Camping in Kejimkujik National Park

Kejimkujik, known as Keji to locals, offers incredible hiking and kayaking routes, as well as a variety of camping options, from frontcountry tenting and cabins to RV sites and secluded backcountry island campsites. The park has an abundance of historical Mi-kmaq, or Mi’kmaw, sites, which can be experienced via organized petroglyph tours and First Nations workshops. The stargazing is also especially impressive, given the park’s status as a designated Dark-Sky Preserve.

• Best for big groups: Jim Charles Point Group Campground offers tenting sites for groups of 8 to 80 campers with a group firepit circle.
• Best for RVs: Jeremy’s Bay Campground by the shores of Kejimkujik Lake offers spots with hook-ups, plus a store serving up ice cream and slushies.
• Best for hikers: Kejimkujik features 46 backcountry campsites throughout the park, some only accessible by boat, and all close to amazing hiking trails.

1. Camping reservations open online via Parks Canada in mid-January of each year.
2. This popular park on the South Shore of Nova Scotia is close enough to Halifax to draw lots of locals, so booking early is recommended. This is especially true if you’d like to stay in one of the park’s cabins, oTENTiks, or the Little Foot Yurt on the Mersey River.
3. You may get lucky and secure a day-of tenting site, but booking in advance is your best bet.

Nova Scotia is beautiful year-round, but if you want warm weather, book your trip from late June through early October. This is a great time to swim in Kejimkujik Lake or take a drive down the coast to the park’s Kejimkujik Seaside. Jeremy’s Bay Campground can get a little loud in the height of summer, while fall brings leaf-peeping and fewer crowds.

• Parks Canada offers dozens of activities, tours, and workshops at Keji, but the most popular ones get snapped up fast. Book in advance.
• Imported firewood is prohibited in the park, so all firewood must be purchased once inside.
• Wifi in the park is limited, so don’t expect a great connection.
• Kejimkujik Seaside is available for day-use only, but nearby Thomas Raddall Provincial Park offers overnight sites for tenting and RVs.