Expanced Campground Reservation System

[Guest Sundancefisher]

Campers might pitch a fit over pitching their tent in the wake of new park reservation system

By MICHAEL PLATT

 

Last Updated: 16th April 2009, 3:41am

 

 

 

Hang on to your marshmallows, Alberta. You could end up feeling burned.

 

Starting next month, 25 of the busiest Alberta campgrounds will be subject to online reservations -- and those quickest on the keyboard will snap up the best sites.

 

The computer system, Reserve.AlbertaParks.ca, allows a person to choose exactly which site in the campground they want, up to 90 days in advance, for a fee of just $10.

 

The predictable result: That idyllic spot used by your family for years, the one just beside the creek, will be booked solid from now until the next ice age.

 

What's left -- and an Alberta government spokeswoman says about a third of sites will remain first-come, first-served -- will be those camping spots beside the washrooms, near the entrance, and with a spectacular view of the firewood bin.

 

For Calgarians, the campgrounds most relevant are Bow Valley, McLean Creek, Boulton Creek, Jarvis Bay, Dinosaur Park and Writing-on-Stone, but the province says the system will be expanded to other campgrounds in coming years.

 

"The online reservation system will improve access at the most popular campgrounds, which were selected because of customer demand," said Camille Weleschuk, spokeswoman for Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation.

 

"It will give visitors peace of mind, knowing that come the weekend, they are guaranteed a spot after travelling three hours."

 

If there is one bright side to a system, which allows people to take all the good spots at the click of a mouse, it's that campground squatters will be left out in the cold.

 

Reserving by phone in past years was a total crap shoot -- the only way to guarantee a good site was to drive to the campground, and get your tent or trailer set up.

 

In recent years, with 8.5 million visits to the parks annually (Alberta has more than double the population the system was designed for), the fight for the best sites created a culture of campground squatting.

 

Anyone who's tried to camp in Alberta on a busy summer weekend in past years has probably wanted to test their hatchet on the tires of a vacant trailer, towed in days before to lay claim to a spot for the weekend ahead.

 

For those with the cash to spare, it was better to pay all week for a site they weren't there to enjoy, than fight for a spot after work on a Friday.

 

Arrive at a popular campground, having rushed to the woods after a tough week at work, and you'd find the squatters already hogging many of the available spots. Site after site, unused except for the empty trailer, were claimed.

 

But no longer.

 

The squatters' days are over, and during the week at least, it should mean more empty spots. But on the weekend, when demand is highest, every decent site will have been claimed via the Internet, months in advance.

 

That's a dubious improvement, Alberta.

 

Let's hope it isn't a harbinger of more to come: The new system is part of Alberta's long-awaited Plan for Parks, to be unveiled next week.

 

That plan is meant to address the space shortage in campgrounds, while increasing opportunities for conservation, RVing and off-road recreation.

 

It sounds promising, particularly if new camping areas are created -- but turning to online reservations takes the system further away from the first-come, first-served model that would have been most fair to Albertans.

 

Instead of turning to the Internet, it would have made more sense to have wardens and park officials impose penalties on those squatting on the prime spots.

 

This year, with the economy fraying like a budget-store tent, more Albertans than ever will want a spot in the woods to forget their troubles and enjoy a cheap holiday.

 

A bit ironic really, that the most stressful part of that vacation will be the rush to book a site on May 1, when the online scramble for the best camping sites begins.

 

Dare to hesitate, and your holiday haven will be that patch of dirt, just downwind from the washroom.

 

MICHAEL.PLATT@SUNMEDIA.CA

 

"COME THE WEEKEND, THEY ARE GUARANTEED A SPOT AFTER TRAVELLING THREE HOURS."

