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Have your say in the new BC Parks camping reservation system

With more trips to the great outdoors starting indoors, BC Parks is revamping its online services
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The BC Parks camping reservation system is set to open on March 21, and in the meantime British Columbians can provide feedback on the redesign of BC Parks’ online services. (Photo credit: BC Parks)

Experiencing the great outdoors is starting indoors, and online, for more and more people, which is why BC Parks is inviting British Columbians to participate in the redesign of its digital services.

People can participate in the redesign now, and the goal is to create a more user-friendly and inclusive online experience through https://bcparks.ca. A key feature of the redesign will be improving the online camping reservation system with expanded features. Feedback can be shared through the new test site at https://beta.bcparks.ca/.

“More people every year are getting out and connecting with nature and green space in our beautiful BC Parks. It’s key to our health and well-being,” says George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “We’ve engaged with people over the past two years and we’ve heard the call for improvements to the reservation service and the need to build a more reliable, easy-to-use service system.”

The new reservation service — available on the BC Parks website — will be opening for the season on March 21. Among the new features on the site are:

* more flexible search options to find and book a campsite;

* maps, calendars, and lists of available sites for quicker navigation;

* saved booking preferences and locations within customer accounts; and

* as many as five large photos per campsite.

People can book a campsite at most campgrounds two months ahead of their desired arrival date. Reservations for group campsites open March 24 for the rest of the year, and reservations for the popular Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit will open in early April, with availability between May and September. The Berg Lake Trail does not have an anticipated opening date due to damage caused by severe flooding in the summer.

BC Parks has more than 10,000 reservable day-use and overnight accommodations available. These range from day-use passes, parking permits, and campsites to backcountry permits, a world-class canoe circuit, picnic shelters, backcountry cabins, and even a yurt. Demand for reservations has grown more than 200 per cent in the past decade.

The new BC Parks test site is live now and provides users with a glimpse into the design work and improvements being made. New content and features will be added to the site during the coming months. People can also sign up to join future focus groups to help inform the future of all BC Parks digital products and services.



editorial@accjournal.ca

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