Plan in Advance

Launch days can be very busy.  Log on to the Parks Reservation Service before the launch dates to create a new account and to review reservation and camping policies.  You can also review photos and descriptions of campsites.

If you want the best chance of getting your dream site, make a list of your top campsites in advance, prep your device, and book as soon as the service opens.  And if you’re aiming for one of our busiest parks? Have a few back-up sites and locations on your list.

Prepare Your Device

1. Use an up-to-date browser

As software makers release new versions of their browsers, they stop updating the older versions. These older versions gradually lose compatibility with current web technology.

The online reservation system requires an up-to-date web browser to make sure that you can use all of the features. The system works best in the latest versions of these browsers:

• Chrome
• Microsoft Edge
• Firefox
• Safari

2. Clear your cache

We recommend you periodically clear the cache to allow your browser to function more efficiently. The reservation system uses cookies to improve your search experience. Browsers will normally clear cookies that reach a certain age, but clearing them manually may solve problems with websites or your browser.

If you encounter a spinning wheel that persists, this is a good sign you may need to clear your cache.

3. Restart

Has your computer/mobile device been up and running for a few days? Close your browser and re-open the reservations website. This should repair issues that are preventing you from making a reservation.

On Launch Day:

• The entire season will open for reservations for that location or facility type.
• 30 minutes prior to reservations opening, anyone navigating the reservation website, as well as new users joining the website, will be directed to a waiting page.
• At exactly 7 a.m., anyone on that waiting page is randomly assigned a place in a queue (a virtual line-up).
• The order is determined randomly and is not based on how long users have been on the website up to that point.
• Users who arrive after 7 a.m. will be placed at the back of the queue.
• When users reach their turn, they will be alerted via an on-screen message. When users reach their turn, they will be alerted via an on-screen message to proceed to the reservation website.

This process helps manage the number of visitors accessing the website and ensures a smooth and equitable experience for everyone.

Be Patient.

Wait times are dependent upon how many users are logged in and how well the system is handling the traffic.  There are thousands of campers just like you all vying for the same campsites for the same arrival dates.  Competition can be fierce for favourite campsites and yurts at busy parks.  The majority of reservations for the season are made in the first couple of hours on the opening days.  We appreciate your patience as we work through everyone’s reservation requests.

Don’t have access to a computer or experiencing connection issues?  You can also call our call centre at 1-888-482-2267.  You’ll be placed in a similar queue on the phone to speak to a call centre agent.  If you get a busy signal, hang up and keep trying.

If your first choice of campsite or accommodation isn’t available, here are a few things to try:

• Select the campsite to open the site description. Select “Site Calendar” to see a monthly calendar overview of when that site is available
• At the campground loop level, select the “Calendar” button near the map to see a calendar overview of when all sites in that campground are available.
• Navigate to other areas of the campground on the map
• Use the breadcrumb links (example: Eastern > West Hawk Lake) to go back and choose another campground within that region
• Look at campgrounds in other parks by changing your park selection

During the reservation opening days, the Parks Reservation Service will use an enhanced virtual waiting room and queuing system  to ensure a better experience for online users.  

Between 6:30 a.m. – 7 a.m. CDT on April 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, users on the reservation website will be placed in a virtual waiting area. During this time, no order or queue is established. 

Please be aware it will not be possible to view available campsites between 6:30 am – 7 a.m.

At exactly 7 a.m., everyone in the virtual waiting area will be randomly assigned a unique number in the queue.  Users will then be admitted into the reservation site based on that number.

After 7 a.m., any new users visiting the reservation website will be assigned a number at the end of the queue (behind all users who were in the virtual waiting room before 7 a.m.).

When you enter the queue, you will receive a unique number indicating your place in line and an estimate of your approximate wait time. As the people who are ahead of you move out of the queue, your number will get smaller as you get closer to the front of the line.

If you stay on the queue page and don’t go to other sites while you’re waiting, then you will automatically be put through to the reservation website once it’s your turn.  If you minimize the queue and navigate to a new window, you will get a pop-up box when it’s your turn asking you if you want to continue.

Wait times will depend on how many other users are in the queue. The online queue is an efficient process that allows for fair access to the system, while ensuring at no point that the demand placed on the site is overwhelming.

How does this affect the call centre?
The reservation service call centre has always utilized a queuing system. However, unlike the queue for the website, the number of places in line for the call centre is limited. If the call centre line is full, the phone will ring busy. We recommend waiting a minute and then try calling back.

Long Weekends: Require a minimum two-night stay and must include a Saturday and a Sunday night. Long Weekends requiring a two-night minimum stay in 2024 include:

• May 18-20 (Victoria Day)
• August 3-5 (Terry Fox Day)
• August 31-September 2 (Labour Day)
• October 12-14 (Thanksgiving)

Cabins & Yurts: Require a minimum two-night stay when reserving online.  Leftover single gap nights can only be reserved by calling the call centre at 1-888-482-2267. 

