B.C.\u0027s updated camping reservation system opened this week. Here\u0027s how it works.
Play Video More than 3,600 reservations were made by the end of opening day, with Porteau Cove topping the list of the province’s most popular campgrounds, according to a statement from the Ministry of Environment.
Within 30 minutes of opening, 5,000 people were online and 1,900 reservations had been made.Start planning for your weekend with expert recommendations from our team of writers on what to cook, where to dine, and the perfect wine pairing delivered straight to your inbox on Thursday at noon.By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails or any newsletter. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againIn a change from previous years, campsites can be booked four months in advance this year, instead of two months, meaning the most coveted spots at the busiest times of the year were not available Tuesday. When they are, campers may once again find themselves disappointed by the discrepancy between supply and demand, said Louise Pedersen, executive director of the Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C. While the camping reservation website has been improved, it can still be difficult to secure a reservation in the most popular parks and those closest to urban areas, she said. “The system also doesn’t do enough for people who want to camp but can’t plan four months in advance.”Article content Pedersen said it was a “smart move” for the system to open a few weeks ahead of the date when sites can be booked for the May long weekend, often called the unofficial start of the camping season in B.C. There is typically less demand for sites in April and early May than in the warmer, sunnier months that follow. Pedersen tried to book a site Tuesday and had no trouble. The reservation system looks much the same as last year when the revamped version was first launched. In previous years, the system was prone to crashing during peak periods, prompting Environment Minister George Heyman to call it “very clunky” in an interview with Glacier Media.Photo by Gerry Kahrmann Gerry KahrmannIn 2020, after a delayed start due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 50,000 people tried to book sites on opening day, completely overwhelming the system.Article content By 7 a.m. on opening day last year, there were about 23,000 people waiting in a queue to find a site, and by 9 a.m., almost 16,000 booking had been made. Because of the site’s March opening last year, it was possible to book the May long weekend on that day. As the camping season continued, a record number of people made reservations for a total of 317,000, an increase of 26.5 per cent since 2019.The Ministry of Environment said more than 1,700 campsites have been added to provincial parks and recreation sites in high-demand areas since 2017. Under its current expansion program, $21.5 million has been earmarked for new campsites, trails and upgrades to existing facilities.Article content Across the province, B.C. Parks has more than 10,000 reservable day-use and overnight accommodations available. But Pedersen said B.C. Parks and Rec Sites and Trails B.C., which manages campsites on Crown land, need to come together to create a “cohesive” recreation strategy for the province that accounts for the growing population and desire to spend time outdoors. She predicted inflation will prompt many people to choose to camp this summer rather than take more expensive vacations. Pedersen also pointed to several areas that aren’t receiving attention, including recreation sites, campgrounds and trails accessible on decommissioned forestry roads that are not maintained. “Many of these roads are disappearing,” she said. “If you need a four-wheel-drive vehicle to get to them, it’s not accessible to a large proportion of the population.”Article content There also isn’t an adequate budget to adapt campgrounds and trails to the challenges posed by climate change, she said. Most of the popular Berg Lake Trail in Mount Robson Provincial Park will remain closed in 2023, apart from a handful of campsites, after it was seriously damaged by flooding.Recommended from Editorial
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