Some provincial parks scheduled to open Friday in Nova Scotia

Blomidon Provincial Park is pictured. (Source: Province of Nova Scotia / File)

Victoria Day weekend marks the start of camping season for many Nova Scotians, as some provincial parks officially open on Friday.

The province says more than a million people visited provincial parks in 2024, with overnight stays increasing by 10 per cent from the year before.

“Nova Scotia is blessed with incredible and unique natural spaces that are beloved by Nova Scotians, other Canadians and visitors from around the world,” said Tory Rushton, minister of Natural Resources, in a news release from the province. “That’s why we continue to invest in improvements across our provincial parks, ensuring that visitors can enjoy the natural beauty Nova Scotia has to offer.”

As Nova Scotians prepare to visit the parks, the province is reminding residents of the following restrictions:

• campfires and smoking are not allowed in day-use parks at any time
• people at provincial camping parks and other campgrounds must follow daily provincial burn restrictions (Campfires are only permitted after 2 p.m. and before 8 a.m. when the province’s BurnSafe map is green or between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m. when the map is yellow. If the map is red, campfires are not allowed.)
• a $25,000 fine applies to violations of the daily burn restrictions
• devices such as gas stoves and charcoal briquette barbeques can be used any time, following manufacturers’ instructions
• alcohol and cannabis are not permitted at camping parks from opening day to July 1 at 1 p.m.; from July 2 until closing in the fall, they are only permitted at rented campsites
• alcohol and cannabis are not permitted at day-use parks

The following parks open on Friday:

• Blomidon – Canning, Kings County
• Cape Chignecto – Advocate Harbour, Cumberland County
• Ellenwood Lake – Deerfield, Yarmouth County
• Graves Island – East Chester, Lunenburg County
• Porters Lake – Porters Lake, Halifax Regional Municipality
• Rissers Beach – Petite Rivière, Lunenburg County
• Thomas Raddall – Port Joli, Queens County

Camping parks opening Friday, May 30:

• Mira River – Albert Bridge, Cape Breton Regional Municipality

Camping parks opening Friday, June 6:

• Amherst Shore – Amherst Shore, Cumberland County
• Battery – St. Peters, Richmond County
• Boylston – Boylston, Guysborough County
• Caribou-Munroes Island – Caribou, Pictou County
• Dollar Lake – Wyses Corner, Halifax Regional Municipality
• Five Islands – Five Islands, Colchester County
• Laurie – Grand Lake, Halifax Regional Municipality
• Salsman – Country Harbour, Guysborough County
• Smileys – Brooklyn, Hants County
• The Islands – Shelburne, Shelburne County
• Valleyview – Bridgetown, Annapolis County
• Whycocomagh – Whycocomagh, Inverness County

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page