Lockdown-savvy Ontarians rushing to book campsites

If you can't find a summer cottage rental in Southwestern Ontario and your Plan B is camping, better start thinking of a new backup.

Summer campsites at Ontario's provincial parks are being snapped up months ahead of time, with some of the most popular dates in the region already booked up.

Chalk it up to a second summer of pandemic fallout, with traditional vacation travel no longer an option and people with almost a year of COVID -19 restrictions under their belts thinking far ahead.

“We're anticipating a really busy 2021 season,” said Megan Loucks, discovery specialist at Pinery Provincial Park. “We've noticed a lot more people are trying to book … it's more competitive this year.”

Bookings at Ontario parks made between Jan. 1 and Feb. 5 nearly doubled over the same time last year, rising to 58,475 reservations provincewide, up from 29,504 in the same period in 2020.

More than half of the reservations are for the province's five busiest parks: the Pinery near Grand Bend, Algonquin, Killbear, Sandbanks and Bon Echo.

The Canada Day long weekend is already fully booked at the Pinery, Turkey Point, Long Point and Sauble Falls.

While getting a reservation at the Pinery is often difficult during the height of the summer even in a normal year, Loucks said the shoulder season is becoming more popular.

“We definitely noticed an increase in our spring reservations, much like all throughout the year,” she said, adding winter day use has also spiked.

Park bookings open five months in advance at 7 a.m. each day, but cancellations can free up spots at the last minute, Loucks said.

Last year brought record numbers to Ontario parks, with more than 11 million visits for day use or overnight camping.

Loucks said that's not likely to slow down this summer as residents seek safe, outdoor getaways within the province.

“A lot of our visitors are just looking for that outdoor space and being able to get outside and connect with nature,” she said.