Your yurt or cabin entry code is the four numbers following the dash in your reservation number. For example, if your reservation number is INMB22-12345B1, your access code is 1234.

Reservation limits on opening days: On Monday, April 8 (Cabins, Yurts & Group Use), a maximum of two reservations can be added to your cart at a time.  After you’ve paid for your first two reservations, you can continue to make reservations two at a time.

During the other launch days, only three reservations may be made at a time.  

These restrictions are in place to keep the queue moving and give as many opportunities as possible for people to book sites. After the launch dates, the number of items in the cart increases to five.

Length of Stay: Cabins and yurts have a maximum stay of 7 nights; campsites have a maximum stay of 21 nights.

Seven-Night Sites: We offer a limited number of campsites in select locations with a minimum seven-night stay restriction, to help enable those who are seeking an extended stay to find a single site.

To acquire one of these seven-night sites, a reservation must include:

• a minimum stay of seven nights, and
• fall within the months of July and August. 

Any unsold gap nights of six nights or less must be booked through the call centre or in-person at the local campground office. Gap nights on designated seven-night sites cannot be reserved online. The seven-night site restriction will remain in place online through the camping season. 

If you book a site with the seven-night minimum requirement, you may not shorten an upcoming reservation to less than seven nights, unless you move your reservation to a new site without this requirement.

If after arrival/check-in on a designated seven-night site you wish to move to a new site or early depart, you will forfeit fees for any remaining nights within the minimum requirement.

Locations with Designated Seven-night Sites:

Bakers Narrows Campground

• Bay 2, Sites 41-46 (Electrical Service)

Birds Hill Campground

• Chipping Bay, Sites 1-10 (Electrical Service)
• Savannah Bay, Sites 1-10 (Full Service)

Falcon Beach Campground

• Section J, Sites 1-10 (Electrical Service)
• Section Y1, Sites 1-10 (Full Service)

St. Malo Campground

• Bay 2, Sites 1-10 (Electrical Service)

Winnipeg Beach

• Moonlight, site 6
• New Dipps, site 22
• Water Tower, sites 53, 55, 74, 77, 90, 91, 98, 99

Making a Reservation for Others: Reservations made for others will reside within the creator’s account. This allows the Creator to manage their bookings online while reservation holders may still contact the Call Centre to change or cancel through an agent.  Creators may easily forward confirmation emails to others.

Changing Your Reservation: Changes to facility type and campground location are not allowed. You will need to cancel your original reservation and make a new one. All cancellation fees apply.

Buddy Sites at Winnipeg Beach: Must always have the same arrival and departure dates.  Buddy sites may be reserved or cancelled through all sales channels, including online. Changes may only be made through the call centre.

Group Use Sites: Day use reservations are limited to a single day.  If you wish to book multiple days, a separate reservation is required for each day, each with its own reservation fee.

Try a New Park

These are our busiest campgrounds in provincial parks:

• Birds Hill Provincial Park
• West Hawk and Falcon Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park
• Winnipeg Beach Provincial Park
• Kiche Manitou in Spruce Woods Provincial Park
• Grand Beach Provincial Park
• Gull Harbour in Hecla/Grindstone Provincial Park
• St. Malo Provincial Park

We know many people camp in the same park, even the same site every year.  But did you know we have over 50 different campgrounds in Manitoba’s provincial parks?  Explore a new piece of the province – find a list of parks by region on our Park Maps & Locations page.

Be Willing to Compromise

The more flexible you’re able to be about campsite specifics, the easier you’ll land a campsite, especially at a busy park or during a busy weekend.

Full Service and electric sites, and sites that accommodate large RVs are extremely popular. Consider trying a non-electric site, or a different campground.

If it’s an electrical site or nothing, the next tip is a good one for you.

Book Weekdays or Shoulder Seasons

Campsites and cabin/yurt rentals book quickly on weekends, holidays, and during peak vacation times (July/August).

However, we often have top-quality campsites (including electrical sites) sitting empty during the week, particularly in the spring and fall.

Book Late

You don’t have to face the competition and stress of the launch dates!  Not all of us know our summer vacation days this early in the year.  Our parks receive many cancellations, many at the last minute. Savvy campers keep a close eye on the reservation service, ready to snatch up newly available sites and yurts.

Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays are the best days to look for availability for the following weekend, but keep checking the reservation service throughout the week for last minute openings.

Explore the Province!

Campgrounds closest to Winnipeg book up first, so driving an extra couple of hours really expands your options.  If you’re looking for a more secluded campsite, a campsite on a busy weekend or holiday, and awe-inspiring natural beauty, then plan a trip to our western and northern parks.