We have all been there—you try and snag a spot at your favourite campsite and the times you need are already booked up.
Now, BC Parks has come up with a cool new feature that could make snagging a reservation at popular campsites a little easier.
They’ve launched a “notify me” feature that allows people to sign up for email alerts about reservable campgrounds and dates.
It’s all part of BC Parks’ ongoing efforts to improve their digital services.
So here’s how it works:
Let’s say you have a specific campground and date in mind for your camping trip. You can subscribe to the “notify me” feature and receive email alerts (up to five of them) whenever a campsite becomes available for your chosen date and location.
This means you won’t have to constantly check the website or refresh your browser in hopes of finding an opening. BC Parks will shoot you an email as soon as a reservation becomes available.
“British Columbians have told us how disappointed they are when a campsite in their favourite campground is not available, and we – and they – also know there are thousands of cancelled camping reservations each year,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.
“We’ve worked hard to find a fair way to give people a second chance at their first choices. Receiving a notification email does not guarantee a campsite, but it does provide a simple way for people to keep track of desired camping opportunities when cancellations occur.”
This new feature is a direct response to the crazy demand for BC Parks’ campsites. In 2022, a whopping 317,000 reservations were made through their new reservation service, setting a new record!
Clearly, more and more people are eager to get outdoors and enjoy nature. But with that popularity comes the challenge of finding an open campsite, especially at the most popular spots.
“Camping in BC is more popular than ever, which is great to see, but it’s also increasing demand for campsites in popular parks,” said Aman Singh, Parliamentary Secretary for Environment.
“The new notification feature will help provide more opportunities for people to camp in BC Parks. To increase the chances of reserving a newly available campsite, people should book immediately when they receive the notification email.”
For the 2023 season, campsites can be booked four months in advance of the arrival date.
