May long weekend opens camping season in Saskatchewan provincial parks

Before heading to your campsite this long weekend, Saskatchewan Provincial Parks has a few reminders — leave the alcohol or recreational marijuana at home and check the fire restrictions of the park you will be visiting.

Saskatchewan has an alcohol or marijuana ban in place in its campgrounds in provincial parks from Thursday to Monday, a tradition in the province for the May long weekend.

“The ban helps ensure that provincial parks are places for everyone to enjoy,” a news release from Saskatchewan Provincial Parks states.

Cottages, rental cabins and business licensed to serve alcohol are not included in the ban.

This weekend and ahead of any camping trip, campers are encouraged to check saskparks.com for the current list of provincial park fire restrictions. Open fires are not allowed, but self-contained portable gas devices that are CSA-approved are permitted for cooking and heating.

Campers will be expected to follow safety protocols in place because of COVID, such as wearing masks, and can expect enhanced cleaning and signs about physical distancing in the parks.

WEEKEND CAMPING THIS SUMMER

Finding a campsite to spend a weekend in a provincial park in Saskatchewan is going to be a challenge this summer, but sites are still available for booking on weekdays.

A couple of tips were given by Saskatchewan Provincial Parks to those still wanting to find a site. There is a new feature of the reservation system called ‘Camping this Weekend’, which is intended to help campers find a last-minute spot. Also, campers who missed out on getting the site they wanted are encouraged to check the reservation system often for cancellations.

Camping is growing in popularity in Saskatchewan. More bookings were made this year than in 2019. Reservations were up 65 per cent compared to that year and up 110 per cent compared to last year (when only 50 per cent of sites were available to book

When Saskatchewan Provincial Parks opened its new reservation system to bookings on April 12, people made 43,566 nightly, group and seasonal campsite reservations over the next two weeks.

IMPROVEMENTS BEING MADE AT CAMPGROUNDS

The provincial government announced Thursday that $90.5 million worth of construction work will be done at a number of campgrounds to improve roads, boat launches and other projects.

The access road to Rowan’s Ravine Provincial Park is being repaved, as are the Underwood campground loops, the boat launch and the parking lot. Access roads to Good Spirit Lake and Danielson Provincial Park also are being resurfaced.

More than $5.2 million of paving will occur within Saskatchewan parks, including:

• $650,000 at Douglas Provincial Park;
• $745,000 at Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park;
• $645,000 at Great Blue Heron Provincial Park;
• $750,000 at Greenwater Lake Provincial Park;
• $1.1 million at Katepwa Point Provincial Park; and
• $1 million at Rowan’s Ravine Provincial Park.