Pirate trails are abundant in Canmore, but the province wants to shut many of them down

The Alberta government is proposing a major overhaul of the Bow Valley’s trail network.

For decades, many trails around Canmore have been built informally by hikers and mountain bikers. These paths, also called “pirate trails”, were never planned or reviewed for their impact on wildlife.

Bill Hunt, a conservationist with the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y), says for every official trail in the Bow Valley, there are two unofficial ones.

Now, the province wants to change that, which means some familiar local paths might disappear .

Peggy Holroyd, planning lead for the Kananaskis region for Alberta Parks, says the project has been decades in the making.

“It’s the first integrated trail system plan for Crown land in the Bow Valley,” she said.

As part of the planning process, the province installed hundreds of cameras across the Bow Valley to study the use of the trails and wildlife movement.

From there, planners identified where new official routes could be built with less impact. Holroyd says the plan focuses on grouping trails together to leave larger areas of habitat for wildlife.

Under the draft plan, around 275 kilometres of unauthorized trails will be closed, while roughly 200 kilometres of purpose-built official trails would replace the pirate trails.

The plan also includes seasonal trail closures, so that wildlife have more predictable times to move through the land without humans in the area.

Research shows big impact of trail use on wildlife

Research shows trail use by people affects wildlife more than previously thought.

Gareth Thomson with the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley says it’s not only the trail itself that animals avoid.

“If there's people using a trail, animals like wolves and bears tend to avoid not just the trail, but areas within roughly half a kilometre of it,” he said. “That wider ‘zone of influence’ is a relatively new finding.”

With so many unofficial trails crisscrossing the valley, the areas that wildlife can comfortably use has shrunk.

Bill Hunt says many pirate trails start as a shortcut off an existing trail and gradually branch and braid into a dense web across the valley.

“It's a problem that just builds over time,” Hunt says. “Things just get worse and worse and eventually, wolves, cougars and some of the bears won't be able to navigate their way around.”

Wildlife organizations cautiously optimistic

Hunt says the science behind the province’s plan is solid, but closing trails people have used for years won’t be easy. Many unofficial routes are well-worn and familiar, he says, so users may not even realize they're on a pirate trail.

Residents need to understand why trails are being closed, he says, and respect the closures.

“If that happens, this could be the most incredible trails master plan ever,” Hunt says.

However, if new official trails are built and people continue using the old pirate routes, this will only limit habitat for animals even more, rather than restoring it, he says.

Gareth Thomson shares these concerns.

He says people may even start creating new pirate trails if the government does not provide information on why closures are happening.

“Without education, enforcement and clear rules, there’s a real risk this plan could fail on the ground," he said.

Holroyd says education and enforcement will be part of the final implementation phase. She also says the trail closures won’t rely on just a sign.

"We're looking at more extensive decommissioning using machines to rough up the old trail so it's uncomfortable and difficult to ride."

Hunt, a Canmore resident himself, says he understands the changes may not be easy for the community but it’s worth it when you know the end goal.

“One of our favourite hiking trails is destined to be reclaimed. It's really tough but the opportunity is to understand why that's happening, if we want to have wildlife in the valley... it's a bit of give and take"

The province is taking public input now, with feedback open until Jan. 21.