The Government of Saskatchewan is reminding residents that provincial park campsite reservations begin Monday May 4, 2020, with a camping start date of June 1, 2020.
“Camping season is finally upon us, and although we are looking forward to welcoming visitors back to the parks, we want to reiterate that at first things will look much different,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Gene Makowsky said. “Many restrictions will be in place to help ensure our campgrounds remain safe and we are asking park visitors to adhere to these restrictions in order to keep the parks open all season.”
Last week, as part of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan, it was announced that campgrounds will open to 50 per cent capacity, meaning only every other campsite will be available for reservation, including nightly and seasonal sites.
To limit travel between provinces, camping in provincial parks will only be open to Saskatchewan residents starting June 1, until further notice. Prior to making a reservation, it is important to note recreational facilities, including swimming pools, beaches, picnic areas and playgrounds will be closed, and with limited access to washrooms and no access to shower and laundry facilities, campers will need to plan accordingly.
Firewood and water will be safely provided to campers. Details are being finalized and will be communicated before the camping season gets underway. Please note, information is subject to change as phases of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan move forward.
Reservations are currently closed for group camping, Camp-Easy, double sites and swimming lessons until further notice. For campers interested in a seasonal site, the fees will be pro-rated starting June 1, 2020. While there are significantly less seasonal sites available this year, Sask Parks has removed the maximum stay limitation on regular sites, allowing campers to book into a nightly site for a longer period of time.
Group reservations until June 30, 2020, will be automatically cancelled and campers will be fully refunded. Group reservations between July and September 30, 2020, will not be cancelled at this time. Sask Parks will continue to assess the COVID-19 situation and provide an update closer to June 30, 2020.
Currently, non-essential travel to northern Saskatchewan, specifically within the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District (NSAD) is prohibited. Campers should be aware if a reservation is made and this travel restriction is still in effect, they may not be able to travel to the park. Sask Parks recommends holding off on making reservations in provincial parks that fall within the NSAD, which includes Lac La Ronge and Narrow Hills, until the travel restriction has been removed.
Reservations for campsites will open at 7 a.m. on the scheduled days below, with the queue opening at 6:40 a.m. Staggered launch dates and the queuing system will be implemented again in 2020 to help manage the volume the site experiences.
The schedule is as follows:
- Monday, May 4: Seasonal campsites across provincial parks
- Wednesday, May 6: Pike Lake, The Battlefords, Narrow Hills, Blackstrap
- Thursday, May 7: Bronson Forest, Meadow Lake, Makwa Lake, Lac La Ronge
- Friday, May 8: Saskatchewan Landing, Douglas, Danielson
- Monday, May 11: Buffalo Pound, Rowan’s Ravine, Echo Valley, Crooked Lake
- Tuesday, May 12: Cypress Hills
- Wednesday, May 13: Duck Mountain, Good Spirit Lake, Greenwater Lake
- Thursday, May 14: Candle Lake, Great Blue Heron, Moose Mountain
Seasonal and nightly campsites can be reserved through the online system at https://saskparks.goingtocamp.com or through the call centre at 1-855-737-7275. Customers are encouraged to purchase their annual park entry permits online when making their campsite reservation to limit in-person contact.
Additional information, including recently updated questions and answers about the 2020 camping season, can be found at https://www.tourismsaskatchewan.com/places-to-go/provincial-parks/Announcements.