 

AFFECTED ALBERTA CAMPGROUNDS

 

CAMPGROUNDS SUBJECT TO ONLINE RESERVATIONS AS OF MAY 1, 2009:

 

- Bow Valley Provincial Park (Bow Valley campground only)

 

- Cross Lake Provincial Park

 

- Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park (Beaver Creek, Elkwater, Ferguson Hill, Firerock, Lakeview, Lodgepole & Old Baldy campgrounds)

 

- Dinosaur Provincial Park

 

- Dunvegan Provincial Park

 

- Franchere Bay Provincial Recreation Area

 

- Jarvis Bay Provincial Park

 

- Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park

 

- Long Lake Provincial Park

 

- McLean Creek Provincial Recreation Area

 

- Miquelon Lake Provincial Park

 

- Moose Lake Provincial Park

 

- Pembina River Provincial Park

 

- Peter Lougheed Provincial Park (Boulton Creek campground only)

 

- Saskatoon Island Provincial Park

 

- Tillebrook Provincial Park

 

- William A. Switzer Provincial Park (Gregg Lake campground only)

 

- Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park

 

- Young's Point Provincial Park

 

[reevesr1]

Interesting writing style.

 

One sentence per paragraph.

 

Could have guessed he was from Sun Media.

 

Don't know what he is so mad about.

 

If it reduces squatters, it can't be bad.

 

All kidding aside, weren't the most popular campsites mostly reservation only anyway? What is the difference if it's telephone or on-line? I just reserved 3 days in the group spot and Dinosaur Provincial with no problem, but I did it over the phone. It would have been just as easy on-line, except I wouldn't have had the pleasure of talking to the very pleasant staff (I'm serious when I say that, they were very nice). I think on-line should work well? Maybe I'm just naive.

 

 

[PeteZahut]

I don't think it is a bad thing either. As long as they require a deposit and charge you for a no show then it should be fine. Something like that should stop people from reserving a bunch of spots and picking the best and leaving the others reserved but not used. I would like the opportunity to reserve online so that I don't have to scramble to find a spot after hours of driving.

[Smitty]

This is the same system used by the Kananaskis Golf Course. Works fine, you just have to be on the ball. I really don't see a lot of drawbacks to it.

 

The real problem, in my view and as highlighted in the article, is the lack of recreational places in the first place. If the system was designed for the province when it had half the people, then shouldn't we do something about that?

 

But of course, in this economic climate, when people are debating cutbacks to health services, it would be political suicide to spend money to increase the recreational spaces and opportunities for Albertans.

 

But I like the idea of eliminating squatters. And really, aren't there more pressing issues like random camping?

 

Can't wait for the annual May long weekend circus show and train wreck with the quadders too.

 

Smitty

[firefrog]

Hello

I understand the frustration here. This way of camping applies to the majority of people, and it's going to tick some of them off.

There is a silver lining, of sorts. I gave up on the long-weekend, popular-sites gongshow years ago. I do most of my camping back country. These campsites are rarely full.

Camping this way gives one a different perspective and appreciation about heading out in the wilderness. It's not for everyone and I'm not saying my way is better - but it might be worth a try.

Cheers

 

[thefisherking]

I'm not one to plan all my vacations that far in advance, I'm more spur of the moment. It should of been a 50/50 split for online reservations and first come first serve.

[Guest 420FLYFISHIN]

if it keeps those redneck 4X4 hicks in a smaller box then i think its a great idea. Too amny years of over crowding in the McLean creek has turned it into a *hit HOLE. Less pricks in the woods the better and if this mean the CO will be kicking squatters out then its all good in my books.

[ÜberFly]

Hear, hear!

 

But be respectful (i.e. with garbage and human waste I'm seeing more and more in the backcountry!!)

 

P

 

Hello

I understand the frustration here. This way of camping applies to the majority of people, and it's going to tick some of them off.

There is a silver lining, of sorts. I gave up on the long-weekend, popular-sites gongshow years ago. I do most of my camping back country. These campsites are rarely full.

Camping this way gives one a different perspective and appreciation about heading out in the wilderness. It's not for everyone and I'm not saying my way is better - but it might be worth a try.

Cheers