"Roughing It" Meets Luxury in Canadian Parks to Entice Visitors. But Is This a Good Idea?
© Parks Canada has crafted a pilot project to lure more people into national parks by shying away from the traditional experience.
Instead of tent, campfire, and sleeping bag, think beds, plumbing, and lighting. "Roughing it" is combining with luxury at some Canadian parks and is bringing camping to a whole new audience. Campers at Forillon National Park in Quebec are now offered yurts rather than tents which include wood floors, windows, a stove, a sink. and furniture.
Starting next spring, Jasper National Park will offer a number of cottage tents that include wooden floors, beds, bunk beds, tables, lights, futon chairs, pans, plates, glasses, and cutlery. Many will also include baseboard heaters. Still looking to cook over a campfire? Park staff will be on hand for lessons.
If the pilot project is successful, it could be expanded to other mountain parks. And Parks Canada is looking at other ideas to entice prospective visitors including play areas for children, power hookups, and even wireless Internet.
So what do you think? Is this pilot project a good idea to increase popularity at parks or will adding more amenities take away from the natural outdoor experience? Share your thoughts below!
what is wrong with parks canada. first i feel that the park entrance fee is much too high and shoulnd be maybe an one time minial fee, to charge a fee of $8.00 a day for use of the beach is too high, after all the parks are finanzedby taxpayers money. you are paying for the use of your own park. also nightly camping rates are too high, going to a national park usuall involves a long drive, than the entrance fee and than a camping fee, extra fees for a fire pit, and wood. I used to always go camping at Ingonish and Black Brook camping grounds, but then it became too expensive for a large family, two adults and 5 children to camp there, now we go to private camprgounds on the island which usually have a lot of free children activities, a pool and a beach, and free fire pits. In our family and our friends families, we do not take TVs, or any hand held games, the children use the pools, beachnes,and playgrounds and hikingtrails.In Black Brook campground, the playground is situtated in the tailor section of the campground, and none in the tenting section, where most of the children are. Alaso some of rules are getting extreme. these should have a closer look and some relaxed a bit, especially alcholal use, and quiet hour. we were have a sing song, being quite entertaining, but were told we had to put our fire out at 11 pm and go to bed. this was on a saturday evening, and the kids and adults were not being noisy or running around. just sitting and enjoying the fire, talking and having a children’s singsong, nothing vugar and overloud. i realtize that some campers are traveling the next day, but maybe the park officals should hold some sites, for those moving on the next day, and put people who are staying longer in a seperate area. anyway, enought of my opion, will be interested in seeing what changes if any the parks make.
Adding yurts and cottage tents aren’t terrible; We don’t have a problem with hotels in national parks, so I don’t see why these should be a problem. I don’t like the idea of adding wireless internet and power-hookups to camp sites, however. Many people go to national parks specifically to avoid the trappings of modern life. Accessibility and convenience comes at a price; A trip Yosemite on a summer weekend will truly make you wish for simpler times as you sit in hours of bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Just finished visiting the last of our 40 state parks here in NC this past weekend and learned a lot these past eight months on that quest. I started out as a wilderness purist but now think it’s good to have levels of wilderness exposure in our state and national parks.
Some people are fine with staying in a hotel and just knowing there are trout streams two miles away. Others need to wade the water and feel the fish. Both experiences are valid.