Parks Canada says decision to restrict private vehicles at Moraine Lake in Banff National Park necessary
The federal agency announced Friday that it was closing the Moraine Lake road to most personal vehicles and would require visitors to take its shuttles, local transit or commercial vehicles to visit the iconic blue alpine lake and its nearby climbing routes and hiking trails.Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion delivered straight to your inbox at 7 a.m., Monday to Friday.
“We just want to be clear with visitors that it is very hard — and it was very, very hard last summer — to access Moraine Lake by private vehicle and we heard from visitors that they were very frustrated.” The move isn’t unprecedented as parks across North America try to find ways to balance the number of visitors in popular areas with safety and environmental concerns.
Cochrane said Parks Canada has talked to officials at Zion and BC Parks about those moves. The agency also had an expert panel look at the best way to get the more than four million visitors who visit Banff National Park annually around in a sustainable way and it recommended the move.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Parks Canada to close road access to Lake Louise, Moraine Lake come summer | Globalnews.caThe organization said those who wish to see Lake Louise or Moraine Lake will have to use a shuttle service to access the area, which also comes with a fee.
Read more »
Overwhelming crush of cars prompts Parks Canada to close Banff’s Moraine Lake to personal vehiclesLast summer saw a tipping point as vehicles flooded into the area around the lake at a rate of one every two seconds, with an estimated 5,000 vehicles having to be turned away a day
Read more »
Alberta Parks minister opposes closure of Moraine Lake Road | CBC NewsIn response to the letter, Parks Canada wrote that most visitors to Moraine Lake are turned away, leading to frustration and sometimes anger directed at traffic management staff.
Read more »
Moraine Lake Road closes to personal vehicles | CBC NewsParks Canada says starting this year, personal vehicles will no longer be permitted at popular tourist destination Moraine Lake in Alberta.
Read more »
Alberta minister calls out Ottawa on Moraine Lake decisionThe Alberta government says changes to policies at Moraine Lake will affect Canadians' ability to access the outdoors. dtloewen says Ottawa should have come up with something else. yyc
Read more »
Moraine Lake parking change raises questionsWatch: Parks Canada's surprise decision to close the Moraine Lake parking area to private vehicles is raising questions on access and safety. CTVBMacfarlane has more. yyc
Read more »