[Newsbot]

Title: Moraine Lake Road closes to personal vehicles
Category: Environmental
Posted By: DrCaleb
Date: 2023-01-09 06:38:05
Canadian

[bootlegga]

This kind of sucks - now the only way to get there is to pay twice - once when you enter the park, and then again for transit/taxi to get you up there, or by staying in one of the very expensive hotels near Lake Louise.

I understand wanting to limit travel up there, but the ban should only be during the daytime - say 8 am to 8 pm, so that stargazers, as well as other people, can get up there on their own in the middle of the night.

[DrCaleb]

I'm the exact opposite. I think this is a great idea. The point of National Parks is to preserve the environment in a pristine state. Having all those vehicles there 24/7/365 is counter to that purpose. If the traffic was there only during daylight, I could see a daylight ban. But there are a number of people who said they showed up at 4am, and the lots were already jam packed.

Limiting cars, while still allowing hiking, means the burden on the natural settings and wildlife will be reduced.

[bootlegga]

I understand why they are doing it, but favouring tourists staying at Fairmont Lake Louise or other nearby hotels over Canadians seems the opposite of preserving parks and their pristine nature.

It basically means that those who have more money - because all of the hotels around Lake Louise are very expensive - will get priority to see Moraine Lake, while those who lack funds will either miss out or have to wait for a handful of limited transit buses. I say this based on experience, when I went in 2019, all the transit buses were booked days in advance, and we only got to see Moraine Lake in the evening, after they opened the road to everyone.

Unless Parks Canada is going to ensure that there are enough buses to meet demand - and so far they haven't - it means lots of Canadians (and Albertans) will not get to see Banff National Park's most famous lake. Personally, it doesn't bother me all that much, because I've seen it a few times now, but this will affect other people going forward.

[Caelon]

Since Covid almost everywhere in the Rockies is jammed with vehicles. Pre Covid #541 from Longview into Kananaskis would have a few vehicles at some of the pullouts. The last two years at every pullout vehicles were lined up on the shoulder for a few 100 meters as the lots were full. The worse spots were where any kind of hiking trail exists. The people pressure would be 10 times what it was in prior years.

Moraine Lake has always been a scenic point. It is also the start for some day hikes and overnight trips. If the parking lot is that full 24 hours a day imagine the pressure in the back country for campsites.