How to prepare for Parks Canada’s new booking site

Parks Canada recently switched to a new version of Camis’ booking system. This is a big update that will significantly improve the campsite booking experience for those who camp in Canada.

As with any such update, there are some changes. If you’ve used the Parks Canada website to reserve campsites or permits in the past, you’ll need to create a new account. You can create your new account on Parks Canada website. Let me walk you through that process.

How to create your new Parks Canada account:

Sign into the Parks Canada website

The first step is easy. If you’re on a computer pull up the Parks Canada booking website, find the top bar (it’s green) and click Sign in. On a mobile device? No problem. Visit the Parks Canada booking site, tap the navigation button (it’s the three horizontal lines) near the top right of your screen; then tap “Sign in”.

Select your sign-in method

Now it gets a bit more… umm… interesting? The new Parks Canada booking system allows you to sign in using one of two methods: Interac/bank credentials or a GCKey.

The bank sign in option allows you to sign in using a sign-in partner. These partners are companies/organizations that allow customers to use their credentials to access Government of Canada services (via SecureKey Technologies). If you have an account with Affinity, Alberta Treasury, BMO, CIBC, Caisses Alliance, Coast Capital, Conexus, Desjardins, Libro, National Bank of Canada, RBC, Scotiabank, Servus, Simplii, TD, Tangerine, UNI, or Vancity you can sign in using this option.

If you don’t use one of those services, or if you don’t want to, you can create a GCKey. With the GCKey method you register a username and password with The Government of Canada to access online services. (If you already have an online account with Service Canada, you can use those credentials.)

Create a Parks Canada profile

Next, you’ll be redirected to the booking platform. From here you’ll provide your email address. Please note that your chosen address can’t be in use with another Parks Canada account. The system will ask you to retype your email to ensure it’s accurate.

After that you’re directed to your profile area. This form collects your name, contact information, preferred language, and email preferences for updates and promotions. Once you’ve filled in the form, you’ll need to confirm your account via email. Clicking “Confirm Account” will send you to a success message, followed by your account page.

Pro-tip: Take 5 minutes now to create your account with Parks Canada. That way you won’t be scrambling to do so when parks open for reservations.

Familiarize yourself with the new booking system

Parks Canada’s new booking system uses an entirely different user interface than the previous iteration. So, once you’ve created your account with Parks Canada, you should take a moment to familiarize yourself with the new booking system. (If you’ve already booked campsites through Ontario Parks or BC Parks, what you see should be familiar.)

Search for your favourite park, navigate to the campground you prefer, and check the campsite sort options. You can sort campsites by map, list, or calendar. It’s important to get used to this new interface before opening morning—when sites will get booked up quickly.

Clicking on an individual campsite listing will show you when it becomes available for reservations. The listing will also offer information on available dates, allowed equipment, and the campsite’s size, services, and amenities. There’s also that handy “Reserve” button which you can click—but won’t do much for you until these sites open up for reservations.

Make note of launch dates

Parks Canada release dates (they refers to these as “Launch Dates”) are staggered between March 13th and April 13th. As such, you can check the list below for your chosen park and the day it opens up for reservations.

Monday, March 13th, 2023 at 8:00 AM MST

• Kluane National Park and Reserve

Monday, March 13th, 2023 at 8:00 AM PT

• Fort Langley National Historic Site
• Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site
• Glacier National Park
• Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
• Mount Revelstoke National Park
• Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (Green Point, Kesha Beach, Broken Group Islands Backcountry)

Wednesday, March 15, 2023 at 8:00 AM ET

• Forillon National Park
• La Mauricie National Park
• Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve
• Saint-Ours Canal National Historic Site

Thursday, March 16, 2023 at 8:00 AM MT

• Jasper National Park (Whistlers, Miette, Wabasso, Wapiti, Whirlpool Group, Palisades, Overflow)

Friday, March 17, 2023 at 8:00 AM AT

• Fort Beauséjour – Fort Cumberland National Historic Site
• Fundy National Park
• Grand-Pré National Historic Site
• Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
• Kouchibouguac National Park

