Camping over the May long weekend is a time-honoured tradition in Alberta. With more than 470 provincial parks and recreation areas, Alberta’s parks system currently includes 250 campgrounds with almost 14,000 campsites. Alberta offers a variety of camping opportunities, including reservable and first-come, first-served sites in established campgrounds.
As of May 1, 68,429 reservations have been made, representing 231,151 nights of camping in Alberta’s parks.
Campers can make reservations online up to 90 days ahead of their trip for individual and backcountry campsites, or 180 days ahead for group and comfort camping. Spur-of-the-moment adventure seekers can also use the ‘Camping this Weekend’ feature to easily find a reservable site.
One key part of wildfire prevention during the camping season is to observe fire bans. Multiple regions in the province are currently under full or partial fire bans and all campers and day-use site users should check on the fire ban status of their chosen recreation area.
A Public Lands Camping Pass is required for campers, backpackers, horse packers and other users 18 years and older who are planning to spend the night on public land, along the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains from Grande Prairie to Waterton Lakes National Park within the pass area. Children and youth under the age of 18 do not require a pass.
