Morning at Bayswater Beach Provincial Park, Hubbards. Photo: Megan Hirons Mahon
Nova Scotia’s provincial parks begin opening for the season Friday, with officials expecting another busy summer for campers and visitors across the province.
Most day-use and camping parks will open ahead of the Victoria Day long weekend, with the remaining locations opening by early June.
Kim Masland says interest in provincial parks continues to grow.
“We operate 126 parks right across our province,” Masland said in an interview with our newsroom. “Last year actually over a million visitors.”
The province says camping reservations are already up 4.6 per cent compared to this point last year.
Budget 2026-27 includes $9.5 million for park improvements, including campsite upgrades, washroom renovations, roads, parking lots and trail work.
Masland says visitors will notice improvements at several parks, including Rissers Beach Provincial Park.
The province is also warning campers and park visitors to pay close attention to burn restrictions as another dry wildfire season is expected.
Masland says climate change has made drought and wildfire conditions more common in Nova Scotia.
“The conditions that used to be one-offs, now they’re not,” she said. “We can pretty much plan that they’re going to happen.”
The province says campfires remain prohibited in day-use parks and beaches, while overnight camping parks must follow the BurnSafe map restrictions.
Masland says visitors need to take those rules seriously.
“It’s really, really important that folks certainly adhere to the burn restrictions,” she said.
The minister also warned about growing tick activity across Nova Scotia.
“I’m hearing from folks more and more that at the beginning of this year they’re finding even in their backyard multiple ticks,” Masland said.
She encouraged people to wear light clothing, tuck in socks and pants, and regularly check themselves, children and pets after being outdoors.
Opening Friday, May 15
- Blomidon Provincial Park
- Cape Chignecto Provincial Park
- Ellenwood Lake Provincial Park
- Graves Island Provincial Park
- Porters Lake Provincial Park
- Rissers Beach Provincial Park
- Thomas Raddall Provincial Park
Opening Friday, May 29
- Mira River Provincial Park
Opening Friday, June 5
- Amherst Shore Provincial Park
- Battery Provincial Park
- Boylston Provincial Park
- Caribou-Munroes Island Provincial Park
- Dollar Lake Provincial Park
- Five Islands Provincial Park
- Laurie Provincial Park
- Salsman Provincial Park
- Smileys Provincial Park
- The Islands Provincial Park
- Valleyview Provincial Park
- Whycocomagh Provincial Park
For full details on provincial parks openings, visit the provincial parks webpage.
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