Opening Day Park Reservations a Roaring Success

The reservation system for Nova Scotia's provincial parks opened this year's camping season with a bang. The beginning of only the second year of the user-friendly system resulted in more than triple the number of first-day reservations.

"Our provincial park clients have responded in a big way to this new reservation system," said Natural Resources Minister David Morse. "We are pleased by the excitement and anticipation people have for our coming camping season. The department worked hard to make reservations an easy and welcoming experience and the result has exceeded our expectations."

The first day of reservations, April 2, ended with 324 call-centre reservations and 212 Internet reservations, compared with 244 total reservations during last year's opening day.

Campers are able to book their favourite sites at provincial camping parks by phone or online. Campers can log on the website to view information on all 20 provincial camping parks before making reservations. Operators on the toll-free hotline also have access to information on all park amenities so they can advise campers who are not familiar with the park.

Campers who arrive at provincial parks without a reservation also see the benefits of the system since parks staff are able to provide a list of unreserved sites. This allows campers to select the best available site for their needs.

The reservation system will operate until October. Reservation fees this year are $6, with a $4 cancellation fee. Telephone service is available between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. at 1-888-544-3434. Reservations can also be made on the Nova Scotia Provincial Parks website at www.novascotiaparks.ca .