2020 Shaping Up To Be One Of Ontario Parks' Busiest Years For Backcountry Camping
If there is a silver lining to 2020 here in Ontario, it is that more people are backcountry camping. Ontario Parks’ camping reservations are up 29% this year despite all of the delays at the beginning of the season. People have been feeling cooped up, and with travel being limited for most people, exploring their own province has been much more enticing. The most popular parks this year remain the same (with Algonquin and Bon Echo both offering backcountry sites)…
A lot of campers in the backcountry this year are campers who are trying it out for the first time and unfortunately this is also leading to lots of challenges for staff.
“We’ve seen things like increases in garbage in parks this year, so we’ve dedicated a lot of time and effort this year to promoting the use of provincial parks in a safe and respectful manner.
Especially with our suspicion that there’s a lot of new folks joining us this year, we want to make sure that that resource is there for folks, so they can check our website before their trip to understand our rules and the needs around maintaining a safe and respectful experience.
We want to make sure they stay pristine for generations to come.”
Two things to note when heading out on your first backcountry adventure…
while some of the parks offer canoe rentals, visitors must bring their own PFD due to COVID restrictions.
Pack out what you pack in! Don’t leave garbage behind or attempt to burn it.
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