REGINA — Opening dates for camping reservations at provincial parks are now set, with campers welcome to start booking as early as mid-April this year.
Seasonal bookings will open on April 18, said the announcement from Sask Parks, while nightly, Campy-Easy and group sites will open to campers on April 19-26, depending on the park.
Specific opening dates for nightly camping sites are:
- April 19: Saskatchewan Landing, Good Spirit Lake, Candle Lake, Meadow Lake;
- April 21: Echo Valley, Douglas, Pike Lake, Narrow Hills, Makwa Lake;
- April 22: Rowan's Ravine, Danielson, Greenwater Lake, Great Blue Heron, The Battlefords;
- April 25: Moose Mountain, Buffalo Pound, Duck Mountain, Bronson Forest;
- April 26: Crooked Lake, Cypress Hills, Blackstrap, Lac La Ronge.
"This time of year is always exciting, as many residents across the province begin to plan their summer holidays," said Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Laura Ross.
The 2021 camping season was a record-breaking year, said Ross, with over 1 million visits to provincial parks.
This year, Sask Parks is hoping to see another busy season, with more park programs and events on the calendar.
New features in the online booking system are set to debut this year, including a campsite comparison option allowing campers to look at up to three sites while booking, as well as a campsite favourites feature.
Reservation wait lists are also coming this year, with campers able to add their name for selected campsites to receive notification if it becomes available.
Entry permits can also be purchased online this year, including daily, weekly, or annual options.
In other changes, historical parks will not be charging individual programming admission this year, instead allowing admission through regular Sask Parks entry permits.
Sask Parks has also added another 36 seasonal sites to provincial parks following their popularity last year, as well as some changes to the Camp Easy program.
Two of the Camp East tents at both Buffalo Pound and Blackstrap Provincial Parks will be replaced with larger yurts, Duck Mountain will have another yurt for booking, and Greenwater will welcome it's first yurt.
Each yurt in Camp Easy sites will receive a queen size bed and frame, which will be reflected in the nightly fee for the site increasing to $80.
All other camping fees are remaining the same, and reservations will open at 7 a.m. daily. Full details on parks and reservations can be found online at saskparks.com.
