As temperatures begin to warm up, more families will begin setting up camp at Pinery Provincial Park.
Discovery and Resource Management Supervisor Alistair MacKenzie said the Pinery is fully booked for camping on weekends until Labour Day. However, there is still some availability for weekdays.
"Pinery is one of the busiest parks in the province … I think we have some visitors who are well-familiar with this and plan [within] that five months in-advance time period," he said.
Although the park is usually busy with campers during the summer months, MacKenzie said they have noticed an uptick in visitation over the past couple of years. The option to purchase a vehicle permit for day use in advance of a trip, which launched in 2021, is again available for visitors.
MacKenzie said there are also a couple of new tools people can take advantage of.
"Through our reservation service, you can now get notifications if there are any sites that become available at a campground that you're interested in," he said. "We're also offering what's called 'similar experiences' so if you try to book at a park and you're unable to get in, the reservation system will recommend other similar parks to try and get the word out that there's a vast system of parks across Ontario and lots that are considered hidden gems that may have availability."
There are currently no COVID-19 restrictions in place for public settings, such as restrooms, at provincial parks. If the province or local health unit implements restrictions at a later date, MacKenzie said those measures will be adhered to.
Pinery Provincial Park operates 1,000 campsites, located in three different areas, during its peak season.
-With files from Stephanie Chaves