According to Parks Canada, some hiking trails and forested areas around Lake Louise (Alberta, Canada) are being temporarily closed to the public this summer to protect sensitive wildlife corridors.
As per a report, the measures, which took effect on Sunday and continued through October 15, have closed the Bow River Loop Trail section extending along the west side of the river north of Lake Louise Drive and south of the Lake Louise Campground.
A wilderness area west of Tramline Trail and north of Lake Louise Drive has been declared off-limits until the fall, while the trail is under an advisory.
Another wilderness area located east of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and north of Lake Louise Drive is also closed to the public.
Parks Canada officials say they’re anticipating an increase in visitors to Banff National Park this summer following two years of lower numbers because of pandemic restrictions.
To improve the wildlife viability, the 17 kilometers of the Banff Valley Parkway east of the Johnston Canyon Campground is closed to traffic between 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. until June 25.
The Lake Louise-Moraine Lake shuttle pick-up location has been from south of the townsite to the Lake Louise Ski Resort parking lot on Whitehorn Drive. Reservations for the service will return this summer after a successful trial run in 2021.
As part of a two-year pilot program from May 15 until October 15, a CA$12.25-per-day fee will be charged on parking at the lakeshore lot at Lake Louise to manage traffic.
Banff National Park is the busiest in Canada, typically attracting more than four million visitors annually.
Banff National Park, Canada’s first national park, is a 1 1/2 hours drive west of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. From Banff’s humble beginnings as a 26 square kilometer hot springs reserve, Banff National Park now consists of 6,641 square kilometers of unparalleled mountain scenery nestled in the heart of the magnificent Canadian Rockies.
This story originally appeared on Calgary Herald.