It’s a sign that summer is just around the corner (one can hope). Alberta Parks is set to open its online camping reservation system for the 2021 season on March 4.
Camping reservations will open then for individual campsites, for bookings up to 90 days in advance of your scheduled arrival date.
Bookings will open in a staggered approach by region.
Sites in the south region can be booked at 9 a.m., Kananaskis Country sites open at 11 a.m., sites in the central region can be booked at 1 p.m. and sites in northern Alberta open for bookings at 3 p.m.
Comfort camping reservations start the following day, on March 5 at 9 a.m. These sites can be booked up to 180 days in advance of your scheduled arrival date.
Backcountry camping can currently be reserved up to 90 days in advance of your scheduled arrival date.
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Due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions, Alberta Parks said group camping bookings remain closed.
Camping fees are going up. In the Alberta budget tabled Feb. 25, the province is raising camping fees by $1 to $3 in 2021-22.
A number of measures were put in place at provincial campgrounds last year to try to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Those measures will remain in place this summer, according to Alberta Parks.
Some of the measures include:
- Shower facilities remain closed
- Group camping will remain closed, unless and until Alberta Health Services group gathering restrictions are eased
- Shared sites with shared amenities like picnic tables and fire pits will have one half of the site closed
- If any cancellations are initiated by Alberta Parks due to COVID-19 restrictions, campers will be notified and receive a full refund – including the reservation fee
Last year, camping proved an extremely popular summer activity amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
On opening day of campground reservations last May, nearly 32,000 individual campsite reservations were processed by the lunch hour.
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