Campers urged to act swiftly for good spots at Waterton Lakes
Campers are urged to reserve spots in Waterton Lakes National Park as soon as possible, with summer forest fires forcing the closure of nearly one-third of campsites in the area.
Campground booking opens Thursday at 8 a.m. for the Waterton Townsite campground, with 237 spots available.
But with fires ravaging the popular Crandell Mountain campsite, destroying all 129 spots and closing the rugged, natural area, competition for townsite spots is expected to be tougher.
“Crandell Mountain was a really popular area, a little more primitive and forested. But fires burned right over the entire campground, from one end to the other,” said Locke Marshall, visitor experience manager for Waterton park.
“Overall there will be fewer spots so it’s important to plan ahead and make a reservation.
“Campgrounds in this area tend to fill up quite rapidly.”
With most of Crandell Mountain still being assessed for safety and infrastructure damage, the popular site is expected to be closed for the entire 2018 season, with no estimates yet on when it will reopen.
At the Crandell campground, the power plant around the water system was destroyed, all kitchen sites were lost and picnic tables are gone, with only a couple of washrooms left.
The Belly River area also offers 24 campsites in Waterton park, but those are not available for reservations and offered only on a firstcome, first-served basis.
Waterton is still recovering from the massive 35,000-hectare Kenow fire last September, destroying up to 70 per cent of forested areas in the park.
Firefighters managed to save the Waterton townsite as well as the iconic Prince of Wales hotel, but the scenic park is expecting a lengthy recovery with so much damage to popular trails, campsites and backcountry areas.
Several trails and pathways are still closed along Highway 5 along the east park boundary, including Bear’s Hump, Bertha Falls and the Crandell Mountain Loop. The popular Lakeshore Trail linking to the Waterton townsite with the Canada-U.S. border is also closed until further notice.
Akamina Parkway and the Red Rock Parkway scenic drives are also closed, but most overlooks and scenic outlooks are open, including Bison Paddock, Chief Mountain and Maskinonge.
As southern Albertans gear up for camping season, B.C. parks officials are also reminding outdoors enthusiasts that they have already opened several online booking sites.
Reservations opened Jan. 8 for three hugely popular locations within the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Along with bookings for travel on the West Coast Trail or for sites overlooking Long Beach, near Tofino, campers can reserve spaces across the Broken Group of Islands, in Barkley Sound, north of Bamfield for the first time.
Online booking for some B.C. sites offering oTENTiks, cabin-like structures maintained by Parks Canada, has been open since Jan. 3, including Fort Rodd Hill, Fisgard Lighthouse and Fort Langley National Historic Sites.
Parks Canada is also extending the season for its Tofino-area Green Point campground, opening March 8 to take advantage of the annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival where locals can see grey whales migrating past the park reserve.