Visitors to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake in Alberta may soon be subject to limits and restrictions as Parks Canada wrestles with record visitor numbers placing pressure on Banff National Park staff and resources.
A visitor-use management plan for the Lake Louise area is being developed to address the impact swelling tourist numbers are having on visitor experience and safety as well as on the site’s natural resources, Parks Canada said in a report.
Visits to Canada’s first national park have increased 31 percent over the last decade, and the 2023–24 tourist season was the busiest in its history, the report said, adding that roughly 70 percent of visitors arrive between May and October.
Visitor demand is expected to rise each year, exceeding the park’s road, shuttle, and transit capacity.
“In recent years, conserving and ensuring access to Lake Louise has become more complex,” the government agency said. “Increasing congestion and crowding detract from the experience of visiting. This can make timely emergency responses difficult and also impacts wildlife, water quality, facilities, and infrastructure.”
The first goal of the visitor-use management plan is to obtain feedback from Canadians on what they love most about the region as well as suggestions on how visitor experience can be improved. The online survey is open until July 28.
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The second engagement phase of the plan, which will begin later this year, will examine strategies for dealing with crowd control and emergency access to “achieve the desired conditions at the park,” Parks Canada said.
“No decisions have been made about maximum amounts, types, or locations of visitor use,” it added. “These will be determined through the planning process and will be subject to public engagement.”
The management plan will also outline a strategy for monitoring and assessing how effective the plan is in achieving those conditions.
The plan is to be completed in the spring of 2025 with the goal of managing visitor use in Lake Louise and Moraine Lake for the next five to 10 years, Parks Canada said, adding that the plan will be a guideline and changes may be made over time to accommodate new needs as they arise.
Lake Louise is located in the heart of Banff National Park just 11 kilometres east of the B.C. border and 60 kilometres northwest of Banff, Alberta. Moraine Lake, which is located in the western part of the park, was recently named one of the top 48 must-see breathtaking lakes across the globe by Condé Nast Traveler magazine.
Both lakes are famous for their vibrant turquoise waters encircled by soaring mountain peaks.
