Banff National Park Horse User Guide
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HOW TO RESERVE YOUR TRIP TRIP CANCELLATIONS AREAS CLOSED TO HORSE SEASONAL AND EMERGENCY TRIP PLANNING CHECKLIST TRAVEL CLOSURES HORSE USERS’ Private horse groups may reserve trips up to three Please inform the Banff Warden Office of trip ✔ Familiarize yourself with Park facilities and months in advance on a first–come, first-served cancellations. This will enable another group to Horse travel is permitted throughout most of the Seasonal and emergency trail closures and National Park Regulations. basis by contacting the Banff Warden Office at use the area. Trip cancellations received more than park. There are a few trails and areas where horse warnings may be implemented within Banff ✔ GUIDE 1-403-762-1470. There is a fee for making a 7 days in advance will receive a full refund, minus use is prohibited to reduce impact on delicate National Park for management of resources, Before your trip, contact the Banff Warden BANFF NATIONAL PARK reservation. Space will be confirmed and a permit the reservation fee. resources and specially constructed walking trails: prescribed burns, wildlife or public safety. Please Office or one of the Park Visitor Centres for issued upon receipt of payment by cash, cheque or current trail information and closures. ✪ The Healy Pass trails from Healy Pass, inquire at the Park Visitor Centres or Banff Warden credit card (Visa or MasterCard). Permits may be ✔ FEES Simpson Pass junctions to the Healy Pass, Office prior to your trip. Check to make sure that your chosen trail is mailed or faxed directly to your home or picked A current fee schedule for: Pharaoh Creek trail junction in fact open to horse use. up at the Banff Warden Office. If you book and ✪ BACKCOUNTRY WARDENS ✔ For overnight trips, Grazing permits and pick up your permit on the same travel day, you ✪ Reservation fee The Sunshine Creek watershed including Sunshine Village Ski Area National Park Wardens conduct backcountry Wilderness passes are required. Contact the will not be charged the reservation fee. However, ✪ Grazing fees ✪ The upper watershed of Howard Douglas patrols throughout the year. They are there to Warden Office at 1-403-762-1470. be aware that, without a reservation, your trip ✪ Wilderness Pass (which can be purchased on a Creek above 7000 feet elevation from Brewster assist you in case of emergency, provide ✔ Private horse groups can reserve a trip up to may not be available as planned. daily or annual basis) Rock to Citadel Pass information, and ensure that the park’s natural three months in advance on a first-come, and cultural resources are protected. Any Park The following information is required for your can be obtained by phoning the Banff Warden first-served basis. Office at 1-403-762-1470 or by checking the Banff In addition, the following trails are NOT Warden that you encounter will ask to see your permit: ✔ Ensure that your horses are prepared for National Park Web Site at www.pc.gc.ca/banff . recommended for horse use: Grazing Permit, Wilderness Pass and Fishing ✪ name, address, postal code and telephone License. Since their duties require them to travel encounters with backpackers, cyclists, river ✪ Lake Louise shoreline trail crossings and are trained for hobbles. number; PERMITS long distances, you should not count on being able ✪ ✪ number of horses and number of people; Bow Summit and Peyto viewpoint self guiding to find a Park Warden in case of emergency. ✔ Obtain a 1:50,000 Topographic map of the Before going on an overnight horse trip in the trail ✪ dates entering and leaving Banff National Park; Prepare to be self-reliant. area. park, you must purchase a Wilderness Pass and ✪ Fenland Trail ✪ route and how many days you wish to stay at Grazing Permit. Permits are available from the ✔ For any day or overnight use of the park ✪ Lake Minnewanka shoreline due to mountain each grazing site; Banff Warden Office in person Monday-Friday, BANFF BACKCOUNTRY VISITORS‘ trails, obtain a Park Pass at park entrance bike traffic ✪ vehicle description, license plate number and 8 am-4:30 pm, by phone 1-403-762-1470, by fax GUIDE points, Information Centres, or by calling the ✪ High passes along the Continental Divide location parked. 