YELLOWKNIFE - As the lakes thaw and the sun comes out of hiding, campers are getting set to re-connect with nature. Staff at three of the region's popular parks are preparing for what is expected to be another busy season.

Cat Szabo, administrative assistant and tourism visitor information counsellor at the Northern Frontier Visitors Centre, is getting set for a busy camping season. - Laura Power/NNSL photo

Lindsay Kulak, manager of tourism, parks and planning, is confident the parks will be popular again this year. He said that in the past few years, the occupancy at Fred Henne Territorial Park, Reid Lake and Prelude Lake has increased significantly.

He said in 2004, average occupancy at Fred Henne Territorial Park was at 40 per cent, while in 2006 the number rose to 47 per cent. Reid Lake's number jumped from 16.5 per cent in 2004 to 23 per cent and Prelude Lake's occupancy went from 23 per cent in 2004 to 30 per cent.

"I expect them to be very busy - all campgrounds on North Slave are to be very busy," he said.

Cat Szabo, administrative assistant and tourism visitor information counsellor at the Northern Frontier Visitors Centre, said though the centre is not very busy at the moment, they are expecting things to pick up very soon.

"It was about this time last year that they started inquiring about it," she said. "There are already people asking about reservations for Fred Henne."

Szabo, who has been working at the visitors centre for over a year, said last year on the busiest days the centre would see about 120 people or so. Fred Henne park is the most popular with campers from out of town, she said. "Locals love going out to Prelude and Reid too."

Though permit fees and firewood costs are unchanged, a new website has been developed to make reservations simpler for campers.

"It's the reservation system that was on last year, but it's been re-jigged to include more campgrounds and it's also site specific now," said Kulak.

So far, flooding from the spring thaw and snow melt has not been a problem.

"There's still two feet of snow out in the bush so it's still a little early for that," he said.

"I always expect a fantastic year - I'm an eternal optimist."

The Website for reservations, which can be found at www.campingnwt.ca, was launched Tuesday, May 1. The parks will open to campers on May 10.