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.
Make a new account before reservations open
Parks Canada migrated to a new reservation system from Feb. 27 to March 2. Your old Parks Canada account can’t be accessed anymore, so you will need to create a new account.
Campers who want to be at the front of the line on reservation launch days can make their new account ahead of time. Parks Canada has created a step-by-step guide to help you make a new account (it even includes screenshots).
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 day if you’re hoping to snag sites at more than one campground this summer. You can only have up to five campsites at a time in your shopping cart before being forced to check out. Reservations open from March 13 to March 31.
Don’t forget: A Parks Canada campsite reservation doesn’t include the cost of daily admission to the park. Campers can pay the park admission fee when making their reservation, upon arrival to the park, or by purchasing a pass. Visitors under 17 years of age or newcomers to Canada get free entry.
Reservation open dates
Newfoundland and Labrador
Gros Morne National Park – Friday, March 31 at 8:30 a.m. NT
Terra Nova National Park – Friday, March 31 at 8:30 a.m. NT (Newman Sound – long-term campsites, Loops G, J & M – March 18 at 8:30 a.m. NT)
Nova Scotia
Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site – Friday, March 31 at 8 a.m. AT
Grand-Pré National Historic Site – Friday, March 17 at 8 a.m. AT
Cape Breton Highlands National Park – Saturday, March 18 at 8 a.m. AT
Visitors walk on the boardwalk on the Greenwich peninsula portion of Prince Edward Island National Park in Greenwich on Aug. 29, 2017.Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island National Park – Saturday, March 18 at 8 a.m. AT
New Brunswick
Fort Beauséjour – Fort Cumberland National Historic Site – Friday, March 17 at 8 a.m. AT
Fundy National Park – Friday, March 17 at 8 a.m. AT
Kouchibouguac National Park – Friday, March 17 at 8 a.m. AT
Quebec
Forillon National Park – Wednesday, March 15 at 8 a.m. ET
La Mauricie National Park – Wednesday, March 15 at 8 a.m. ET
Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve – Wednesday, March 15 at 8 a.m. ET
Saint-Ours Canal National Historic Site – Wednesday, March 15 at 8 a.m. ET
The Grotto at the Bruce Peninsula National Park.Destination Ontario/Destination Ontario
Ontario
Bruce Peninsula National Park – Tuesday, March 21 at 8 a.m. ET
Fathom Five National Marine Park – Tuesday, March 21 at 8 a.m. ET
Georgian Bay Islands National Park – Tuesday, March 21 at 8 a.m. ET
Point Pelee National Park – Tuesday, March 21 at 8 a.m. ET
Pukaskwa National Park – Tuesday, March 21 at 8 a.m. ET
Rideau Canal National Historic Site – Tuesday, March 21 at 8 a.m. ET
Thousand Islands National Park – Tuesday, March 21 at 8 a.m. ET
Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site – Tuesday, March 21 at 8 a.m. ET
Manitoba
Riding Mountain National Park – Monday, March 27 at 8 a.m. CT
Saskatchewan
Grasslands National Park – Tuesday, March 28 at 8 a.m. CST
Prince Albert National Park – Tuesday, March 28 at 8 a.m. CST
A kitesurfer glides across the ocean at Long Beach in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, near Ucluelet, on May 28, 2021.Melissa Renwick/The Globe and Mail
Alberta
Banff National Park – Thursday, March 23 at 8 a.m. MT (Backcountry camping – Wednesday, March 22 at 8 a.m. MT)
Elk Island National Park – Thursday, March 30 at 8 a.m. MT
Jasper National Park – Thursday, March 16 at 8 a.m. MT (Backcountry camping Monday, March 20 at 8 a.m. MT)
Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site – Thursday, March 30 at 8 a.m. MT
Waterton Lakes National Park – Thursday, March 30 at 8 a.m. MT
Wood Buffalo National Park – Thursday, March 30 at 8 a.m. MT
British Columbia
Fort Langley National Historic Site – Monday, March 13 at 8 a.m. PT
Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site – Monday, March 13 at 8 a.m. PT
Glacier National Park – Monday, March 13 at 8 a.m. PT
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve – Monday, March 13 at 8 a.m. PT
Kootenay National Park – Wednesday, March 29 at 8 a.m. MT (Backcountry camping – Wednesday, March 22 at 8 a.m. MT)
Mount Revelstoke National Park – Monday, March 13 at 8 a.m. PT
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve – Monday, March 13 at 8 a.m. PT, (West Coast Trail – Saturday, March 25 at 8 a.m. PT)
Yoho National Park Wednesday, March 29 at 8 a.m. MT (Lake O’Hara Overnight Camping Tuesday, March 28 at 8 a.m. MT, Backcountry camping – Wednesday, March 22 at 8 a.m. MT)
Amplify: A family camping tradition spearheaded by my grandmother
Northwest Territories
Wood Buffalo National Park – Thursday, March 30 at 8 a.m. MT
Yukon
Kluane National Park and Reserve – Monday, March 13 at 8 a.m. MST
Did you have a question about Parks Canada reservations that wasn’t answered here? E-mail audience@globeandmail.com with your question.