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How to Book the Best Campsites in Canada

Canadian Campsite Booking Tips to Help you Reserve your Dream Campsite with Minimal Stress

Tried and true hints and tips to help you book the perfect campsite for you in Canada

How to Book the Best Campsites in Canada. Children eat breakfast at a picnic table in the woods out front of an oTENTik at the Fundy National Park in New Brunswick Canada.

How to book the best campsites in Canada - like this oTENTik at Fundy National Park, New Brunswick! An oTENTik is the perfect hybrid of tent and A-frame cabin. Each has raised floors, cosy beds and furniture; great for campers who want a little extra comfort in the wild.

How to Book the Best Campsites in Canada - It's stressful, you have to get up early, and there are no guarantees. Campsite booking season is a lot like parenting 😆 chaotic but so worth it in the end. Canada offers a vast array of breathtaking campgrounds, from private oases to stunning provincial and national parks. Whether you're a hardcore backcountry camper or a glamper who enjoys the comforts of home, there's something for everyone to be found in Canada's many campgrounds. Here's how to make the most of campsite booking season and ensure your outdoor adventures are unforgettable.

How to Book the Best Campsites in Canada

From private campgrounds and Harvest Hosts, to National and Provincial Parks, it is estimated that Canada has more than 6,600 campgrounds offering more than 200,000 campsites. Canadian campgrounds offer diverse experiences, and their reservation systems reflect this. Understanding when and how to book is crucial to securing your spot.

Top Five Tips for Canadian Campsite Booking Success

Despite the immense quantity and vast variety, campsites across the country are in high demand, especially at popular destinations. To book the best campsites in Canada and increase your chances of snagging your ideal spot, follow these tried-and-true tips:

1. Do Your Research

Before the booking frenzy begins, savvy adventurers map out their dream destinations. They browse guides like the Canada Adventure Travel Guide and soak up insider tips from blogs like Andrea Horning's "How Do You Find Campsites in Canada". The pros know to answer the following questions at the start of their Canadian campsite search:

Which area do you want to visit and when? Is there a destination you are hoping to camp near? Or a particular trail you will be hiking along?
What amenities does the campground have? Do you need electricity or would you prefer an unserviced site? If bringing a trailer, make sure it fits into the size of campsites offered!
How many people are permitted on each site? Will this be enough for your group or will you require two campsites?
How long you will stay at this campground? Are their minimum stays during peak times? Or maximum stays you need to book within?

2. Plan Ahead

Preparation is the key to stress-free booking the best campsites in Canada. Once you have chosen the ideal campground for you, your camping style, group size and amenity needs (see Tip #1: Do your Research above), confirm how far in advance you can book or when the particular campground begins taking reservations. Some private campgrounds begin taking reservations the fall before, while others don't begin until January or later. For example, Canadian National Parks have rolling reservation start dates, beginning in the western provinces and moving east, such that National Parks in British Columbia start taking reservations in January, while reservations in the Maritime provinces begin in mid-February. Similarly, each province and territory offers a variety of camping, with variety of reservation rules and start dates. To accommodate for this:

Double-check the booking site's reservation opening time and time zone. Canada has six time zones, try not to mix them up!
Ensure your account on the reservation system is active and up-to-date. Resetting a forgotten password mid-booking is a recipe for disaster.

Of course, how reservations are made varies by campground, so be sure to make note of the preferred booking method (email, telephone, online booking system, or in-person).

3. Have a Back-up Plan

Popular sites fill up quickly. To avoid disappointment, identify two or three backup campsites, campgrounds, or dates. Flexibility increases your chances of securing a reservation. Because of the variation in when bookings become available at the various campgrounds across Canada (see Tip #2: Plan Ahead above), it can be helpful to know that another campground's bookings will open at a later date, if you didn't get your first choice.

