Why Camping in Provincial and National Parks is The Best
I’ve done my fair share of camping and when I tell you that camping in provincial and national parks is best, there’s a reason for it. In fact, there are many reasons why I recommend people spend time in gated camping communities, such as provincial and national parks, but the main reason is this: there’s no shanty town campers.
Yeah, you read that right: shanty town campers are the worst. I’ve found myself stuck between a rock and a hard place in many a campground over the years and I can tell you from personal experience that campers come in all shapes and sizes. Not to mention, loudness, rudeness, and the size of their hog fence varies too.
If you’re thinking about doing some camping in Canada this summer, I’m going to recommend you camp in provincial and national parks to get the most bang for your buck, and to ensure you don’t end up face-to-face with a grandmother who spends her days yelling at her herd of grandkids while she smokes a cigarette and gets the gossip from Kathy on her cell phone that keeps dropping the signal. This is a true story. And we’ll get to that. But first, let me give you a run down of the parks I’ve stayed in across this amazing country.
Camping in Provincial and Nationals Parks from Coast to Coast
Because I’ve taken many trips on my own as a solo female traveler, I know there are a few concerns women have on the road. I can tell you from personal experience that the fastest way to alleviate any safety concerns while camping alone is to by-pass the truck stops and Wal-Mart parking lots and head straight to the nearest provincial or national park in Canada. It’s not that truck stops or the Wal-Mart parking lot are overly dangerous. They’re just not comfortable.
When I’m traveling alone, I like to be able to hang out at my campsite, light a fire, read my book, and listen to music. That’s pretty much impossible in a parking lot. And if I want to take a shower, I want to be able to take a shower that’s clean and not had several large truckers standing in it before me. No offence, truckers. But this is my vacation we’re talking about here.
Sure, you could save some money by sleeping in parking lots, but the cost of camping in provincial parks and nationals parks across Canada is nominal. I’m talking less than $40 a night in many cases.
In 2021, I took a week-long, solo adventure trip to camp in provincial parks around Nova Scotia. It was during the pandemic and we weren’t allowed to travel to other provinces. Remember the dark times? Well, during the dark times, I made the most of our ability to get outside and do outdoor activities, including camping. I’ve stayed at several provincial parks throughout Nova Scotia and some of them are my favourite in the country.
Camping in Provincial Parks in Nova Scotia
I created an 9-day itinerary for my solo adventure and because campsites were scarce that summer (thanks, Covid), I had to take what I could get. But it was worth the little bit of effort I made to find solid spots I could hunker down in for a few days and take day trips to see local points of interest, restaurants or even activities.
I booked five campgrounds in total.
Ellenwood Lake Provincial Park
I didn’t have a plan for my travels other than to make my way around the perimeter of Nova Scotia and see things I’d never seen before. I also stopped at Five Islands Provincial Park to have a swim, but didn’t camp.
Each of these sites cost me less than $30 a night and I got a small discount because I’m a military veteran.
Camping in Provincial and National Parks Across Canada
In 2022, I planned, saved for and booked a multi-week solo road trip across Canada and followed my same principles when it came to picking my campsites: book provincial and national parks.
Here’s a list of places I stayed when I made this epic solo adventure across the country with my Jeep Wrangler and my little tent trailer.
Eastern Canada Campgrounds
New Brunswick: Ponderosa Pines (the only non-national park on the list because there was no availability at Fundy National Park. And wouldn’t you know it, as soon as I arrived at Ponderosa Pines, a man approached me to tell me I was backing my trail up wrong. I later walked over to his campsite to tell him he was cooking his chicken wrong. He laughed. I did not. True story. It was close to the Hopewell Rocks so I booked it as a first stop.)
Quebec: Lac Temiscouata (this park says it’s a “National Park” but it is actually a “Provincial Park” in Quebec. There was an extra fee to stay here. I was not surprised. Quebec likes to do their own thing. Gorgeous spot.)
Ontario: Lake St. Peter (an unreal park with quiet campsites, beautiful lake to swim in and lovely garden grounds.)
Ontario: Chutes Park (a spectacular hiking spot with quiet campsites and several amenities nearby.)
Ontario: White Lake Park (beautiful spot, but no cell phone reception. I stayed here for two nights and was completely cut off from everything. It was a nice break, actually.)
Ontario: Sleeping Giant Provincial Park (stay longer than you think you’ll want to: there’s so much to do in this one. Beautiful views, lots of hiking, private, and about a 40 minute drive to Thunder Bay. It was my absolute favourite spot.)
Ontario: Aaron Park (a perfect spot for resting and relaxing with kayaking, laundry facilities, and quiet campsites.)
