Campers hoping to reserve spots at their favourite sites but are finding themselves shut out may have a new way in.
B.C. Parks has introduced a new feature to its camping reservation service that will provide email notifications when a previously booked campsite becomes available at a specific campground.
The new “notify me” feature allows campers to sign up to receive as many as five alerts for any reservable campgrounds and dates. If a campsite becomes available for the desired date and location, people will receive an email notifying them that it is reservable.
George Heyman, minister of environment, said campers have told B.C. Parks they’ve been disappointed when a site in their favourite campgrounds are not available. “We know there are thousands of cancelled camping reservations each year, and we’ve worked to find a fair way to give people a second chance at their first choices,” he said in a statement Thursday.
Heyman said receiving a notification email does not guarantee a campsite, but it does provide a way for people to keep track of desired camping opportunities when cancellations occur.
Last year, about 317,000 reservations were made online, a new record for B.C. Parks.
But there were also about 60,000 cancellations — the majority within two weeks of the arrival date.
This year, campsites can be booked four months in advance of the arrival date.
Of the 10,700 campsites that B.C. Parks manages, half are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
To book a B.C. Parks campsite, visit: https://camping.bcparks.ca/
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