Gipsy-Gordon Wildland Provincial Park Image Credit: Monica Dahl supplied by AB Government Ministry of Environment
EDMONTON — Alberta Parks recorded one of its busiest seasons in years, with millions of visitors exploring the province’s 305 parks and making a record number of camping reservations.
The province says more than 280,000 summer camping bookings were made in 2025, a seven per cent increase over last year and the highest total since 2021. Minister of Forestry and Parks Todd Loewen said the numbers show growing demand for outdoor recreation, from family trips to seniors using a new 25 per cent discount at more than 140 campgrounds.
Bow Valley and Peter Lougheed provincial parks in Kananaskis Country were the most visited this summer, followed by Aspen Beach, Cypress Hills and Pigeon Lake. The province says visitors spent the season hiking, paddling, fishing and using comfort camping sites, while park staff delivered more than 3,000 interpretive programs and connected with more than half a million people.
Eighty one per cent of campers were from Alberta, but visitors from 59 countries also booked sites. A new online reservation notification tool launched this year was used more than 54,000 times and led to 13,000 additional bookings.
The province says its seniors’ camping discount accounted for more than 34,000 camper nights, with Miquelon Lake Provincial Park the most popular destination.
Alberta Parks is now shifting to winter recreation. Thirteen campgrounds offer 530 year-round sites, along with downhill skiing at Hidden Valley in Cypress Hills, cross-country skiing on more than 65 kilometres of trails at the Canmore Nordic Centre, and skating and winter activities across the province.
The province says August remained the busiest month for campers. Visitors typically spend about $600 in nearby communities during park trips, providing a boost to local and rural economies. Public visitation to Kananaskis remained strong in a year that also saw the area host the G7 Leaders’ Summit.
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