Access to Moraine Lake will be limited in 2023, with Parks Canada’s decision to close the main point of entry to personal vehicles year-round. (Photo: Chudobalubomir | Dreamstime.com)

By Sarah Jones/LethbridgeNewsNOW

Alberta minister unhappy with decision to close Moraine Lake Road in Banff National Park

Jan 9, 2023 | 1:34 PM

MORAINE LAKE, AB – Parks Canada announced last week that they have made the decision to close Moraine Lake Road to all personal vehicles year-round.

According to the organization, demand to reach Moraine Lake far exceeded available parking in the area in 2022 and traffic flaggers were required 24 hours a day to manage the demand for access.

With a full parking lot at nearly all hours of the day, many who drove up to take in the sights in the national park were turned away.

The Twitter account for Banff National Park indicates it created negative experiences and safety concerns, which is why the road will be closed off to personal cars in 2023. Although, that doesn’t mean it won’t be possible to check out Moraine Lake this summer.

Visitors looking to get out to the hot spot in 2023 will be able to access the location through booking shuttles, chartered buses, guided tours or biking the 25 km round trip from June to mid-October.

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By replacing personal vehicles with commercial transportation, Parks Canada believes this will improve visitor experience, reduce carbon emissions, and decrease stress on animals using the Fairview wildlife corridor.

News of the change in park access sparked conversations across the province, with Alberta Minister of Forestry, Parks and Tourism Todd Loewen chiming in on the topic.

“Parks Canada’s decision to block personal vehicles at Moraine Lake means fewer visitors to this important part of the province, less time to climb in the area and less access to the backcountry,” states a letter to the federal government from Loewen.

Loewen continued, “Sunrise and sunset hikes or night photography are near impossible to achieve under this plan, unless people can afford to pay for commercial transportation or travel unsafely by foot or bike in the dark.”

“As Minister of Forestry, Parks and Tourism, as well as an avid outdoorsman, I value our land and our parks. When you have a world-renowned destination like Moraine Lake in your backyard, you want to do everything you can to ensure that it can be enjoyed by everyone,” he added.

He went on to call on Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Canada Steven Guilbeault and Minister of Tourism of Canada Randy Boissonnault to reconsider other options.

LNN has reached out to Parks Canada for comment.