Perhaps it was the warm dry weather that took hold of B.C. this summer and still hasn’t let go its comforting grip well into the second week of October.
Or maybe its just because people love to spend time in the great outdoors in one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Whatever the reason, a record number of people have utilized the province’s online reservation system for campsites, day-use passes, backcountry permits, cabins and picnic shelters in B.C. provincial parks.
The new parks reservation system, launched in March drew more than 317,000 reservations for the 2022 season. That’s up 26.5 per cent from the 2019 total.
“The new and improved reservation service is more reliable and east to use, which is reflected in the record number of reservations,” said George Heyman, B.C.’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “We listened to people's suggestions and frustrations and worked hard to address these with our new system. We'll continue to listen and respond to public feedback to ensure people can easily book and access the thousands of great camping opportunities available throughout our province.”
Based on input from campers, park operators an other service organizations, the reservation service provides more flexible search options that allow users to find campgrounds by region and tap into an interactive calendar that shows when booked sites will become available. The system allows users to save their booking references in customer accounts, provides information about nearby facilities and shows large phots of the campsites so users can select the site that best meets their needs.
For people with mobility challenges, accessibility information as it pertains to parking, pathways and campsites has been integrated into the reservation service.
This year, BC Parks is investing $21.5 million into expanded outdoor recreational facilities such as campsites and trails
Since 2017, BC Parks has added more than 1,700 campsites to provincial parks and recreation sites in high-demand areas. Five hundred on those new sites are in the Lower Mainland at Cultus Lake, Chilliwack Lake, Stawamus Chief and Garibaldi.
Quick facts:
* BC Parks has more than 10,000 reservable day-use and overnight accommodations available.
* BC Parks accommodations range from day-use passes, parking permits and campsites, to backcountry permits, a world-class canoe circuit, picnic shelters, backcountry cabins and a yurt.
* Demand for reservations has grown more than 200 per cent in the past decade.
* BC Parks manages close to 10,700 campsites.
* Recreation Sites and Trails BC manages more than 9,200 recreation sites and more than 600 trails.
* The new, fully serviced Skyview Campground in E.C. Manning Park is open with 62 sites available during the winter and 92 sites available during the summer.
More information about camping reservations is available here.
A detailed list of campground operating dates and reservable dates is also on the BC Parks website.
