One of the most famous and treasured natural wonders in Banff National Park, Alberta is no longer accessible by car due to excessive traffic.
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Parks Canada has announced on its website that the road to Moraine Lake will remain closed to private vehicles this summer. Only Parks Canada shuttles, Roam buses, and commercial transportation companies can continue to access it.
“The demand for access to Moraine Lake far exceeds the capacity of the parking lot. In 2022, it was necessary to allocate flaggers 24 hours a day to manage the access request, and in the height of summer the parking lot remained full almost day and night,” Parks Canada pleaded in support of its decision, noting that the majority of tourists, those trying to get there were turned away.
Jed Cochrane, manager of visitor experiences at Parks Canada, told the Globe and Mail that the Moraine Lake parking lot only has 900 spaces. Last summer it was full even in the middle of the night.
“We cannot accommodate all visitors. In fact, we were only able to accommodate a small percentage of them last summer and that was frustrating,” he said.
However, the new rule will make life difficult for visitors hoping to see the sunrise over the lake, as wildlife conservation shuttles only run during the day. However, Parks Canada has indicated that commercial airlines could still bring visitors before the start of the day.
According to government figures, vehicle traffic has increased by 30% in Banff Park in 10 years and by 70% on the road to Lakes Louise and Moraine.
“Around 8.3 million vehicles drive through the park each year; About half transport visitors into the park, and the other half transit through the park to reach other destinations,” Parks Canada said in a December report.