1-403-762 3240 , or by mail from: Be sure to check the Banff Backcountry Visitors’ Calgary Service Centre at 1-403-292-4401. before August 1st due to wet and fragile trails Banff Warden Office Guide for other general information on backcountry use. This brochure identifies where For more information contact: LENGTH OF STAY P.O. Box 900 HAZARDS other use is permitted. Be aware that designated Quotas on commercial and private horse use have Banff, Alberta, T1L1K2 Banff Warden Office We invite you to explore the timeless trails of Banff National Park is varied in terrain and campsites are multi-use campsites, and as such, been established to prevent overuse and protect Box 900, Hawk Avenue, Banff National Park by horseback. Horses have conditions. High mountain passes and river you will be sharing facilities with hikers and been used here for centuries, first by aboriginal wilderness areas. Opening dates of grazing areas These permits must be carried at all times and Industrial Compound, Banff, Alberta T1L 1K2 crossings may be impassable in late spring or mountain bikers. peoples for trade and hunting, and then are subject to seasonal conditions and may vary produced upon request from a Park Warden. Fees Phone 1-403-762-1470 Fax 1-403-762-3240 early summer. You may inquire about trail extensively by Europeans as they explored throughout the Park from June 15 to August 1st. for permits go towards the cost of facilities and conditions at the Banff Warden Office. The routes through the mountains and then settled management of the park. Banff Visitor Centre in the Banff area. Banff National Park is part of following rivers may be very high in the spring: 224 Banff Avenue, The maximum length of stay at any grazing site is a World Heritage Site and is one of the greatest Box 900 Banff, Alberta T1L 1K2 three consecutive nights, with the exception of the All park users are also required to purchase a Park ✪ Clearwater River, Pipestone River, Mistaya areas in the world to explore and protect. Phone 1-403-762-1550 Please practice low impact travel to ensure that Siffleur River special preservation area, where Pass which now replaces the former Park Vehicle River, Howse River, Red Deer River the wilderness experience you enjoy remains only one night’s stay is permitted. Permit. The Pass can be purchased at the Park Lake Louise Visitor Centre intact for the generations that follow. Gates or Park Visitor Centres. You can order these Box 213 Samson Mall by phone using your Visa or Mastercard by calling This guide will assist you in planning your The maximum group size is ten people. Two Lake Louise, Alberta T0L1E0 horse trip in Banff National Park. animals per person are allowed as a maximum, the Calgary Service Centre at 1- 403 -292-4401 Phone 1-403-522-3833. however we encourage you to take fewer pack between 8-4 pm, Monday -Friday) . animals if possible. photo by Brad White C Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada Catalogue No: R63-307/2004E photo by Brad White ISBN: 0-662-36407-4 TRAILHEAD HORSE FACILITIES STAGING AREAS MANAGING HUMAN USE YA HA TINDA RANCH Trailheads with loading ramps are: I f you wish to hold your horses in the park The last two decades have seen a dramatic shift in people. Increased use may also be eroding visitors’ overnight at the start or end of a backcountry trip ✪ Sunset Pass ✪ Helen Lake the way people use Banff National Park’s wilderness experiences. In order to maintain a or if you are staying in the frontcountry area of backcountry. Day use on park trails is in some healthy ecosystem and quality backcountry ✪ Mosquito Creek ✪ Pipestone River the park, you may use one of the park horse cases 15 times greater than overnight use. Areas experiences, Parks Canada is initiating a human ✪ ✪ Johnston Creek Redearth Creek staging areas with prior consent. Corrals can be once considered remote have seen increased use use management strategy that may include new ✪ Healy Creek ✪ Spray River found at these sites: due to development adjacent to the park, new restrictions on access. Ongoing social and wildlife ✪ ✪ Norquay Upper Bankhead ✪ Pipestone River Trailhead off Slate Road in technology such as mountain bicycles, equipment research will hopefully allow us to better manage ✪ Mt. Shark Lake Louise improvements and rising numbers of park visitors. the backcountry in the future, for the benefit of the park’s wildlife and visitors. Changes will be phased ✪ Mosquito Creek opposite trailhead, behind photo by Brad White Research shows that wildlife movement and in over the coming years, so please check for these Youth Hostel The Ya Ha Tinda Ranch is located adjacent to Banff GUIDED HORSE TRIPS habitat use is being restricted by the presence of before beginning your trip. ✪ Highway 11 north side, 2 km east of National Park along the Red Deer River. This EMERGENCIES If you want to go riding in Banff National Park, but Saskatchewan Crossing Resort . Contact the private property is the only federally operated For all emergencies (24 hours), call 911 do not own a horse or have access to one, contact Saskatchewan Crossing Resort for use at working horse ranch in Canada. Ranch-hands immediately. If you are in the backcountry, let the one of the following commercial horse operators in 1-403-761-7000 MINIMIZE YOUR IMPACT raise, break, train and winter about 150 horses the park.