4. Prioritize Your Must-Haves

How to Book the Best Campsites in Canada you need to know what matters most to you and those you will be camping with. To book the best campsite in Canada for YOU, be able to answer the following questions:

Is physical accessibility a must for you?
Do you need a waterfront site?
Is proximity to a comfort station a priority?
Do you require electrical hookups (30 Amp? 50 Amp?)?
Will you want to be close to your car, or is hiking or boating to a site acceptable?

Being clear on your deal-breakers helps you filter options quickly if your top choice isn't available. When speaking with campground owners, they may be able to accommodate your camping party when you are able to list your priority needs.

5. Be Prepared

When the time comes to make that reservation, set yourself up for success by:

Setting an alarm and having your coffee ready – don't get distracted and miss the booking site going live!
Logging into the reservation site a few minutes early – don't wait until the booking goes live to log-in!
Familiarizing yourself with the site selection process to save time once bookings open – click around, ensure you know where to go when the bookings go live!
Hovering over the "Select" button – when the reservation system goes live, campsites disappear in seconds. Be ready to click as soon as your desired site becomes available. Speed is your best friend.

Bonus Pro Tips:

Team Up

Booking for multiple sites or dates? Divide and conquer with friends or family members. With more hands on deck, your chances of success multiply for snagging your first choice Canadian campsite. Teamwork truly makes the dream work.

Don't Give Up!

If you don't get your dream site on your preferred date, don't despair. Cancellations happen all the time, so keep checking back in with your dream campground. Persistence can pay off.

Ready for Adventure

Canadian campsite booking season may be a whirlwind, but it's also the start of your next great adventure. By doing your research, planning ahead, having a back-up plan, knowing what you want, and being prepared, you'll set the stage for unforgettable memories in Canada's incredible outdoors. From serene lakeside retreats to thrilling backcountry hikes, your perfect Canadian campsite is waiting. So, set those reminders, charge your devices, and get ready to secure your spot. Cheers to epic outdoor adventures in 2025! This is some advice for How to Book the Best Campsites in Canada.

Camping trailer set up for a weekend of camping including tables, chairs and bikes at 1000 Islands KOA, Kingston, Ontario

Full-service campsite at KOA Kingston, 1000 Islands, Ontario

Campsite all set up for a weekend of camping, awning out, camping mat down, camp chairs set up.

Another weekend's full service campsite at KOA Kingston, 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada

The back of an OTentik at Funny National Park.

The back of our OTentik at Funny National Park, New Brunswick, Canada.

Camper trailer on a sunny campground at OWL Rafting on the Ottawa River, Ontario, Canada

Sunny campsite at OWL Rafting on the Ottawa River, Ontario, Canada. Not much to set up, since most of the time is spent on the river or at the beach.

Large tent set-up in a forest of tall trees, with bicycles and sun shinning through the trees.

Our tent site at Cavendish National Park in Prince Edward Island (PEI).

Three children eat breakfast at a picnic table outside a tent at Fundy National Park, New Brunswick, Canada.

Breakfast out front of our OTentik at Fundy National Park, New Brunswick, Canada

Camping trailer set up among tall trees and lush ferns near Ottawa, Ontario

Our favourite site at Rideau River Provincial Park, near Ottawa, Ontario

Camping trailer in the woods at Val Cartier, Quebec, Canada

A wooded campsite at Val Cartier, Quebec. Most of the time here is spent at the indoor and outdoor waterparks

River view wth a camper trailer and picnic table in the foreground, cloudy sky.

The view from the front door of our trailer at the Woodlands Campground, in the Parks of the St. Lawrence, Ontario

A green grass field, with two campers and two trucks behind lush trees in Ontario, Canada

View from the field of our campsite at Woodlands Campground, Parks of the St. Lawrence, Ontario, Canada

Photo credit: Anja Cahill

Five tips for How to Book the Best Campsites in Canada

Five easy tips on how to make the most of campsite booking season, book the best campsites in Canada and ensure your outdoor adventures are unforgettable.

Location (Map)

Cavendish Beach, Prince Edward Island National Park, 590 Graham's Ln, Cavendish, PE C0A 1M0, Canada

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