The race for the best place to recreate is on.
Discover Camping, the province’s camping reservation system, opens for another season this Friday with a greater inventory of campgrounds and sites to choose from.
Starting at 7 a.m. today, Discover Camping will begin accepting reservations for campgrounds with reservable inventory, including local spots of Champion Lakes, Syringa and Kokanee Creek.
Across the province there are over 4,500 reservable sites. With a few clicks of the mouse, up to three reservations can be made online in one transaction through Discover Camping.
In 2012, Discover Camping saw 102,872 campsite reservations—an increase of over 10 per cent from the year before.
Individual sites are available up to three months in advance, while group sites are available up to 12 months in advance.
Through the online system, people can view the availability, layout and what amenities are included at 113 reservable campgrounds that are accessible (called front country campgrounds) by vehicle.
The system also includes reservations on group sites in 96 provincial parks throughout B.C. These campgrounds are equipped with picnic tables and fire rings.
According to B.C. Parks, more sites at more campgrounds are available to reserve, with Kleanza Creek, Martha Creek, Chilliwack Lake and Bowron Lake added to the list, as is Lac La Hache after a one-year absence.
For those on the go, Discover Camping contains a mobile platform so smartphone users can make and change plans from the road.
People can book a camping spot up to three months in advance on or after March 15 by visiting: www.discovercamping.ca. Discover Camping’s mobile interface is at https://secure.camis.com/BCMobile.