Waterton Lakes National Park is open for the 2018 season, but there are some significant closures in place due to last year’s Kenow fire.
Parks Canada says the September blaze affected 38 per cent of the park and 50 per cent of its vegetation.
Waterton’s main entrance road and the Chief Mountain Highway are open, along with the townsite and Waterton Lakes, but much of the west side of the park will be off-limits.
The entire Akamina Parkway is closed, along with most of the Red Rock Parkway from Red Rock Canyon to Bellevue Prairie Trail, you can still access that trail from the entrance road along the parkway, but by foot or bike only.
Parks Canada says both areas will remain closed throughout 2018, and add it’s too early to provide a timeline for when they might reopen.
“The agency is working to restore the national park experience in a manner that is safe for the thousands of Canadians and visitors who enjoy the park each year while advancing ecological objectives for the park,” Parks Canada said in a news release on Tuesday.
The park’s visitor centre was lost in the Kenow fire.
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A temporary centre will be operating in the townsite at the Lion’s Hall on Fountain Avenue.
More information about Waterton Lakes National Park’s 2018 season can be found here.
Watch below: Some videos from Global News stories on Waterton Lakes National Park.
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Waterton Lakes businesses ready for 2018 peak season after Kenow wildfire -
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Parks Canada picks ‘town plaza’ design for new Waterton visitor centre -
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Daytime visitors up, business slow in Waterton townsite -
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MP shares aerial footage of Waterton after fire -
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Waterton residents return home -
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Phased re-entry for Waterton townsite begins Tuesday -
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‘Devastated’: Waterton Alpine Stables destroyed in fire -
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Waterton Lakes National Park fire threat over -
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First look inside Waterton Lakes National Park -
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Waterton townsite no longer under threat -
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Waterton wildfire Wednesday update from Joel Senick -
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Waterton wildfire update: fire officials briefing on active wildfire -
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Waterton-area wildfire likely to remain ‘out of control for some time’ -
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Waterton Lakes National Park official says buildings in town site have not been affected by wildfire -
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‘It’s been a rocky 24 hours’: Reeve of Cardston County on Waterton-area wildfire -
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‘Last night was pretty scary’: Mayor of the Town of Pincher Creek on Waterton-area wildfire -
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Superintendent of Waterton Lakes National Park talks about wildfire’s ‘extraordinary behaviour’ -
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Alberta Agriculture and Forestry official talks about Monday night’s efforts to save Waterton town site -
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Waterton wildfire update: visitor centre lost, townsite appears to be intact -
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Water bombers fill up to battle the Kenow Mountain wildfire at the Waterton Dam
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