Outdoor adventures can be affordable affordable

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Outdoor adventures can be affordable
PARKS CANADA CAMPGROUNDS

Parks Canada is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and there are special events in many of the 42 national parks, 167 national historic sites and four national marine conservation areas. There is an online reservation system to book affordably priced campsites in the parks. In the 536-squarekilometre La Mauricie National Park, about 205 kilometres north of Montreal, for example, renting a spot for your trailer or motorhome and an adjacent space to pitch a tent for three days would cost $87.30. Renting a shaded spot to pitch your tent near a beach area with a fire pit, washroom and showers is $36.30 a night. The campsites are meant to accommodate six people.

The biggest mountain bike event in Canada, Défi Vélo-Mag, takes place Sept. 24 and 25 in La Mauricie National Park. The event will be a bonanza for mountain bike fans and the parkway will not be accessible on Sept. 24 until 6 p.m., from Rivière à la Pêche to Esker. However, the Rivière à la Pêche and Mistagance campgrounds will remain accessible. For more information about Parks Canada, visit pc.gc.ca. To visit the Parks Canada reservation website, go to www.pccamping.ca. To find out more about La Mauricie National Park, visit pc.gc.ca/pn-np/qc/ mauricie/index.aspx.

KILLINGTON, VT.

Vermont's Killington Resort has teamed up with the town of Killington to create a lineup of summer events, free concerts and deals on lodging. For example, the resort's Mountain Biking Package provides discounts on your lodging and up to 20 per cent off your Mountain Biking Lift & Trail pass. The package starts at $54 U.S. per person, per day, based on two-nights lodging with four people sharing a onebedroom condominium or two people sharing a motel room and a mountain bike lift and trail pass per person, per day. One-night stays are available at a higher rate. Taxes and service fees are extra.

The Summer Pico Adventures Package starts at $51 U.S. per person, per day, based on two nights lodging with four people sharing a onebedroom condominium or two people sharing a motel room. You also get 15 per cent off your Pico Adventure Center day pass which gives you unlimited access to chairlift rides, two alpine slides, the Pico Power Jump, a climbing wall, a minigolf course and a round trip ride on the Killington K-1 Express Gondola to enjoy views from atop the 1,292-metre summit of Killington Mountain. Coming events include the Cooler In The Mountains free concert series, on Saturdays through Aug. 27. The Gravity East Series downhill mountain bike race is at Killington Resort on Aug. 13 and 14. And the five-week Hay Festival (Sept. 4 to Oct. 10) in Killington has 40 giant, all-natural animal sculptures made entirely of hay, a scavenger hunt and a handcrafted hay maze. On Oct. 1, there's the Killington Brewfest, a celebration of the Northeast's finest craft beers. Book your lodging packages online at killington.com (look under "plan your trip") or call Killington Central Reservations at 1-800-621-6867. Packages must be booked at least one day before the start date.

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HOTEL DEAL IN VIRGINIA

For those looking to experience the beauty of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia as it celebrates its 75th anniversary season, the Great Savings in Shenandoah National Park package includes one night at either Skyland Resort or Big Meadows Lodge, breakfast for two and a $30 U.S. gas voucher with rates starting at $159 U.S. per night, per room. The area's majestic mountains, rivers and streams, and abundant wildlife of the park, make the valley a haven for families looking to get active and reconnect in the beauty of nature.

Highlights include more than 800 kilometres of scenic hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains as well as swimming, paddling, horseback riding, bicycling, boating and fishing. Family hiking trails run along lakeshores and through woodlots and meadows, providing a chance to see many wildlife species. Details are at Virginia.org.

ECO-STAY IN CHARLESTON

The Sustainable Stay Package at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Mt. Pleasant-Charleston, S.C., offers guests ways to explore the area's diverse ecosystem with an eco-voucher redeemable for a half-day kayak rental, half-day paddle board rental or a naturalist-led ferry ride through Cape Romain. Guests will also enjoy sustainable cuisine at local favourite Red Drum Gastropub with a $50 U.S. certificate. Additionally, the package includes the complimentary Express Start Hot Breakfast Bar daily, wireless Internet and parking. Package rates start at $195 U.S. per night, valid through Oct. 31. For more information, visit
explorecharleston.com

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Campers at La Mauricie National Park can use campsites for $36.30 a night, or motorhome or trailer sites for $87.30 for three nights