Manitobans are already looking forward to summer, and they're doing it in record-setting numbers, with a well-over 100 per cent increase in provincial campground bookings.

Monday was the day allotted to book sites at all provincial campgrounds throughout the entire province. The previous week had record-setting registration days that were specifically for sites at Bird's Hill, Winnipeg Beach, and Whiteshell provincial parks.

According to the province, there were 34,914 reservations made on Monday, breaking last year's previous record high of 14,272. The 2020 registration record was surpassed at 12 p.m. on Monday.

72,845 reservations were made over the three launch days, which is more than twice the number of reservations. It was a 117 per cent increase over last year’s number of 33,543 which also was a record-setting year.

The province confirmed that they are reviewing user experiences from this year to enhance the service for future campground reservation launches.

For those still looking to get a site, the province has suggested that campers check the Manitoba Parks Campsite Vacancy tool throughout the summer to pick up available sites. A spokesperson recommends looking at the site on Mondays and Tuesdays, as people cancel and change plans for the upcoming weekend.

Official Launch Day Numbers:

Day 1 - Bird's Hill, Group Use Areas, Yurts/Cabins had 13,881 reservations made at a 126 per cent increase over last year.

Day 2 - Winnipeg Beach and Whiteshell Park had 24,050 reservations made at an 83 per cent increase over last year.

Day 3 - All remaining locations had 34,914 reservations made at a 145 per cent increase over last year.

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Written by Carly Koop