Free day passes offered for trails in six B.C. parks to control overcrowding

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — The province is offering free day-use passes for trails in six B.C. Parks to encourage people to stay active, but apart during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The day-use passes, available starting Monday, are part of a pilot program intended to help B.C. Parks re-open busy areas and test the passes as a tool to manage overcrowding.

“People in B.C. love the outdoors, but some of our most popular parks are experiencing a high number of visitors, resulting in crowded facilities, packed parking lots and safety issues, such as parking along the highway,” George Heyman, minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, says in a release.

“This pilot program acknowledges that frequent park users have an important role to play in protecting these important natural spaces and the species that depend upon them.”

According to the province, park visitors are often confined to trails, which can become crowded in some areas, such as viewpoints.

Overuse of trails also leads to soil erosion, altered hydrology and damaged vegetation.

 

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BC Parks Update⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Parks throughout B.C. are experiencing an increase in visitors, and unfortunately many are not complying with the provincial health officer’s requirement to stay at least two metres away from each other to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Further to the announcement made March 20, full closures of certain parks are now being implemented throughout the province.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ For parks with trails and areas that are open, visitors should be mindful they are responsible for their own garbage and safety, and must practice physical distancing. Check specific park pages for details.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ For further updates, visit bcparks.ca⁠⠀ For more COVID-19 information, visit the BC Centre for Disease Control.⁠⠀

A post shared by BC Parks (@yourbcparks) on Mar 24, 2020 at 4:27pm PDT

As of Monday, free park passes will be available for:

• Mount Robson park — Berg Lake Trail;
• Stawamus Chief park — Chief Peaks Trail;
• Cypress park — upper mountain trails, including the Howe Sound Crest Trail, Hollyburn Mountain Trails and the Black Mountain Plateau trails;
• Mount Seymour park — upper mountain trails including the Seymour Main Trail, Dog Mountain Trail and Mystery Lake Trail;
• Garibaldi park — trailheads at Diamond Head, Rubble Creek and Cheakamus;
• Golden Ears park — all trails and day-use areas.

Garibaldi Park will fully reopen on Monday with the introduction of day-use passes in select areas, according to the province.

The province reports Garibaldi park has seen a significant increase in visitors during the last four years, which has led to overcrowding in some areas.

The free passes are available on the Discover Camping website and will be released daily at 6 a.m. for same-day bookings.

The number of passes available each day depends on the park and ranges from vehicle passes for the Berg Lake Trail and Golden Ears Park to individual trail passes in the other parks for morning, afternoon or full-day.

READ ALSO:

• Overnight camping reopens in B.C.

• Camping in B.C. Parks closed to non-residents

“We strongly support BC Parks reopening these six popular parks, while working to manage visitation and conserve nature in the places we love,” says Bruce Passmore, executive director, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, B.C. chapter.

“With many people staying home this summer, the demand for outdoor recreation continues to surge, putting more pressure on our park system. We welcome solutions that will help manage overcrowding in certain areas and strengthen our opportunity to protect vital ecosystems.”

Camping details

Backcountry campers with permits are not required to reserve a day-use pass, but should carry proof of their camping permit if they are using one of the select trails that require a pass.

As for overnight camping, a pass is not required for Garibaldi, Mount Robson, Mount Seymour and Stawamus Chief. A permit is required for overnight camping in Cypress and Golden Ears.

Park operator staff will be checking passes upon arrival. Visitors can download the pass onto their mobile device or print it to show at the park.

In 2018-19, Cypress Park had nearly 1.9 million visitors, Mount Seymour Park had nearly a million visitors, Golden Ears Park had more than 850,000 visitors, Garibaldi Park had more than 120,000 visitors, Stawamus Chief Park had nearly 600,000 visitors, and Mount Robson Park had more than 200,000 visitors.

Visit www.bcparks.ca for more information.