Summer camping countdown: Mark your calendars for 2025 Sask. reservations

Seasonal campsite bookings in provincial parks will begin on April 7 while nightly, Camp-Easy yurt, and group campsites will have a staggered launch from April 8 to 15, Sask. Parks announced this week.

Reservations will begin at 7 a.m. daily.

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Camping fees for some sites will also increase for 2025, with the Saskatchewan government department saying the funds will be reinvested into the provincial park system to update facilities, improve infrastructure and support environmental protection projects.

Nightly full service sites will increase by $5 a night to $49, and nightly electric sites will increase $2 a night to $35.

Campers looking for seasonal full service sites will pay $400 more in 2025, with the price now $3,800 for the year, while seasonal electric site costs rise by $300 a year to $2,900.

Group camping of all types will cost $20 more per night, and range from $92 to $260.

Sask. Parks said all other fees, including non-electric and economy sites, entry permits, swimming lessons and day-use facilities remain unchanged in 2025, and firewood will also continue to be offered for free .

The schedule for nightly, day-use facilities, Camp-Easy yurt and group campsites is:

• April 8: Candle Lake, Good Spirit Lake, Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan Landing.
• April 10: Buffalo Pound, Bronson Forest, Duck Mountain, Moose Mountain, Porcupine Hills.
• April 11: Danielson, Great Blue Heron, Greenwater Lake, Rowan’s Ravine, The Battlefords.
• April 14: Douglas, Echo Valley, Makwa Lake, Narrow Hills, Pike Lake.
• April 15: Blackstrap, Fort Carlton, Crooked Lake, Cypress Hills, Lac La Ronge.

Rowan’s Ravine Provincial is located 50 minutes drive northwest of Regina along the eastern shore of Last Mountain Lake. (CJME files)

Sask. Parks said that 63 seasonal sites have been added across Buffalo Pound, Candle Lake, Crooked Lake, Great Blue Heron, Makwa and Meadow Lake provincial parks, and two Camp-Easy yurts have also been added at Rowan’s Ravine Provincial Park.

Camp-Easy Yurts can sleep up to six people and feature a raised wood floor. They come with an axe, a camp stove with propane, fire pit, roasting sticks, six camping chairs, a picnic table, a queen bed, two bunk-style cots and a wash bin.

New events for the summer including Festival in the Forest at Meadow Lake, Prairie Day at Buffalo Pound, and guided hiking events such as Hike the Heights at Cypress Hills and Into the Pines at Candle Lake.

Canada Day, Summer Cinema, Back in the Boreal at Meadow Lake, Trade Days at Fort Carlton, Cannington Fair at Cannington Manor, and Cabin Fever Art Festival at Moose Mountain will also return.

Campers can find more information on the Sask. Parks website.

National parks in Saskatchewan

National parks reservations in the province open for 2025 at  8 a.m. on Jan. 31.

In Grasslands National Park campers can reserve spots at Frenchman Valley, West Block Backcountry, East Block Backcountry and Rock Creek campgrounds between May 1 and Oct. 12.

In Prince Albert National Park, spots can be reserved for Beaver Glen and Red Deer campgrounds between May 15 and Oct. 12.

From April 15, all watercraft used in Prince Albert National Park must have an Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) watercraft certification permit before entering the park.

Free watercraft certification permits can be picked up at the east or south entry gates, the visitor centre, one of the three marinas or at a self-certification station at a boat launch or day-use area, Parks Canada says.

Users should carry the top section when using a watercraft and drop off the bottom section at a self-certification station or with a Parks Canada staff member.

The Government of Saskatchewan says permits can be obtained by stopping at an inspection station or arranging an inspection by calling the Provincial AIS Hotline at 1-855-336-BOAT (2628).

Parks Canada offers an online or phone reservation service. More information can be found here.

Read more:

• Expert on Saskatchewan parks reveals hidden gem camping spots
• Is Saskatchewan prepared for the 2025 wildfire season?