Saturday, March 18, 2023 at 8:30 AM NT

• Cape Breton Highlands National Park
• Terra Nova National Park (Newman Sound long term campsites, Loops G, J, M)

Saturday, March 18, 2023 at 8:00 AM AT

• Prince Edward Island National Park

Monday, March 20, 2023 at 8:00 AM MT

• Jasper National Park (Backcountry camping)

Tuesday, March 21, 2023 at 8:00 AM ET

• Bruce Peninsula National Park
• Fathom Five National Marine Park
• Georgian Bay Islands National Park
• Point Pelee National Park
• Pukaskwa National Park
• Rideau Canal National Historic Site
• Thousand Islands National Park
• Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site

Wednesday, March 22, 2023 at 8:00 AM MT

• Banff National Park (Backcountry camping)
• Kootenay National Park (Backcountry camping)
• Yoho National Park (Backcountry camping)

Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 8:00 AM MT

• Banff National Park (Tunnel Mountain, Lake Louise, Johnston Canyon, Two Jack, Rampart Creek, Silverhorn Creek)

Saturday, March 25, 2023 at 8:00 AM PT

• Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (West Coast Trail)

Monday, March 27, 2023 at 8:00 AM CT

• Riding Mountain National Park

Tuesday, March 28, 2023 at 8:00 AM CST

• Grasslands National Park
• Prince Albert National Park

Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at 8:00 AM MT

• Banff National Park (Hidden Lake Guided Hike)
• Kootenay National Park (Redstreak, Marble Canyon, McLeod Meadows, Burgess Shale)
• Yoho National Park (Lake O'Hara Overnight Camping, Kicking Horse, Burgess Shale - Mt. Stephen Fossil Beds Guided Hike, Burgess Shale - Walcott Quarry Guided Hike, Conservation Paget Lookout Guided Hike )

Thursday, March 30, 2023 at 8:00 AM MT

• Elk Island National Park
• Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site
• Waterton Lakes National Park
• Wood Buffalo National Park

Friday, March 31 2023 at 8:30 AM NT

• Gros Morne National Park
• Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site (Jeremy’s Bay, Jakes Landing, Backcountry Camping)
• Terra Nova National Park

Wednesday, April 12th, 2023 at 8:00 AM MT

• Yoho National Park (Lake O'Hara Day-Use Bus)

Thursday, April 13th, 2023 at 8:00 AM MT

• Banff National Park (Reservable Shuttle to Moraine Lake and Lake Louise lakeshore)

Expect a queue

As we’re seeing in other areas, Parks Canada will use a queuing system on launch day. This measure reduces load on the booking system. It also levels the playing field for all campers looking to reserve a campsite or permit. Queuing also prevents bots from booking campsites. (By the way, bots probably aren’t the problem you think they are.)

30 minutes before reservations open, those on the Parks Canada booking site will be placed in a queue, or “virtual waiting room”. This happens at 8:00 AM local time, or 8:30 in Newfoundland and Labrador. Please note that if you arrive after this time, you go to the back of the queue.

Your order in the queue will be assigned randomly. (There isn’t anything you can do to jump the line.) Once it’s your turn to book, you have 30 minutes to enter the website and attempt to make the reservations you’re after.

To prevent bulk reservations, you can only put 5 campsites into your cart at a time. After you check out you can return to the site to attempt to make additional reservations.

Additional notes about the new system

You can only be responsible for one campsite on a specific date. Parks Canada refers to this role as the “primary camper”. If you wish to book multiple campsites on the same date (e.g. if you’re helping a friend) each of these bookings must reference a different primary camper.

As always, popular parks will book up fast and some campers are bound to be disappointed. Personally, I don’t even bother on opening morning—I just start scanning for campsite cancellations after the frenzy has passed. Admittedly, I’m a bit biased on this point. 😉

Anyway—that should cover most of what you need to know about the Parks Canada’s new campsite booking platform. I hope you get the campsite reservations you’re after!

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