An Alberta mountain hiking trail where two people died in a rock slide last year has reopened, but with some cautions.
Parks Canada says the Bow Glacier Falls Trail in Banff National Park now has warning signs steering hikers away from more hazardous areas at the end of the official trail.
In June 2025, the cliffside along Bow Glacier Falls Trail collapsed while several groups of hikers were in the area.
Jutta Hinrichs, who was 70, and 33-year-old Hamza Benhilal were killed.
The rockslide prompted Parks Canada to close the popular trail to all traffic, until further notice, and those who violated the order were threatened with fines up to $25,000.
A geotechnical assessment prepared for Parks Canada examined rock-slide hazards in the area and identified lower-risk zones and areas with higher exposure.
“It would be reasonable to expect further rockfalls both from the source area of the June 2025 event and from other parts of the rock face below the lake,” writes Dave Gauthier, the author of the report.
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“While the bulk of the rock dislodged or destabilized during the June 2025 event has fallen, there is likely some additional material associated with that event which could still fall.”
The report said the fatal rock slide occurred in less than a minute.
“The latter stages of the rockfall were captured on video shared widely in the days following the event,” said Gauthier.
“It showed the rapid disaggregation of the falling rock (and) a significant dust cloud.”
The trailhead is located near the Icefields Parkway at Bow Lake and allows hikers access to within approximately 30 metres of the rockfall site.
The report did not look at a formal risk assessment but it suggests individual risk may be “tolerable for a short visit” to the falls.
Gauthier said many visitors are not experienced backcountry travellers with expertise in managing geohazard exposure, so the initial closure of the area was a way to avoid risk.
“However, it comes at the cost of missed opportunities by park visitors to enjoy the trail and the falls.”
With files from Global News.
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