Camping in January? Perhaps not, but you can make reservations

Parks Canada has announced that reservations for the 2024 visitor season will be launched soon.

While launch dates vary across the country, Albertans who want to get a head start on their spring and summer camping plans can begin booking as early as Tuesday, January 23, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. (Mountain Standard Time).

According to Parks Canada, the following dates correspond with the following reservation locations. All other reservation locations and dates can be found on the Parks Canada website:

Banff National Park

• Tuesday, January 23 2024 at 8:00 a.m.:

  • Hidden Lake Guided Hike

• Friday, January 26 2024 at 8:00 a.m.:

  • Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court

  • Tunnel Mountain Village 1

  • Tunnel Mountain Village 2

  • Lake Louise Hard-sided Equipment Only

  • Lake Louise Soft-sided Tents/Trailers

  • Johnston Canyon

  • Two Jack Lakeside

  • Two Jack Main

  • Rampart Creek

  • Silverhorn Creek

• Monday, January 29 2024 at 8:00 a.m.:

  • Backcountry camping Banff, Kootenay & Yoho National Parks

• Thursday, April 18 2024 at 8:00 a.m.:

  • Reservable Shuttle to Moraine Lake and Lake Louise lakeshore

Jasper National Park

•  Tuesday, January 30 2024 at 8:00 a.m.:

  • Whistlers

  • Miette

  • Wabasso

  • Wapiti

  • Whirlpool 

  • Palisades

  • Overflow

• Thursday, February 1 2024 at 8:00 a.m.:

  • Backcountry camping

Parks Canada is reminding the public that on the specific launch days, the entire season will open for reservations for that location.

"30 minutes before reservations open, anyone navigating the reservation website, as well as new users joining the website, will be directed to a waiting page. At exactly 8 a.m. local time, anyone on that waiting page is randomly assigned a place in a queue (a virtual line-up)," Parks Canada explains.

Another important thing to remember is that the order is determined randomly and is not based on how long users have been on the website up to that point. Users who arrive after 8 a.m. will be placed at the back of the queue.

"When users reach their turn, they will be alerted via an on-screen message. At that point, they will have 30 minutes to proceed to the reservation website. This process helps manage the number of visitors accessing the website and ensures a smooth and equitable experience for everyone."

It is also important to remember that if you have never made a Parks Canada reservation or if you haven’t made a reservation since before March 3, 2023, you’ll need to create a Parks Canada Reservation Service account.

The public is encouraged to check the Parks Canada website for a full list of National Parks by province for full details and launch dates.

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