Hiking restrictions in Banff National Park?

Question

My fiance and are visiting Banff national park late September through early October. It appears that there is a rule in place about being in groups of 4 on hikes because of bears. Is this something that is strictly enforced? We are concerned since, it will be just the 2 of us.

Answer 1

its a recommendation and dont let it stop you from enjoying the experience which you will.   Loners get picked off easily, duals not usually but it does happen (once in the past few years I know of) but in a larger group your safer hence the recommendation..  If there has been a lot of bear activity on certain trails they will be closed.

Theres alot of things you can do to reduce your chances...Make lots of noise when going thru wooded areas, keep food well away from your sleeping tent and carry a can of bear repellant  ,  This site has more recommendations and info on the park .  Go to "visitor information, then visitor safety and you'll get the info on bear safety  http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/index...

First day in Banff I'd recommend the gondola ride up Sulpher Mountain just to get an overview of the place and of course a soak in the hot springs,

Keep in mind , you dont have to be able to outrun the bear you just have to be able to out run your girlfriend (haha)

enjoy and have warm clothes as it can get chilly in the nite that time of year

Answer 2

The restrictions only exist in certain areas and on certain trails -- specifically where there are bears.  DO NOT ignore the rule and go on the trail withoutthe minimum number of hikers.  You WILL get caught, you WILL get fined by the Park Wardens (not to mention, that it is dangerous to do so).  Consider yourself lucky if the Wardens catch you before the wild animals do.

Bears do not like to be surprised, which is why it's a good idea to make lots of oise while hiking.  If they hear you coming, less likely that you will startle them. Please don't be scared to go hiking, though.  Bear attacks are extremely rare.  You just need to make sure that you keep your distance.  Please don't try the usual tourist trick of trying to get a picture with the wild animals.  It's dangerous for you and the wild animal.  Animals that become 'comfortable' around humans are eventually put to sleep.  We would prefer if you did not do anything that might harm the wild animals in the area.

If you have less than 6 people, just head to the trail head.  A group will come along very shortly.  Everyone is really friendly. It will be a nice opportunity to meet some other tourists, and some locals.

Answer 3

I visited Banff last month and did some hiking in the Lake Louise and Moraine Lake areas.  I saw several bear warning signs in the Paradise Valley, Moraine Lake and Larch Valley areas.  They said "By law, you must travel in a tight group of four or more...."  These signs are posted at trailheads and trail junctions in the areas I mentioned.  I did not see any signs posted on the trails around Lake Louise.

I did see a few groups of 2 or 3 hikers in restricted areas and noticed some of them carrying bear spray which I always do in bear country.  As far as enforcement is concerned, I didn't seeing anyone being cited.  Then again, I never saw a ranger on the trail so I would say the probability of being cited for violating this law is low.  However, the way I look at it is what's the probability of running into a bear?  I'd be much more concerned about that then being cited by a ranger.

Having recently hiked these trails I can highly recommend "Lake Agnes and the Beehives" and the "Plain of Six Glaciers" trails at Lake Louise.  If you only do one I recommend Lake Agnes and the Beehives.  I combined both trails into a longer loop of about 16.6 km (10.3 miles) with a total elevation gain of approximately 960 meters (3,150 feet).  I also recommend hiking up to Eiffel Lake and Wenkchemna Pass in the Valley of Ten Peaks at Moraine Lake.  The views are awesome.

You folks will be there pretty late in the season so you need to think about the weather.  That late in the year you may encounter early winter storms especially while hiking in the high country.  Dress appropriately and carry warm clothing, rain gear and maybe even gloves.  We hiked into a brief rain storm lasting about 30 minutes while near Wenkchemna Pass and it was freezing cold even with my insulated rain jacket on.  But it was all worth it for the beautiful views of the Valley of Ten Peaks.

Enjoy your trip and be safe!  Carry bear spray.

Answer 4

bring along some friends or a dog