Well it is that time of year already. Bookings for federal campgrounds begins tomorrow at 8am MST. The first area to open up is Jasper followed by Banff, then the back country, and the rest of Alberta’s national parks like Waterton Lakes.
I know what you’re thinking it is too early to start to think of camping, but the reality of it is that, if you’re not ready to book sites tomorrow then you’re going to be too late. Last year the Alberta federal booking system had over 6000 booking requests in just the first hour alone, resulting in all long weekends being booked in that first hour. Once again planning is essential to creating a fantastic camping season for you and your family. If you are a bit behind and miss the opening days of Alberta’s National parks then you can always fall back to the provincial sites which have yet to open for this season.
Here are the booking dates for the National parks here in Alberta:
- Campsites in Jasper National Park will open at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7th 2020 for front-Country sites
- Front-country camping in Banff National Park opens at 8 a.m. Wednesday Jan 8th
- Elk Island National Park, Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site, Waterton Lakes National Park and Wood Buffalo National Park all open for bookings on Thursday Jan 9th
- Back country camping sites will open on Wednesday Jan 22nd 2020.
One thing worth noting is that the Whistlers campground in Jasper will be once again closed this year for renovations adding an extra year to this project due to delays. So this will put extra strain on the remaining campgrounds in the area, Wapiti, Wabasso and Pocahontas campgrounds.
Reservations can be made by Phone: 1-877-737-3783 or online at
We wish you all the best of luck in getting your favorite campsites in Alberta’s National Parks.
Happy Trails
The Glampurs