Switching to a reservation system seems to have helped keep the campgrounds in Wells Gray Park full this summer.
“It worked out really well,” said Merlin Blackwell of Blackwell Park Operations, the park’s facilities operator. “The reservation system brought in a lot of people from places like the Okanagan, Vancouver and Prince George. They came because they had certainty of getting a site.”
This year all the campsites at Clearwater Lake, Mahood Lake and North Thompson Park were available by reservation, he said.
Last year none were available at Clearwater Lake and only half were available at Mahood Lake and North Thompson Park.
The increase in traffic from B.C. helped offset a decline in travelers from Europe.
“Last year our reservation camping fees were less than 10 per cent of our total camping fee revenue,” he said. “This year it was close to 25 per cent. It was a major shift in our monthly tally.”
With the cool weather, the summer started off slowly, Blackwell said. July was about the same as last year, while August was up by eight per cent.
The last week of August was particularly good. Normally, the number of visitors drops off during the week before Labor Day. This year it held steady.
The only exception was at Mahood Lake, where the numbers declined by about half from where they had been earlier.
Mahood was the only campground where they took the reservation system off before the week started, he said.
Across the province, at 93,465 reservations as of the start of September, camping reservations in provincial parks were up eight per cent over last year. Parks campgrounds also showed impressive results during the last week of August, going up 48 per cent from the previous year.
“It’s great to see that camping reservations are strong. Our parks staff do a wonderful job of looking after the provincial parks for the nearly 20 million people who visit each year, and this centennial year has been exceptional,” said Environment Minister Terry Lake.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of B.C. Parks. Events honoring 100 years of conservation and recreation are being held all throughout the province.
Many B.C. Parks campgrounds are open through September – so it’s not too late to reserve your spot in one of B.C.’s world-class provincial parks.
Check fire bans before you head out. During times of high fire risk, be prepared. It is recommended that you always carry a portable stove for cooking.
