Parks Canada Learn to Camp App

Parks Canada released a Learn to Camp app for your smartphone and it's pretty slick. It is aimed at first time campers and is loaded with numerous handy tips and information (even for veteran campers). It is avaliable for iOS, Android and Blackberry (After downloading it, make sure you're connected to wi-fi as it might have to download a 35 MB update).

Great background photos and a clean interface make this app easy to navigate. Some of the options such as Where to Camp and Recipes can be shared directly from the app to the other campers in your party.

Where to Camp presents you with information on each of Parks Canada's sites in every province. Tapping on the Ontario parks lets you explore each one individually to learn more about their unique features including... the Top Experience, Wildlife you might see, Insider's Tips and Driving Tips. All activities and amenities are listed as well as a link to the individual park's website.

The Recipes and Cooking option takes you to meal ideas for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks and Sides. Here's a quick look at a tasty BLT sandwich, which itemizes the ingredients, lets you know any pre-trip preparation, and how to prepare it at the camp site.

Camping Basics takes you through everything you need to know before, during and after your trip. Each articles includes great photos and in some instances a handy video.

The Camping Checklist is a handy guide that will help you remember which equipment, clothing, kitchen gear, personal gear, and things to bring if you have children or pets. Each item has a little circle that you can tweak to show that you have packed it, or remind you that you should still bring it along.

Update: July 11th - The Learn to Camp app is now available for Blackberry users.​