With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, it’s exciting to think about options for a romantic getaway. February may be too early for camping, but it’s never too early to say that the love of camping is in the air! And we think you will definitely want to spark romance into your outdoor adventures when camping season does finally arrive. With that goal in mind, here are some great places for you and your loved one to disappear into your own little world of love on your getaway, as well as some romantic camping tips as a bonus!
Kouchilbouguac National Park, New Brunswick
South Kouchibouguac Campground
Kouchilbouguac National Park is known for its warm saltwater beaches, one of which is Kelly’s Beach offering 25 km of golden sand dunes located about 2 km from the main campground at South Kouchibouguac. Kouchilbouguac National Park also offers a network of 60 kilometres of cycling paths as well as many nature interpretive programs. If you’re intending an adventurous romantic get-away, then consider participating in a Voyageur Canoe outing where you can see up close the second largest tern colony in North America as well as visit a popular grey seal hangout.
The South Kouchibouguac Campground is private and tranquil, and most of the sites are wooded, although a few are open and well grassed with trees nearby. The campground has paved roads and paved pads to park vehicles on. There are outdoor sinks for dishwashing outside the washroom buildings.
Romantic Camping Tip #1: To avoid crowds and truly have a private, romantic escape for your get-away, add an extra vacation day after the weekend, or take your getawaymid-week.
Forillon National Park, Quebec
Forillon National Park is a beautiful mountainous park on the eastern tip of the Gaspé Peninsula on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec. Forillon National Park offers the romantic couple who are searching for gorgeous vistas a truly impressive range of landscapes, from sheer cliffs plunging down to the water, to coves with enticing pebble beaches all in a backdrop of mountains, plains, and water. Hundreds of species of wildlife make this Park their home from black bears and moose to marine mammals and incredible colonies of seabirds.
We recommend Des Rosiers campground for couples looking for a romantic setting in a semi-wooded campground. In most of these sites, you’ll be falling asleep to the sound of the surf. The pebble beach is also ideal for that romantic sunset walk.
Romantic Camping Tip #2: Make sure your sleeping bags are compatible and can be zipped together.
Prince Edward Island National Park, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island National Park on the North Shore protects broad sand beaches, sand dunes, and both freshwater wetlands and salt marshes, and is a wonderful place for couples to explore and relax. Cycle the Gulf Shore Way, a seaside route that offers 22 km of cycling along the coast and features a mix of flat stretches and gentle rolling slopes. If you’re enjoying your get-away with another couple, then rent a Coastal Cruiser bike, a large four-wheel, four-person bike available for rent throughout July and August from Stanhope Campground at a rate of $40 for a half day. If you’re intent on a private romantic adventure, go hiking or cycling on the Robinson’s Island Trail System.
We’re recommending Cavendish Campground because of the gorgeous white sand beach that is exclusive for registered campers. The campground offers showers, flush toilets, a Laundromat and kitchen shelters. Best of all, campfires are permitted on selected sites. Note that the Great Island Sandcastle Competition is on July 19, which is Parks Day in Prince Edward Island.
Romantic Camping Tip #3: Pack tea light candles and empty mason jars, and then place these around your campsite at dusk.
Nopiming Provincial Park, Manitoba
Nopiming Provincial Park is quiet and tranquil, and we’re recommending this destination for couples who love canoeing. The park’s lakes and rivers combine into canoe routes through the Canadian Shield on the Manitoba-Ontario border. Visitors are likely to see woodland caribou herds as well as moose and wolves. Launch your canoe at the campground and spend a day paddling up the Bird River to Elbow Lake via a series of portages. Or, set out in the opposite direction and fish for walleye, pike and bass in Bird Lake’s many bays. If you don’t mind taking a drive, the Walking on Ancient Mountains Trail provides an excellent view from the top of a rocky outcrop. Or learn about the park’s mining history at the abandoned Irgon Mine site.
With only 36 sites, Tulabi Falls Campground is the closest campground in the park to Winnipeg but also the most private, with its own beach right on the Bird River canoe route.
Romantic Camping Tip #4: bring silverware and glassware to create a romantic mood for a romantic, campfire dinner.
Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Nova Scotia
Capte Breton Highlands National Park is world-famous for the Cabot Trail, which features rugged high country next to even more rugged ocean coastline. If you and your romantic partner love hiking, then drive either to Corney Brook Trail and enjoy its pretty waterfalls, or to Skyline Trail, which takes you to a spectacular lookout where the luckiest of loving couples may even spot whales. The nearby Trous de Saumons Trail is also good for hiking or mountain biking, while the best beach in the area is at Cabot Landing Provincial Park, where Mr. Cabot may or may not have first come ashore in North America.
The transition from high to low is dramatic when seen along the park’s western coastline near the Corney Brook Campground. The small campground sits just off the Cabot Trail on a ledge above the Gulf of St. Lawrence. To the east, the hills rise nearly straight up for about 400 metres, while to the west, there’s a small beach. It’s sunset-perfect for as far as you can see.
Romantic Camping Tip #5: Pack some large, ultra-fluffy, spa-quality bath towels for after a private, skinny-dipping adventure.
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, British Columbia
What better romantic setting than miles and miles of beach and listening to the waves crash as you’re falling asleep in your lover’s arms. If this sounds like the ultimate romantic camping getaway, then Pacific Rim National Park is for you. No matter where you are, you’re only a few minutes’ walk from the beach. There’s also no end to the outdoor activities you can do here, and they include hiking, picnicking, surfing, kayaking, canoeing, and boogie-boarding. Yet, within all this activity, the tranquility of the surrounding nature is dominant.
Also known as Long Beach, this gorgeous coastline truly lives up to its name – it’s the longest beach on Vancouver Island and is directly accessible from Green Point Campground, the only campground in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.
Bonus: During summer months there are nightly theatre presentations at Green Point Campground.
Romantic Camping Tip #6: string battery operated string lights around your campsite for the ultimate in romantic mood lighting.
Queen Elizabeth Territorial Park, Northwest Territories
Queen Elizabeth Territorial Park is located on the outskirts of Fort Smith, just north of the Alberta border. If you’re a couple who love river kayaking—or even watching expert kayakers—then you love the rapids’ big-volume drops that create waves and holes that are a playground for canoeists and kayakers. If you prefer dry-land adventure, hike the 30-kilometre riverside trail, or take a drive and explore the salt flats, marshes, and grasslands in nearby Wood Buffalo National Park. The most likely spot to see wood buffalo in the park is along the 54-kilometre Parson’s Lake Road.
Pine Lake Campground is situated in a spruce forest near the crystal clear waters of Pine Lake—a favourite swimming destination for the locals—which is actually a series of five sinkholes boarded by soft, sandy beaches.
Romantic Camping Tip #7: Bring lavender stems along to throw on the campfire and enjoy the relaxing, mood-enhancing fragrance.
Kluane National Park, Yukon
If you’re an outdoor couple who loves a northern, mountainous adventure the Kluane National Park needs to be on your bucket list. Spectacular views and an abundance of wildflowers can be found on King’s Throne Summit hike, which takes you to a peak high above Kathleen Lake and offers excellent views of the snow-covered mountains to the west. The nearby Auriol Trail is another excellent hike that gives you an option for an overnight wilderness camping experience. There’s also plenty of mountain bike trails along the rough but scenic roads to Marsh or Alsek lakes. If you’d like a taste of whitewater adventure, sign on with a local outfitter and experience the first day of the Tatshenshini River trip. Have the experience of a lifetime—a flightseeing tour over the park’s glaciers offered in nearby Haines Junction. Or stick close to camp and launch a canoe on the fish-filled Kathleen Lake. The Park is surrounded by wildlife from sheep and moose to wolves and, yes, even grizzly bears.
The perfect base camp is the park’s only front-country sleeping zone—Kathleen Lake Campground. 39-site campground with firewood, bear-proof storage lockers and outhouses.
Romantic Camping Tip #8: Want to woo your lady? Make her s’mores! Pack the graham crackers, milk chocolate bars, and marshmallows and melt her heart.
Do you have some romantic camping tips or special couple camping getaways you want to share? Join the conversation on our Facebook page!