The daily use areas of Grassi Lakes and Goat Creek will be under construction from the beginning of April. “We are updating trails, parking lots and other facilities in the area to address public safety and park congestion issues while improving the visitor experience,” Nixon said. In 2020, Kananaskis had about 5.4 million visitors – more than Banff. Hiking for families in the Grassi lakes area makes it one of the most popular places in Chora K. “These are very popular sites, so they need this level of renovation to make it happen,” Nixon said. That is why the plan is for the construction to take place in one season, so that the spaces will reopen next year. In the meantime, visitors who typically hit these points should be directed elsewhere. “There will be a training component that Kananaski officials will focus on,” Nixon said. “To make sure we can direct people to new alternatives within Kananaski that they may not have experienced yet.” From April 1, the following climbing trails and areas will be closed:
Grassi lake trail. Junkyard Trail. Ha Ling trail. Miner’s Peak Trail. Goat Creek trail. East End of Rundle Route. Mountain biking trail Reclaimer. Riders of the Rohan Mountain Cycling Trail. Access to the High Rockies trail from Goat Creek. Ha Ling climbing area. East End of Rundle climbing area. Grassi Lakes climbing area.
New Canmore bus route, park extension
In addition to these changes, the county is spending $ 994,000 of funds raised through the Kananaskis Conservation Pass to start a bus from the Town of Canmore to Quarry Lake Park, which has paid parking, the Canmore Nordic Center and the Grassi Lakes. daily use area. “We know there is no practical way to create enough parking space to accommodate the volume of visitors who love to access these special sites,” said Canmore Coun. Joanna McCallum. The bus, which will be another route on Canmore’s free local transport system, is set to launch in 2024 and run for three years, offering hourly service from the weekend of May to mid-September. “If it proves successful, it becomes a model for possible future solutions and transit options for the wider Kananaskis country in the future,” said Michael Roycroft, who works with Alberta Parks. The county also expands Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park by 246 hectares (610 acres). The area is a corridor for elk, deer, coyotes, cougar, black bears and grizzlies. Nixon said the expansion would not have an impact on existing recreational access in the area nor would it affect traditional indigenous use, including hunting.
