Nova Scotia Provincial Parks see record number of campers in 2021

Probably not much of a surprise to anyone who tried to book a campsite this year, but Nova Scotia Provincial Parks registered a record number of campers in 2021.

According to the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, 91,262 overnight stays were recorded, with around 86 per cent of the bookings coming from Nova Scotians and 13 per cent from other parts of Canada. The other roughly one per cent came from the United States.

That's a 13 per cent increase from last year, which saw a delay to the start of the season and some sites unavailable to reduce capacity due to COVID-19.

The 2019 season was disrupted by Hurricane Dorian, which caused all provincial parks to shut down while crews cleaned up extensive damage, and even prematurely ended the camping season at some of them.

2018 was the previous record holder, with 82,422 campsites nights booked. 

“Nova Scotians and others value provincial parks and the many ways they enable us to enjoy the social, mental and physical health benefits of being in nature,” said Natural Resources and Renewables Minister Tory Rushton. 

“We will continue improving the visitor experience and making sure programs and services are more accessible to everyone.”

Overall, more than one million people visited our provincial parks in 2021 to camp, hike, bike, canoe, kayak, swim, play, picnic or walk on a beach.

The province has 20 camping parks and 109 day-use and beach parks.

All are officially closed for the season. People can still visit, but don't expect to be able to use washrooms or garbage cans.

“Visitors are encouraged to keep spaces clean and safe for everyone by not leaving any garbage or waste behind,” said the province in a news release.