Because of those high numbers, Parks Canada is considering campground upgrades to better accommodate large RVs in Jasper, Banff and other national parks. Officials met in Banff last month to discuss what changes could make the parks more RV-friendly.
Clark said Jasper has space for RVs in its existing campgrounds, but during peak times—July and August—it can be difficult to find sites that fit the larger models.
“We can’t always accommodate their length in our campgrounds,” she said. To remedy that, “campsites need to be levelled and some of them need to be enlarged and brushed.”
Currently, during peak times, many of the larger campers are sent to the Snaring overflow sites.
Parks has been investing heavily in the campgrounds since 2010, when JNP received funding from the Economic Action Plan.
A large portion of that funding went toward converting primitive sites to electrical sites and electrical sites to full hookups.
“We converted 43 electrical sites in Whistlers to full hookup and then we added electrical sites to Whistlers, Wapiti and we did a loop of electrical sites in Wabasso.”
Clark said there is a high demand for electrical sites, even with tenters.
“They have all their gadgets they want to plug in or even their rice cookers or whatever it might be, so we’re seeing a huge demand for it.
“There’s an expectation that if you’re in a front country campground that there will be some services.”
Sixteen per cent of Jasper’s annual visitors are campers, so Whistlers, Wapiti and Wabasso campgrounds are nearly booked solid all summer long.
Between the three, there are 1,371 camp sites; 339 have electrical hookups and 120 have full hookups.
As well as campsites in Whistlers Campground, there are also three cottage tents and one oTENTik—a cross between a prospector’s tent and a cabin in the woods.
“The oTENTik is the Agency’s branded version of alternative camping,” said Clark.
In April, Parks announced there will be 10 more installed in Whistlers Campground next year.
Each oTENTik site will come with a table, chairs, a fire pit, dish washing sinks, a picnic table, grey water disposal, bear proof garbage bins and three beds to accommodate up to six visitors. That leaves campers to bring only their food, personal items and sleeping bags.
Like the cottage tents, oTENTiks are meant to encourage new campers to test out the activity in an easy and safe way. It eases them into the idea of spending a night in nature and it allows them to do it without spending a lot of money on gear.
Bookings for cottage tents and the oTENTik are done through Parks’ online reservation system, along with regular campsites.
