Saskatchewan parks set to open for 2023 camping reservations

Aug 08, 2023

Yearning for a yurt camping experience this summer? Sask. Parks has you covered — more yurts have been placed in several provincial parks for the 2023 camping season.

Yearning for a yurt camping experience this summer? Sask. Parks has you covered — more yurts have been placed in some provincial parks for the 2023 camping season.

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Reservations for camping sites all over the province are set to open from as early as next week, and due to their previous popularity, new yurts are available for reservations at Pike Lake, Good Spirit Lake and Greenwater Lake, and a yurt has replaced a Camp-Easy tent at Crooked Lake.

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Sask Parks will open 2023 campsite reservations on April 3 for seasonal campsites, and April 4-12 for nightly reservations. To make a reservation, campers need to set up an account online at parks.saskatchewan.ca. Fees for seasonal camping spots start at $1,100, while nightly camping fees start at $18. A full list of fees is available here.

More than one million visits were made to the provincial parks in 2021 (2022 figures are not yet available), according to the government, and more than 400,000 camping nights were spent enjoying the outdoors at park campgrounds.

April 4: Candle Lake, Good Spirit Lake, Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan Landing

April 6: Douglas, Echo Valley, Makwa Lake, Narrow Hills, Pike Lake

April 10: Danielson, Great Blue Heron, Greenwater Lake, Rowan's Ravine, The Battlefords

April 11: Buffalo Pound, Bronson Forest, Duck Mountain, Moose Mountain

April 12: Blackstrap, Crooked Lake, Cypress Hills, Lac La Ronge

Sask Parks also has a new online events guide for campers to plan their trips. It features interpretive programming, theme days, special events and summer cinema locations.

• Back in the Boreal at Meadow Lake Provincial Park on June 3 will explore The Boreal Trail, beginning with an education session, followed by a guided hike. Free with a valid park entry permit.

• Saddle Up at Sask Landing on Aug. 18 is a Wild West themed 50th birthday celebration for Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park. Free with a valid park entry permit.

• Cannington Fair at Cannington Manor Provincial Historic Park on Aug. 6 is a step back into history with picnic games like an egg and spoon race and treats like hand-churned ice cream. Free with a valid park entry permit.

• Cabin Fever Art Festival at Moose Mountain Provincial Park on Aug. 12 will feature art lessons, vendors all over the park and a variety of arts and craft programs. Free with a valid park entry permit.

• Fall guided hikes will be available at Echo Valley Provincial Park on Sept. 16 every hour, on the hour, for visitors to discover the beauty of the season in the province. Free with a valid park entry permit.

Reservations for camping in Prince Albert and Grasslands National Park open at 8 a.m. on March 28.

In Prince Albert National Park, reservations for Beaver Glen or Red Deer campgrounds will be available from May 20 to Oct. 9, and in Grasslands the reservation service covers sites at Frenchman Valley and Rock Creek campgrounds, as well as backcountry camping from May 1 to Oct. 9.

Sites can be reserved online or by calling 1-877-737-3783. Fees for Grasslands, starting at $5.25 a night, can be found here, while fees for Prince Albert, starting at $13.75 a night, can be found here.

Prince Albert National Park also offers drive-in camping in spring. Details are available from the visitor centre at 306-663-4522 or by emailing [email protected].

Other facilities are also available in spring: enclosed picnic shelters are located at the Main Beach across from the Visitor Centre, as well as Paignton Beach, Birch Bay and Southend Campground on Kingsmere Lake. Each shelter has a wood stove for warmth and meal preparation, and firewood is provided. Heated washrooms with running water are available in the visitor centre and at Waskesiu Beach 24 hours a day.

Bookings for national parks in Canada started in British Columbia, some of the eastern provinces and for Jasper National Park in Alberta in mid-March, while reservations for Ontario sites and Parks Canada's busiest location — Banff National Park, also in Alberta — opened last week.

Access to popular Moraine Lake in Banff National Park has been restricted to Parks Canada shuttles, regional transit or commercial vehicles only in 2023. Shuttle reservations for Moraine Lake and nearby Lake Louise begin on April 13.

With files from Canadian Press

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