Camping is a way of life in the summer for many Canadians. It is also the budget-friendly vacation par excellence.

But snatching a campsite at provincial and national parks during peak season has become something of a Hunger Games-like endeavour.

Most park agencies use a first-come, first-served system for online camping reservations with bookings opening months in advance on a rolling basis. For popular destinations, securing a site often involves monitoring the clock in the early hours of the morning – finger hovering over the mouse ready to book as soon as the time changes from, say, 6:59:59 a.m. to 7:00:00 a.m.

I spent the past couple of weeks looking into how the spread of AI bots could finally spell the end of this high-adrenaline (and, often, highly frustrating) booking ritual – or make it much worse, if park agencies stick to the status quo. (Spoiler: The Globe was able to nab a campsite with an AI bot we built as a proof of concept.)

You can read the article here.

In this newsletter, though, I thought I’d share what readers and experts told me about their best tips and hacks for finding campsites – both on and off the beaten track. Here’s what I heard:

If you’re canoeing or kayaking:

Parks Canada waterways:

From Ottawa-based David Bell:

Paddlers travelling along Parks Canada waterways (for example, the Rideau Canal system from Kingston to Ottawa and the Trent-Severn system from Trenton to Georgian Bay) are allowed to camp at most lockstations for a nominal fee.

“Some of these sites are absolute gems seeped in history (e.g., Jones Falls on the Rideau system); and we experienced lots of camaraderie among fellow paddlers and boaters (we’ve even kept in touch with some people).”

Backcountry paddling at Algonquin Park:

Also from Bell:

At Ontario’s oldest provincial park, backcountry paddlers can reserve a particular lake or pre-defined zone, but within those areas, they can camp any available site that isn’t already occupied.

“My son and I just returned from a week in the western section of Algonquin Park. We paddled beyond the easily accessible lakes, endured a couple long and difficult portages, plus navigated over multiple beaver dams on a river system, but all the hard work paid off – we camped on a series of lakes over three days and didn’t see a soul.”

Monitor cancellations:

One reader in Victoria shared that they’ve had luck snagging cancellations refreshing the BC Parks website throughout their work day.

If you’re not quite prepared to do that, several park agencies, including BC Parks, have cancellation alert services you can sign up for. The downside is everyone interested in the same spot and dates will be alerted at the same time.

Then there’s Campnab, a platform that lets you set up more finely customized cancellation alerts for your favourite campgrounds. The cost is typically between $10 and $20.

Boondocking:

If you’re okay with off-grid camping, you can often camp for free – or for a small fee – on Crown land, though the rules vary slightly by province.

In B.C., Eric Karjaluoto, co-founder of Campnab, recommends checking out the Recreation Sites and Trails BC program for a list of such camping spots. The province has arguably the most accessible public-land camping systems, with designated sites that often include picnic tables and toilet facilities.

Private campgrounds:

Karjaluoto also suggests looking at private campgrounds. Sites such as Campspot and Hipcamp list anything from RV pad to tent sites to glamping destinations.