Lakes, beaches and campgrounds were busy Sunday as hundreds of people flocked to Elk Island National Park to enjoy the May long weekend.
Park Superintendent Dale Kirkland said there has been an increase in visitors for the unofficial kick-off to summer.
“Our campgrounds are fully booked and certainly our day use areas are full as well. The wonderful weather we’ve had certainly has helped with the number of people coming out to enjoy [the park],” he said.
The superintendent said the majority of visitors are from the Capital Region though the park has seen increased visitors from abroad and other parts of the country.
“Through our pass distribution, we have noticed a number of new Canadians, a number of younger families, fledgling families who are taking the opportunity to come,” he said
Kirkland said the free passes to Canada’s national parks may not necessarily have played a huge factor, adding the Victoria Day weekend is typically a busy weekend for the park.
However, the passes were an incentive for Ivan Yamson to bring his family from Edmonton for the day.
Yamson arrived early Sunday morning to find a spot along Astotin Lake for the party of six.
Families set up tents and other cover from the sun, and many were armed with maps and cameras along with kayaks, coolers and other snacks.
Michelle Sauve of St. Albert was visiting the park with her family and friends from Edmonton.
“We just wanted something free to do and it’s a gorgeous day. It’s nice here,” she said.
Sauve said the biggest priorities on Sunday were to set up for the day, have a barbecue and play games with the kids.
Wynna Cooper of Sherwood Park was at the campsite near Astotin Lake. It has been a tradition for her family the past seven years to visit Elk Island for the Victoria Day long weekend.
Cooper said it was a competitive process to reserve the campsite for the long weekend.
“Because we come every year for the last several years, we knew to get on the website really early. It was right when they first opened, around March, we booked,” she said.
Most of the weekends at the park are fully booked for the summer, however Kirkland said there are some open spots during the middle of the week throughout the season.