Rules for Group Camping Area Online Reservations
General
- Reservations for group camping areas can be made up to 24 hours in advance of 2 p.m. of the scheduled arrival date. For example, if a group would like to use an area starting at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 17, a reservation can be made up to 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 16.
- The maximum stay in a group camping area is 5 consecutive nights.
- A minimum of 2 consecutive nights (Friday/Saturday) is required to reserve a group camping area on a weekend (this includes long weekends).
- Only one group camping area can be reserved per transaction.
- There is no limit to the number of transactions.
- A confirmed reservation is not transferable from one group to another.
- Account holders are responsible for the actions of all camping party members and any visitors to their group camping area. Please review Regulations for Alberta's Provincial Parks & Recreation Areas.
- Guaranteed check-in is 4 p.m.
- Check-out time is 2 p.m.
Fees
- Group camping fees vary depending on facilities and services provided and the number of camping accommodation units in your group.
- Refer to our fee guidelines to find out how group camping fees are calculated.
- There is a non-refundable $12 reservation fee per reserved group camping area (this is in addition to camping fees).
- All group camping fees must be prepaid by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express) for a minimum of five units (or, in the case of some group campgrounds, a minimum of 10 units). Fees for additional units are payable at registration, preferably made in one total transaction.
- Discounts cannot be processed when making a reservation. Any applicable discount is processed directly by the group campground operator.
Reservation Changes
- Reservations can only be changed by the account holder or a pre-authorized designate.
- There is a non-refundable $5 fee per change (name and address changes are free).
- There is no limit to the number of changes that can be made to a reservation (subject to availability).
- Change fees and any additional group camping fees are payable when the change is made.
- To receive a refund of the group camping fees when shortening a reservation, the change must be made more than 10 days before 2 p.m. of the originally scheduled arrival date (for example, notice of a change in date must be provided by Tuesday, July 7 at 2 p.m. for an original arrival date of Friday, July 17).
- If 10 days notice is not provided, group camping fees are forfeited unless the reservation is being extended.
- Changes are only permitted within the same provincial park or provincial recreation area. Changing the provincial park or provincial recreation area is considered a cancellation and the reservation fee is NOT refunded.
Refunds for Cancellations
- Group camping area reservations can only be cancelled by the account holder or a pre-authorized designate.
- To receive a full refund of group camping fees, a cancellation must be made more than 10 days before 2 p.m. of the originally scheduled arrival date (for example, cancellation notice must be provided by Tuesday, July 7 at 2 p.m. for an original arrival date of Friday, July 17).
- If 10 days notice is not provided, group camping fees are forfeited.
- The reservation fee is NOT refunded - it is retained to cover administrative costs.
- Refunds of group camping fees are applied to the credit card used for the original transaction.
- Camping conditions are highly variable throughout the season. The reservation fee and change fees are non-refundable except in the case of a group camping area closure.
- Refunds are NOT given for advisories including weather (rain, wind, snow, temperature), water quality (blue-green algae, non-potable water), air quality, wild animals, insects/pests (mosquitoes, wasps, mice, geese, etc), fire bans, liquor bans, car trouble, getting lost or evictions.
Late Arrivals/No Shows
- You must notify the Contact Centre of a late arrival by phoning 1-877-537-2757.
- A late arrival is defined as a planned arrival after 2 p.m. of the day following your scheduled arrival date (for example, "late arrival" would be arriving after 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 18 for an original arrival date of Friday, July 17).
- If notice of a late arrival is not provided and the camper does not register by 2:00 p.m. of the day following the scheduled arrival date, the reservation is considered a "no-show" and will be cancelled. The group camping area will be released for resale.
- The penalty for a "no show" is the same as that for a cancellation - all group camping fees are forfeited.
Special Events in Group Camping Areas
- Special events range from small local/family functions (i.e. weddings, reunions) to large provincial/national/international events (i.e. Boy Scout Jamborees).
- If you are reserving a group camping area for a special event, you may require a special event permit.
- It is strongly recommended that you apply for a permit, if required, well in advance so you have event approval before committing to a reservation. Cancellations within 10 days of your scheduled arrival date will NOT be refunded.
- Applications for special events are accepted up to one year in advance.
- Some types of events may not be approved (i.e. events that involve a safety risk to participants/spectators or that have the potential to damage park facilities or resources). Each special event permit application is evaluated on its own merits.
Updated: May 28, 2018
