Alberta campsites still available for long weekend getaway
Posted Aug 27, 2014 12:11 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
As the last long weekend of the summer approaches, everyone is looking to make the most of those few precious days and for many, that means a trip to the great outdoors.
What better feeling than to crawl out of the tent, put a pot of coffee on, and stretch to the sunrise in Dinosaur Provincial Park.
There are still lots of spots there but Tim Chamberlain with Tourism, Parks and Recreation said others are starting to fill up.
“The most popular sites book up fairly quickly, but there are still lots of other opportunities for people to get out and enjoy Alberta’s provincial parks,” he explained. “Usually some of the smaller parks that maybe have fewer of the amenities that people are looking for are still available up to the last minute.”
He added the best way to see what’s available is to go to albertaparks.ca, which he said has seen an increase of more than 10,000 bookings this year over last year.
Once you’ve got your site you need to remember not to start any wildfires, but wildfire information officer Geoffrey Driscoll told 660News the good news is, the risk is only moderate.
“Anywhere kind of west or south of Calgary right now has got a lot of rain over the last little while which is really nice because the wildfire hazard has been extremely high there for the past few months,” he said, adding cooler temperatures will help too.
“But that doesn’t mean you don’t need to be careful,” he warned. “Make sure that if you’re having a campfire this weekend that you completely extinguish it; that you soak it, stir the ashes and soak it again.”
He said one thing you do need to check for if you’re using an RV is to make sure grass doesn’t get stuck to engines or brake rotors because it can heat up, drop off and then start a fire.
