Ottawa Now - The silent war to book a campsite

If you tried booking an Ontario Parks campsite this time of year, chances are you probably know where this next story is headed. That’s because, at times, this simple expedition can quickly turn into an online booking war. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the pre-season perks, Ontario Parks can let you reserve campsites up to 5 months in advance of your arrival date. For instance, if Kristy wanted to book a spot at Murphy’s Point for July 17th, she would have to log into the instant reservation window at 7 o’clock Tuesday morning to find one. And while the number of Ontario Parks visitors surpassed 13.7 million in 2025, a lot of people hate the pre-booking system that comes before the actual camping. Kevin Callan is the author of ‘The Happy Camper: The Essential Guide To Life Outdoors’. He joins Kristy Cameron on today’s Ottawa Now.