Parks Canada Camping Reservations Start to Open This Friday
Forget the cold. Start thinking about camping season now.
It’s that time of year when Parks Canada begins to open reservations for the upcoming camping season. Cue the stress, tears and crossing of fingers.
We’re only sort of kidding. While Parks Canada upgraded its reservation system in 2023 and things are certainly better than they were, booking summer backpacking and camping trips is still a stressful experience.
All of this year’s reservation launch dates are on the Parks Canada website. They begin to open Friday (January 17th) but different locations have different dates. We’ve got some of our own tips below for a semi-seamless booking experience.
Backcountry camping at Crandell Lake in Waterton National Park
Make calendar notifications for the areas you want to book
It’s hard to keep track of the staggered opening dates, so put them in your calendar. Most sites open at 8 a.m. local time. Last year, we had calendar notifications for the opening of Waterton Backcountry, Lake O’Hara, Banff Backcountry, Jasper Backcountry and Banff Frontcountry. Yes, that’s multiple mornings of ensuring someone was at the computer, uninterrupted, ready to get clicking (and, in some cases, yell at your computer.) Don’t worry, you’ll (hopefully) forget all about this stress come the summer when you are enjoying a picturesque campsite.
Create an account and familiarize yourself with the Parks system ahead of time
The website can be confusing so ensure you have an account before bookings open and are familiar with how the site works. The access point feature for backcountry bookings can be especially confusing. Be warned! Also, the website and quick clicking needed is a lot easier on a computer versus a phone.
Stay Calm. No Really.
Log on before reservations open. The second reservations open (typically 8 a.m. local time), you’ll be assigned a random position in line. Once it’s your turn, you can enter the site and make a reservation. Once you add a reservation to your cart, it will be held for 15 minutes. While it can feel like sites go in seconds, do stay calm and check back as some reservations being held in people’s carts will go back into the pool of sites you can book.
A coveted oTENTik site at Two Jack Lakeside Campground in Banff National Park
Be Flexible
Research where you want to go ahead of time and what dates work. Always have a backup plan (or two or three).
Keep Your Expectations Low
When you do get a site you want on a date you want, you’ll be ecstatic!
Happy camping!
