CAMPGROUNDS in many of the state's national parks and reserves are close to being booked out over the June long weekend as South Australians take advantage of the lifting of travel restrictions.
Environment and Water Minister David Speirs said 86 of SA's 153 campgrounds were already fully booked for the long weekend, with many other campgrounds getting close to capacity.
"More than half of our campgrounds are booked out with those within a few hours of Adelaide such as Deep Creek Conservation Park and Murray River National Park proving most popular," hesaid.
"There are still spots available, so our message is simple - make a booking online and get out there and see what our natural environment has to offer.
"Since travel restrictions have been lifted, we've seen an amazing response from South Australians wanting to explore our state with more than 1100 bookings within the first two days of re-opening campgrounds.
The Department for Environment and Water get about 300 bookings a day on average but that figure has almost doubled in the past fortnight.
"This surge in bookings supports the government's 'Welcome Back' campaign, which is all about getting behind our regions and helping these local communities get back on their feet as quickly as possible," Mr Speirs said.
"We ask that people continue to do the right thing by observing COVID-19 guidelines. There are signs in campgrounds to remind people about social distancing, and park facilities are being regularly cleaned and maintained for visitors. We also ask our visitors to be respectful of others and to "leave no trace".
"We will also have rangers, volunteer rangers and campground hosts in our parks to assist visitors over the long weekend."
Campsites can be booked online at www.parks.sa.gov.au/booking