Camping season kick-off draws record numbers

Reservations for comfort camping in Alberta parks opened Feb. 13 and set a new record with 847 bookings.

Comfort camping units, which range from yurts to cabins to canvas tents, offer users an upscale camping experience that includes such amenities as beds, dishes, cutlery and mini fridges.

Campers can book provincial park regular campsites for the May long weekend starting Feb. 21 at Reserve.AlbertaParks.ca (RAP).

“This year marks Alberta Parks’ 85th anniversary and it is clear that the tradition of camping is as strong now as when our parks were established in 1932. We are proud to provide diverse opportunities for people of all abilities to connect with nature.”

Shannon Phillips, Minister of Environment and Parks

Alberta Parks offers staggered reservation times by region for regular campsites 90 days in advance. Reservation time openings Feb. 21 are:

South region at 9 a.m.

Kananaskis Country at 11 a.m.

Central region at 1 p.m.

Northwest/east regions at 3 p.m.

Use your mobile device to connect to the RAP system, which features access to more than 70 provincial campgrounds, more than 6,000 campsites, 160 group camping areas and 37 comfort camping units.

Last year, campers booked a precedentsetting 155,000 group, regular and comfort camping sites.

Under Budget 2016, the Alberta government committed $239 million in capital funding over five years to provincial parks, which is double the capital budget over the previous five-year investment period.