Nova Scotia’s provincial parks welcomed a record number of campers in 2018.
The provincial park system saw 82,422 campsite nights booked, an increase of five per cent over last year. Bookings have gone up about 30 per cent since 2014.
Several infrastructure projects were completed or are in progress this year:
- new electrical and water services to campsites at Amherst Shore Provincial Park and Battery Park Provincial Park
- road and parking lot repairs to Queensland Beach Provincial Park
- upgrades to the Blomidon Provincial Park day-use area
- construction of a new comfort station at Valleyview Provincial Park near Bridgetown
Improvements will be made to the park reservation system for the 2019 season to make it easier to book campsites. A record-breaking 6,500 reservations were made on opening day in 2018.
All provincial parks are now closed for camping but people are encouraged to continue visiting parks to enjoy walking, cross-country skiing and similar activities. While parks are closed, regular park services and facilities are not available. Visitors must follow park rules, including keeping dogs on leashes. Visitors are reminded to use the pack-it-in, pack-it-out principle, and take their trash home with them.
There are 20 provincial camping parks and more than 100 day-use parks in Nova Scotia.