Gas City Campground will accept online bookings starting Monday

Gas City Campground will begin accepting online bookings Monday morning ahead of opening on April 30 weekend.

That’s around the traditional time the municipal campground opens for campers, but is nearly six weeks earlier than an actual opening date last year when early pandemic protocols kept all of Alberta’s campgrounds closed.

In a release Thursday, city parks officials say they plan to continue offering spots later than usual, into October, if warm weather permits.

They plan to operate at capacity this season, while observing health regulations, but remind visitors that portions of the grounds will be off limits due to construction.

The addition of comfort cabins among general upgrades are part of a $1.32-million project paid for out portions of a provincial stimulus grants.

Bidding on that project closed Jan. 19, but the contract has not yet been awarded.

Provincial parks

Alberta Parks has not released a date it will begin taking reservations for the spring and summer seasons.

Last year, the province opened summer campsite reservations in mid-March, but that was suspended when pandemic lockdowns came in later that month.

Eventually, booking reopened the week prior to the May long weekend with capacity limits lifted over the course of the summer.

Saskatchewan Parks general reservations open up April 12, with days set aside for Saskatchewan Landing on April 19 and Cypress Hills (centre block) on April 21.