Moraine Lake Road is now closed to private vehicles year-round

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Posted Jan 7, 2023 • 3 min read

21 comments Reflection of Moraine Lake on a calm morning in Banff National Park, Alberta, in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Getty Images/iStockphoto

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People who want to access Moraine Lake in 2023 will have to do so by shuttle or commercial buses.

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Moraine Lake Road will be closed to private vehicles year-round due to the unmanageable level of traffic that has been increasing over the past few years, Parks Canada announced Friday afternoon.

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Jed Cochrane, spokesman for Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay National Parks, said 900 vehicles a day were able to park last summer in the lake’s limited lots, but 5,000 were turned away each day. This led to many verbal and sometimes physical confrontations between frustrated guests and park staff.

“The decision to restrict private vehicles on the road is really about improving the visitor experience,” he said. “By making it clear to visitors before they come that they will not be able to take their personal vehicle on the road and that they must make alternative transportation if they want to see Moraine Lake.”

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1. Changes are coming to Banff National Park’s shuttle system as the busy season approaches

2. Reservations are open for the Lake Louise and Moraine Lake shuttle program

3. A bus route from Banff to Moraine Lake starts for the larch season

No park employees were injured, but Cochrane said the RCMP often responds to these situations, which sometimes results in charges being laid.

Cochrane said this has been a growing problem over the past decade with the growing popularity of Moraine Lake. Park officials have been operating vehicles on the road since 2016, when the volume of traffic rose to three or four times capacity.

The park has increased efforts in recent years to encourage visitors to use shuttles or buses to access the site and other park attractions, including Lake Louise, but it is now a requirement at Moraine Lake. Parks Canada will add a few more shuttles, but there are other issues of concern at the site, including overall environmental impact and toilet and trail infrastructure capacity.

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Officials are considering other options to manage traffic and visitor demand, but Cochrane said the parks agency may not be able to build its way out of the problem. Instead, creative ways of getting people around the area and beyond are being sought.

Traffic disruptions at many popular tourist destinations in Banff National Park

Lake Louise, five minutes past the Moraine Lake Road turnoff, has also struggled with heavy traffic in recent years with full lots early in the morning and thousands being turned away each day. There are additional complications with this location, including the Fairmont Lake Louise Hotel located on the lake.

The same type of ban on private vehicles has not yet been put in place for Lake Louise, but officials are looking into solutions to the traffic problems.

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Cochrane said Parks Canada needs to change the mindset of visitors who drive into the park, especially from southern Alberta. He noted that the majority of people currently using shuttles are from across the country, while the majority of private vehicles are from the Calgary area.

Visitors to Moraine Lake will have to use buses and shuttles starting this year, with private vehicles not allowed on Moraine Lake Road. A spokesperson for Parks Canada told Postmedia that in recent years, an unmanageable number of people have been trying to get to the Moraine Lake parking lot in private vehicles, sometimes leading to conflicts. People visiting other places in Banff National Park are also strongly encouraged to leave their personal vehicles at home. Gavin Young/Postmedia

Some of this could be resolved if a commuter rail line between Calgary and Banff is completed, making it easier to get to the park without relying on a car or truck. For now, the best way to get to Moraine Lake this summer is to reserve a seat in advance on a shuttle or chartered bus.

Parks Canada is working with other national parks in Canada and the US, such as Zion and Grand Canyon National Parks, on best practices to deal with the situation.

“People who come from places where you go by mass transit and see busy places are very quick to get on our buses and use them,” Cochrane said. “It’s more of our regional visitors, coming from Calgary, who still come in with the idea that seeing Lake Lewis and Moraine Lake is the same as it was 10 or 15 years ago.”

jaldrich@postmedia.com

Twitter: @JoshAldrich03

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