OUTLOOK - The Outlook & District Regional Park is a popular destination with families in the summertime, with campsites in the riverside location becoming prime real estate during those peak June to August dates.
So much so that the park has decided to move forward with another option for those who may be interested in longer stays next year.
Starting in 2025, for the first time ever, seasonal camping will now be available in the Outlook park.
With eight spots up for grabs, and one already spoken for, the sites will be up on a 'first come, first served' basis and include the timeline of May to September 30 of next summer. The sites up for grabs will have 30 amp power with water hookup, but no sewer.
Park administrator Kaitlyn Gifford says the decision to offer seasonal camping has been something that the board has thought about for a while now. With demand for this level of camping seen in other parks around the province, she says that the time is right for Outlook to move forward on it.
"Offering seasonal sites has been on our radar for a few years now," she said. "There seems to be a high demand for it in other parks, so we thought we would give it a try. It was a board decision, and we are offering the seasonal rentals only in sites 46-53, which generally are the last in the park to be filled up, other than our overflow area."
Gifford says that one site has already been spoken for, with another camper seriously considering another site, so the idea for Outlook to offer seasonal camping seems to already be off to a positive start. She says that she hopes all eight sites can be filled by the time next spring rolls around, but if not, the spots will be rented out as they normally are.
The rate for a seasonal campsite is $2,500, with a $500 deposit required to hold a spot.
Ultimately, the goal is to help the park gain some more exposure by offering prospective seasonal campers things like incentives and discounts if they do choose to spend the summer in the Outlook Regional Park.
"Ideally, seasonal site holders will help jazz up that area," said Kaitlyn. "We will allow decks and things, but will require everything to be removed at the end of the season. We hope this will liven up that particular area of the park, and offer people a bit of a discount and incentive if they want to spend the summer in the park!"