Waterton closes backcountry campsites and some trails due to extreme fire risk

Waterton Lakes National Park has implemented backcountry closures as the fire danger remains extreme during a prolonged spell of hot and dry conditions.

"We are seeing historically dry conditions," fire information officer John Stoesser said Wednesday in an email. "This is the driest August 9th on record for Waterton Lakes National Park, since 1943."

With a lack of rain over the past month, and only a couple milimetres earlier this week, the closures went into effect Tuesday. A fire ban was already in effect throughout the park, located in Alberta's southwest corner.

No wildfires are burning now in Waterton, but officials want to prevent human-caused forest fires and ensure visitor safety should one break out.

"The last times we saw similar fire danger conditions were in 2007 and 2003," Stoesser said. "Similar measures of a limited backcountry closure were implemented in 2003."

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All backcountry campgrounds and some trails are closed. Off-trail hiking, scrambling, climbing and backcountry camping are prohibited.

The restrictions will be lifted when conditions improve sufficiently, Stoesser said.

Parks Canada continues to monitor conditions with daily helicopter patrols to check for lightning strikes that may have sparked fires.

Park visitors are asked to report any wildfires, campfires, including briquette barbeques, or suspicious smoke, including in the townsite, campgrounds and day-use areas to Parks Canada Dispatch at 1-888-927-3367. 

Closed backcountry campgrounds include:

• Crandell Lake
• Goat Lake
• Snowshoe
• Twin Lakes
• Lone Lake
• Alderson Lake
• Bertha Lake
• Bertha Bay
• Boundary Bay

Many trails are still open for hiking, but several are closed:

• The Tamarack Trail (Blue Grouse Basin/Lone Lake Junction to Rowe Meadow)
• Lost Lake Trail
• Boundary Creek Trail (Summit Lake to the U.S. border)
• Avion Ride (Goat Lake campground to Snowshoe Cabin)
• Sage Pass Trail
• South Kootenay Pass Trail
• Lineham Ridge