Western Canada Campgrounds
Winnipeg: Riding Mountain National Park (not my favourite spot as it was overcrowded and I had a very small campsite, but that was my fault for booking a cheaper site. I would opt for a larger site next time as my fire pit was right under my awning and virtually useless. Bears everywhere, not that I saw them. The ranger took my cooler when I left it outside to go to the bathroom, though. “Bears everywhere!” they said.)
Saskatchewan: Pike Lake (good trails, easy access, nice size lots.)
Saskatchewan/Alberta: Cypress Hill (this park is so big, half of it is in Saskatchewan and half of it is in Alberta. I stayed on the Saskatchewan side. It’s massive, in the middle of nowhere, and the sties are awesome.)
Alberta: Bow Valley Park (fantastic spot in the heart of Canmore with easy access to the highway, amenities, parks and so much more.)
BC: I stayed at my uncle’s house for a week. No camping in BC, unfortunately.
The Real Reasons I Camp in Provincial and National Parks
Because I’ve spent a lot of time camping alone, it’s important to me to feel safe. I’ve found myself staying in public camp grounds with friends and family over the years and I have to tell you: they are pretty sketchy. Between the halfhearted attempts to build a semi-permanent structure that’s supposed to resemble a deck and the strange collage of colors from duct-tapping a metal roof together to extend your living space, I kind of hate them. And the real reason I hate them is because of seasonal campers.
There, I said it. Sorry, not sorry. Seasonal campers are the worst. Let me tell you with a very vivid, detailed example. I once found myself in a campground near Halifax, Nova Scotia in a rain storm to end all rain storms and instead of hunkering down in the rain like normal people would, the seasonal campers decide to throw a party. In the rain. For most of the night. There’s no quiet hours. Kids run free as birds.
And I’ll be honest with you: I can handle the rain. I can handle the loud noises. I can even handle the herds of children who seem to have no parents anywhere in sight. Everyone is drunk, or at least, it seems like it. And I don’t know about you, but I go to the woods for some peace and quiet. I’ve yet to come across a private campground that wasn’t just trying to fill as much space as possible with campers.
Hog Fence, Anyone?
Here’s another story from my travels. I had booked a camp site in a public campground only because I couldn’t get a spot at a nearby provincial campground and boy, did I regret it immediately. Remember that hog fence I mentioned earlier? Well, it wasn’t a hog fence. It was a children fence. And it belonged to the children’s grandparents who obviously treated their camper like a cottage and hosted hundreds of family members at a time.
Their cars were parked all over the place, including in front of my campsite. They were loud and obnoxious. They swore profusely. I hadn’t seen people smoke like that since 1995. The music was terrible. I could forgive all of it. It’s summer, after all. Enjoy yourself. But instead of enjoying themselves, the grandmother spent the entire evening yelling and screaming at the kids. I found this wildly amusing and also incredibly stressful because what was the point of the hog fence if you still needed to wrangle those damn kids? I mean, come on. Let them run wild or be quiet about it.
I’m Not a Spiteful Person, But I Was a Tired Person…
I showed them though. The next morning I got up and started banging my pots and pans loudly while they were all strung out on the lawn of their little piece of heaven hungover as hell. I’m a morning person. Have you ever tried to sleep-in in a tent trailer? Forget it. The sun is burning through that canvas the second it comes up.
Maybe these are just bad seed stories, but two experiences are more than enough to get me to go in another direction. I’m not one to keep testing if the burner is hot. I got burned. I won’t do it again.
Provincial and National Parks, on the other hand have very convenient rules such as quiet hours, visitors have to leave at a certain time. The gates are for guest entrances only. They are manned by park rangers and conversation officers. They make rounds in the campground to make sure people are being safe. Nobody is burning the forest down. Nobody is drunk and disorderly.
All the money you invest in camping in a provincial or national campground stays in that park and goes to help fund the maintenance and development of new parks. And last but not least, private campgrounds have some of the dirtiest bathrooms I’ve ever seen. Sure, a provincial campground might only have an outhouse to offer in a pinch, but it will be cleaned regularly, you can bet you bottom dollar on that.
An Introvert’s Dream Come True
And finally, one of the main reasons I prefer to stay in provincial or national parks while camping is I don’t have to pick up the phone to make a reservation. I can just log into my account and book as little or as many nights as I want and I never have to talk to anyone. If you know, you know.
If you’re thinking about heading out on a camping trip this summer and you’re going by yourself, consider staying at provincial or national parks. They safe, clean, affordable, and designed with travelers (not squatters) in mind.
And if you want to start planning your own solo adventure, be sure to join my solo adventure challenge or check out my course, Go Anyway: The Solo Adventure Challenge for Women. I’ll teach you how to find the best spots, stay in your budget, and escape the everyday hustle and bustle with an overnight trip, weekend trip, week-long adventure and a multi-week excursion. You can start figuring out what you like and don’t like and plan your perfect summer getaway now.
