Sask. parks sees increase in campsite bookings, province funds over $90M in construction at parks

Individuals were eager to book their camping sites in Saskatchewan for this upcoming season after a total of 43,566 nightly, group and seasonal campsite reservations were made during the 2021 launch.

According to a government press release, that’s a 110 per cent increase from 2020, though only half of the sites were available last year due to COVID-19 restrictions. When compared to 2019 bookings, this year there was a 65 per cent increase in reservations.

A new campsite reservation system was released in April. With the new system, campers who made reservations in advance and have their entry permit on display will be able to head straight to their campsite when they arrive in the park with Saskatchewan Parks’ auto check-in function.

“With nearly 44,000 campsite reservations made during launch, the new system successfully managed a very large volume of users and transactions at once and minimized the time customers spent waiting in a queue.  Many campers were able to successfully secure a site this season,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Laura Ross said.

Most weekends during the summer months filled up quickly, but the province says there are still plenty of campsites available throughout weekdays during the summer and into September.

The province is also encouraging people to check the reservation system regularly as changes and cancellations can lead to more sites becoming available.

Another new feature this year called Camping this Weekend helps campers find a last-minute spot.

The new website can be found at parks.saskatchewan.ca.

The Saskatchewan government announced on Thursday that construction worth more than $90 million will take place this season in and around parks.

This includes 11 highway paving and upgrade projects, improvements to three park access roads and paving inside six parks.

“With travel to other provinces discouraged due to the pandemic, we know residents are looking forward to getting out of the house to experience Saskatchewan’s robust provincial park system,” Highways Minister Fred Bradshaw said.

“We are investing in these improvements to make our parks and the highways that lead to them more attractive, safe and accessible while also helping to keep people working.”

Work has already begun at Rowan’s Ravine Provincial Park to repave the access road leading to the park, the Underwood campground loops, the boat launch and the parking lot.

Access roads leading to Good Spirit Lake and Danielson Provincial Park will also be repaved.

The following campgrounds will also have paving occur this season:

• $650,000 at Douglas Provincial Park
• $745,000 at Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park
• $645,000 at Great Blue Heron Provincial Park
• $750,000 at Greenwater Lake Provincial Park
• $1.1 million at Katepwa Point Provincial Park
• $1 million at Rowan’s Ravine Provincial Park

The province said paving will improve boat launches, parking lots, park roads and pathways and campground areas. Paving of park loops at Douglas Provincial Park is already complete.

Provincial campgrounds are officially opening Thursday and campers are reminded to check the current list of provincial park fire restrictions before their visit. There are restrictions in place at a number of parks due to dry conditions. In affected parks, open fires are prohibited, however, the Canadian Standards Association’s approved self-contained portable gas devices will be allowed for cooking and heating.

To find an updated list of all affected parks, see the Saskatchewan Parks website.

An alcohol and recreational cannabis ban will be in place for May long weekend from Thursday to Monday in all provincial park and recreation site campgrounds. Cottages, rental cabins and any businesses serving liquor in licensed establishments in parks are not affected by the ban.

COVID-19 safety protocols are still in place at parks, with enhanced cleaning, signage to ensure physical distancing and proper mask use.

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