ST. PAUL – As spring unfolds and summer approaches, the County of St. Paul is getting ready for the 2025 camping season.
Jason Storch, Director of Community Services, provided an update on some key changes with the County's campground, and said the County has transitioned to a new online booking system called Let's Camp, after its previous booking tool was sold to a different company.
"We understand some of our neighbouring municipalities are utilizing [Let's Camp] as well, and we determined we would like to give them a try," he said.
He expressed confidence in Let's Camp and believes it will enhance the booking experience for both the County staff and the campers.
Booking was previously unavailable during the transition, and has reopened on April 23, Storch noted early reservations have been encouraging. "[Bookings this year] appear to be on track with previous years," he said.
"We're pleased there are people keen on coming to the County of St. paul to camp that they're wanting to book their site in advance," added Storch.
The County of St. Paul offers a variety of campgrounds, each with unique features and amenities, namely Floatingstone Lake, Lac Bellevue, Stoney Lake, and Westcove at Vincent Lake.
Detailed information about these campgrounds, including the number of available services offered, can be found on the County's website.
Storch encouraged campers to book sites early.
"There's more sites being booked every day," he said. So, if campers have an idea of when and where they want to go camping, "they should probably book sooner than later because [booking] is on a first-come, first-served [basis]."
Asked if the County could provide how the camping season went last year, Storch said that while specific data is not yet available, "I can tell you that we had one of our best years in a long time, last year."
Stony Lake campground
Storch said there will also be new caretakers at the Stony Lake campground, this year.
He thanked the previous caretakers, Marc and Margaret Marcoux, who dedicated many years to the campground.
"The County sure appreciates all of their efforts for all of the years they spent [on the campground," said Storch. "They ran a very good campground, and they will be missed."
The County is optimistic that the new caretakers will continue the excellent work established by their predecessors, he said.
