Many Manitobans have been busy in recent days planning their camping trips for 2019. That is because Manitoba Parks is already accepting bookings through its Reservation Service.

Spokesperson Elisabeth Ostrop says they are doing it in three phases. The first phase opened Monday, March 18th for cabins, yurts and group use areas, as well as Birds Hill Provincial Park campground.

"It was a very busy opening day," says Ostrop. "We were up about eleven percent compared to the reservations that were made for the same period the previous year."

She notes that works out to about 650 more reservations on opening day.

On Monday, April 1st, beginning at 7 am, campsite reservations will open for Winnipeg Beach and all campgrounds within the Whiteshell. And then on Wednesday, April 3rd, all remaining campsite reservations will open, including St. Malo.

Ostrop says the number of available campsites generally stays consistent from one year to the next. She notes total bookings for each of the three days is usually very similar, though historically their busiest day is when Winnipeg Beach and the Whiteshell go up for grabs.

"A lot of those campgrounds are within easy driving distance from Winnipeg," she explains. "And that's where people like to go."

Reservations can be made either online, through the call centre or by visiting their office at 200 Saulteaux Crescent in Winnipeg. Customers making online reservations are advised to check their user IDs and passwords prior to the opening days.

Though there are no major changes to the Reservation Service this year, Ostrop says there is a change in St. Malo to take note of. She says they have renumbered some of the campsites in the Sunset Shores section of the campground. As a result, if you have a favourite campsite in that part of the campground, you will want to check online for the new number.

"It's been a long, cold winter and we're looking forward to spending our summers outside," notes Ostrop. "So we're happy to welcome Manitobans and visitors back to our campgrounds very soon."