Scouts Canada definitively declares Canada’s most epic camping sites

As camping increasingly becomes the most viable vacation option this summer, Scouts Canada (the country’s leading co-ed youth organization) surveyed its 46,704 members to name Canada’s ‘most epic’ campsite. On behalf of all Canadians, the survey also explored many decision-making questions that are critical to finding the best campsite for any level or type of adventure.

39.5% of surveyed volunteer Scouters, Scouting youth and their parents cited Alberta’s Jasper National Park as Canada’s #1 ‘most epic’ camp destination in Canada.

Key findings of the survey (national):

1) Asked to name the most epic camping destinations in all of Canada, the Scouting community responded:

# 1 Jasper National Park,

Alberta – 39.5%

# 2 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve,

British Columbia – 34.6% #3 Algonquin Provincial Park,

Ontario – 32.9%

#4 Gros Morne National Park,

Newfoundland and Labrador – 27.3% #5 Fundy National Park,

New Brunswick – 22.5% Atlantic Canada scored the highest number of epic campsites with Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland and Labrador and Fundy National Park in New Brunswick.

2) Hidden Gem Campsites You’ve (probably) Never Heard of

In order to tap into the depth of Scouters’ multi-generational knowledge of conventional and unconventional campsites, Scouts Canada also asked seasoned Scouters to identify their top ‘hidden gem’ camp destinations across Canada. They responded:

3) #Screensaver worthy

Asked what makes a campsite ‘a dream spot,’ the Scouting community said:

The views (panoramic, worthy of my screensaver) – 84.8%

Proximity to water – 63.9% Activity options available (fishing/ paddling/hiking/biking, etc) - 57.0% The wildlife (deer are cute) - 39.3% The absolute quiet (remote as possible, please!) - 39.3%

The washrooms (flush … need I say more?) – 26.4%

4) ‘Camping’ with myself …

Asked what factors make a Canadian campsite the best for a solo vacation, respondents said:

The views (panoramic, worthy of my screensaver) - 76.3%

Proximity to water - 59.1%

The absolute quiet (remote as possible, please!) - 45.6%

Activity options available (fishing/paddling/hiking/biking, etc) - 41.7% The wildlife (deer are cute) - 31.7%

5) Camping callbacks, where have Canadians (actually) camped?

Asked which ‘must-see’ Canadian parks or sites they have camped at; respondents shared these top five:

Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario - 42.9%

Jasper National Park, Alberta - 32.6% Pinery Provincial Park, Ontario - 23.6% Fundy National Park, New Brunswick - 22.0%

Cavendish Campground, Prince Edward Island - 20.4%

Ontario had the highest number of visited campsites with both Algonquin (42.9%) and Pinery (23.6%) Provincial Parks. Nearly half of the respondents (42.9%) have camped at Algonquin Provincial Park.

The two least visited campsites were Beaver Glen Campground (Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan) and Kluane National Park and Reserve (Yukon) – tied at 3.35% each.

5) The Scouting community is ‘driven’ to camp

Asked what their favourite way to camp is, over half of respondents (58.9%) said “a drive-in site.”

24.6% of daring members prefer to access their campsites by paddling in, and 16.6% of adventurous respondents prefer to hike into camp.

6) Scouts’ top six sites

Asked which Scouts Canada Properties they have camped on, Scouters responded:

Blue Springs Scout Reserve, Mississauga, ON - 18.3%

Camp Samac, Oshawa, ON - 16.7% Camp Barnard, Sooke, BC - 14.4% Camp McLean, Vancouver, BC - 10.9% Camp Opemikon, Ottawa, ON - 10.9% Camp Attawandaron, London, ON - 8.23%

“We are all in need of a solid summer getaway this year, why not try something different like camping with front-row seats to panoramic view? With camping emerging as an adventurous and affordable option for many Canadians, we wanted to make sure that every Canadian knows where the most epic campsites in the country are, and which criteria they should consider when searching for a spot,” said Mike Eybel, a volunteer Scouter of 7 years, “Our seasoned Scouting community has named the most epic places to camp; now Canadians can also challenge themselves to visit as many of them as possible with our interactive map, Camping Dream Destination Guides and the Canadian Camper’s Bucket-List.”