Busier than Ever

COVID-19 proved a determining factor behind the influx of campers during the 2020 and 2021 season. A July 2021 report from Kampgrounds of America (KOA) revealed that as COVID-19 restrictions eased, Canadian campers were eager to escape the city and reconnect with nature in an easy and affordable way. According to the findings, an estimated 3.1 million households planned to go camping in 2021, and more than 500,000 planned to camp for the first time — a rate five times greater than the previous year.

Source

Parks Canada

Alice in Wonderland