How to Reserve the Best Campsites in Atlantic Canada
Two decades after camping for a weekend at backcountry Site 24 in Kejimkujik National Park in Nova Scotia, I can still feel the coarse lake sand beneath my feet, smell the wood smoke from our campfire wafting through the mature, mixed forest canopy and see the first light illuminating the morning mist over Minards Bay in Kejimkujik Lake. Four friends, two tents and the best campsite in the province is how I remember it.
The trouble is, it’s such a great campsite, it’s booked solid from the day reservations open on the Parks Canada website. Our national park’s system relies on a ruthless booking method—first come, first served. The reservation window opens in mid-winter, and many sites are booked solid for the season in minutes.
Booking campsites in all four Atlantic Canadian provinces can be intensely competitive in both nationally and provincially run campgrounds. But making a reservation for your favourite site in your favourite campground doesn’t have to end in disappointment. Planning ahead is crucial.
Key Tips
- Stay on top of website updates where reservation window announcements are made.
- Have all the information you need for booking at hand, including payment information.
- If you need to create an account to book a site, do so ahead of time.
- Set reminders on your phone or calendar so you don’t miss those crucial first moments when sites become available.
- Make a list of several campsites in order of preference, and try booking one until you’re successful.
- Consider booking on weekdays rather than weekends.
- When the reservation window does open, log in the moment it does.
- Popular sites like the most accessible backcountry sites in Kejimkujik fill up quickly. For those, book as soon as possible.
- If all else fails, consider other parks where booking isn’t as competitive.
Reservation Launch Dates
Prince Edward Island operates eight provincial parks with campgrounds. Nova Scotia has 20, New Brunswick has 11 and Newfoundland and Labrador has 13. All four provinces offer online reservations through their provincial parks’ websites, so start there. In addition, Nova Scotia offers reservation by phone from anywhere in North America at (888) 544-3434. Callers from beyond the continent can connect at (519) 826-5301.
Launch dates for bookings vary province to province. For PEI, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, check the websites regularly for announcements about the opening day for reservations, which is usually in April. New Brunswick’s opened on February 7, 2025.
Kejimkujik Sites
Kejimkujik’s Site 24 sells out very quickly, so I’m always ready with several other choices. Book Site 15 and you’ll be the only camper on Big Muise Island. At Site 14, you’ll have Ell Island all to yourself. Both are easy paddling distance from Jakes Landing, where most paddlers put in. I also like Sites 1, 2 and 3 on Big Dam Lake because they’re within easy walking or paddling distance (no portages) from a parking lot, but still feel wild, and I can opt for a few more luxuries at those sites—camping chairs, a drink cooler, more cooking supplies. If I can’t land a backcountry spot, I go for one of the 344 far less competitive front-country sites. If you’re into oTENTiks (cabin/tent hybrids), any of the sites from 401 to 408 on Jim Charles Point make for the most comfortable front-country camping. Got a tent, but need a site? Go for 337 or 321 on the Jim Charles Loop—both of these lakeside sites have neighbours to one side only.
Other Nova Scotian Campsites
Yes, be prepared to pounce on your favourite site, but don’t panic—there’s no shortage of camping sites in Atlantic Canada. Nova Scotia alone has nearly 14,000 sites at national parks, private campgrounds and provincial campgrounds. Blomidon Provincial Park has so much going for it. Not only is it tucked into the red cliffs next to the Bay of Fundy where the world’s highest tides make for dramatic seascapes. The hiking trails beneath the cliffs and those on the other side of the peninsula at Cape Split are unparalleled for moderately difficult treks with big scenery payoffs. Sites 28 and 30 are well away from car traffic at the entrance to a look-off trail. Families might prefer the openness of 71, 72 or 73 near a playground and washrooms.
Prince Edward Island Campsites
On PEI, Panmure Island is my cup of tea. It’s not the biggest or the most popular, and those are great benefits. Most campgrounds on PEI are blessed with beach access, but those along the mid-northern coast can get overcrowded. Panmure on the eastern edge of PEI has gentle waters for swimming and lots of room on its long beach. At the far end of the beach, the Panmure Island Lighthouse is within walking distance. RVs get the sites closest to the water, but this is a small campground with just 21 un-serviced sites, so with a tent, go for Site 28. It’s the furthest from traffic with its back to the woods and a view of the field. If you’d rather camp mid-field and close to amenities, book Site 13.
New Brunswick Campsites
While New Brunswick has some popular seaside campgrounds, it’s a big province with lots of lakeside camping to boot. Mactaquac Provincial Park is a real winner for its 300 wooded and open campsite options, as well as its location next to the St. John River above the dam where the river is essentially a lake. Site 401 is a great waterside location with a neighbour on one side only. Mactaquac’s many activity options will keep all members of the family busy—boating, hiking its ten trails, playing the 18-hole championship golf course (it’s hosting a PGA event in 2025), cycling and even craft beer sampling at the on-site Big Axe Alehouse and Grill run by the beer makers at Big Axe Brewery near Nackawic.
Newfoundland and Labrador Campsites
Also a vast province, my pick for Newfoundland and Labrador is a short drive south of the capital, St. John’s La Manche Provincial Park. Known for its forest and riverside scenery, swimming, boating, fishing, waterfalls, extensive hiking trails and a 50-metre gorge-spanning suspension bridge, it’s also close to the rugged Atlantic coastline, the most easterly point in North America.
La Manche Village Path that runs two kilometres through an abandoned settlement is part of the great 336-kilometre East Coast Trail. Among its 82 sites, any of the dozen or so out on the small La Manche Ponds loop is treed and surrounded by small coves ideal for kayaking or canoeing. Site 72 is roomy and private, perfect for a solo escapade.
