National Park Information

	Parks Canada Avalanche Rating System		Backcountry Overnight Use
	Bears and other wildlife		Vehicle Permits
	Wilderness Passes in National Parks		Voluntary Hazardous Activities Registration

Most of the ACC backcountry facilities lie within, or have access through, National Parks. Access to some huts involves travel through two or more parks. It is imperative that you know the rules of the areas in which you are travelling and staying. Many of the regulations are common from park to park. If you are unfamiliar with the regulations of the park that you are travelling in, stop in at an Information Centre or Warden’s Station and talk to the parks staff about your trip. Some of the major regulations about travelling in the parks are explained below.

New Parks Canada Avalanche Rating System

Parks Canada has developed a classification system for avalanche terrain, and has applied ratings to approximately 250 trips in the Mountain National Parks. For more information, visit http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/visit7a1_E.asp

You can also download a Parks Canada brochure on the new avalanche terrain ratings.

Bears and other wildlife

For important wildlife safety information, check the National Park website at http://www.parkscanada.gc.ca/banff.

Wilderness Passes in National Parks

Banff, Jasper, Kootenay, Yoho, and Glacier National Parks collect a fee for backcountry overnight use in the Parks.  The fees collected from the wilderness passes go towards maintaining trails, supplying the voluntary registration service, avalanche forecasting, backcountry bridge-building, etc.  Overnight users of the ACC huts are required to pay this fee.

You can now purchase your hut-related wilderness passes from the Alpine Club. If you do, 40% of each pass sold will go to a special hut account and will be used for hut restoration and environmental upgrades.  See the 'Rates and General Information' page for more details.

Backcountry Overnight Use

In the five national parks it is mandatory to register for all backcountry overnight use except when you are staying only at an ACC hut. There is a fee for the use of campgrounds, and there are restrictions on bivouac areas; you must register with the appropriate Park office before your trip.

Overnight wilderness passes can be purchased at all parks information centres – they cannot be purchased at the park entrance gates.

Vehicle Permits

All vehicles stopping in a National Park must have a Park Motor Vehicle Permit. The permits can be purchased annually or daily at most Park gates and Park Visitor Centres.

Voluntary Hazardous Activities Registration

It is recommended that anyone participating in hazardous activities in the backcountry register with the Park Wardens. This registration is free and is the best method of ensuring that someone comes looking for you should the worst happen. Please read the following message from the Banff Park Wardens regarding registration, and take the extra time to document your trip with them.

When you take part in activities which involve risk, you may wish to use the Park safety registration system. This system alerts Parks staff when visitors are overdue and is a local alternative to leaving details of your activities with friends or relatives. Safety registration gives the search and rescue service a time frame for initiating a search, and provides important information about you and your plans.

When you register, it is important that you understand the following points:

• The decision to initiate an emergency response depends upon a number of factors, including an assessment by experienced park personnel of the time it should take to complete the described itinerary. Other factors may include the time of day the party becomes overdue, weather conditions, or the size of the party involved.

• Visitors must be self-reliant. All visitors should have the equipment and means to survive at least one extra night when undertaking trips into the Park wilderness.

• Once you have completed your trip, you must notify the Park as soon as possible. Either return the registration slip to the information centres or call the 24-hour phone number printed on the slip. Failure to do so can result in an unnecessary and costly search and may result in prosecution. You should make every reasonable attempt to return on time.

• We will check for vehicles to determine if an overdue party has returned from their trip. In order to avoid an unnecessary search, those without a vehicle must surrender a passport or driver's license to the Park offices to ensure that they return.

• Please be aware that registrations are not the same as backcountry use permits which are used to manage backcountry visitor use.

For those who prefer to leave word of their plans with friends or relatives, we suggest the following:

• Leave clear, accurate information and instructions with someone responsible and reliable.

• Tell your contact precisely where you are going, with whom and when you plan to return.

• Be sure to estimate enough time for the trip. A good practice is to factor in a little extra time to avoid false alarms.

• Leave a description of any vehicles used for transport and where they will be parked during the trip.

• Finally, brief your contact carefully on what to do if you fail to return; tell them who to call and when to do so.

Remember - this may be your lifeline. The reporting person who has been properly prepared is an excellent resource for emergency personnel.