The Pacific Rim National Park Reserve’s Green Point Campground has never been more popular.
The campground is scheduled to open from May 1 – Oct. 12 this year and reservations began on April 7, with the floodgates swinging open and spots filling up quickly.
The Park Reserve’s superintendent Karen Haugen told the Westerly News that the campground experienced “unprecedented interest” with a 28 per cent increase in opening day reservations compared to 2020.
“Reservations opened at 8 a.m. on April 7 and by the end of the day, 91% of available camping nights were booked. Shoulder season reservations in May and October also exceeded previous years,” Haugen said.
She added that the rapid reservations led to some frustrations as travellers who had hoped to book one of the campgrounds 94 sites came up empty.
“While we cannot reduce demand, we have made an effort to reduce frustration by adopting the ‘Queue-It’ system this year. With this system, people could log into the reservation service up to 15 minutes before it opened on April 7. At 8 a.m., each person in that pool was randomly assigned a place in order and an estimated wait time. This prevented the system from crashing and made the reservation process less stressful for those booking.”
She said the health and safety of campers as well as residents of the Park Reserve’s neighbouring communities will be a key focus throughout the season due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and assured that Parks Canada will continue following the advice of public health experts.
“At Green Point Campground, we are enhancing cleaning at common areas such as washrooms and shower buildings. We are also reducing interaction among visitors in enclosed spaces by posting capacity limits for all campground buildings. Masks are required to be worn in all indoor spaces,” she said. “We are striving to ensure that visitors know what to expect and we are committed to providing safe and meaningful experiences to all visitors. Visitors have a shared responsibility to limit the potential spread of the COVID-19 virus. Visitors are asked to pay attention to local signs and community protocols, complete a self-assessment before travelling to the area, and follow the guidelines of public health experts, including travel restrictions.”
She said Park Reserve staff are excited to welcome campers back to the area, adding Green Point offers a relatively affordable opportunity to experience the West Coast’s “spectacular” surroundings and enjoy an “unforgettable experience in nature.”
“The campground is tucked in a coastal rainforest just a short walk from Long Beach. Even local community members appreciate coming to the Green Point Campground to experience a sense of wonder and connect with loved ones,” she said.
andrew.bailey@westerlynews.caLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
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