Permits needed for rustic camping in Castle
Permits are free for the provincial park
You will need a valid, free permit for rustic camping this year in Castle Provincial Park. The Alberta government has released regulations for rustic campers this summer in the park which could have an impact on some local residents.
“That is camping that many people from the Lethbridge area do engage in, in the Castle Park,” said Minister of Environment and Parks Shannon Phillips on Friday.
“People need a free permit just so we know how many folks are out there,” she said. “In the case of public emergency, and in order to better support and plan these activities.”
There are nine camping areas located within the park, which can see thousands of people in the area over the summer.
“We have found over the years, on some weekends, we have over 1,000 people that go out to randomly camp in the Castle,” Phillips said. “So what we’ve done this year is better support that activity so we can reduce our wildfire risk, reduce risk to wildlife, reduce the risk to rivers, and ensure that our garbage and other waste is dealt with properly.” Permits are needed before arriving in the park. They can be obtained at albertaparks.ca/castle, at self-serve kiosks, or retailers.
A permit allows visitors up to 16 days of camping, access to hundreds of kilometres of wilderness camping, and access to camping infrastructure such as fire pits, garbage containers and, in some areas, toilet facilities.
“They will notice better support for (rustic camping),” Phillips said. “There will be toilets provided in certain spots. They will notice there is garbage collection facilities out there so we don’t have the littering we’ve seen in the past. They’ll notice there are fire pits out there to use — and, in fact, people must use.”
Clearing of vegetation will not be permitted in the camping areas, which must be grassed or previously disturbed. Wood may not be cut in designated areas, but OHVs are permitted on signed and designated trails.
Before visiting, campers are asked to check albertaparks.ca/castle, albertafirebans.ca and albertaparks.ca/advisories for more information and for current notices.