Expect long-weekend crowds at Waterton

“The same thing goes at the Visitors’ Centre and downtown in the village itself. So I guess what we’d like to remind people is they should plan ahead and possibly look for us on Facebook or Twitter or check out Alberta 511 and they can tell just how busy it’s going to be.”

At the time of the interview, Marshall said first-come, first-served campsites at Belly River and Crandell Mountain were already filling up. And the reserved campgrounds were booked as well.

Some of the planned infrastructure upgrades have been put on hold until the fall, to reduce visitor disruption during the busy season. Approximately 300 parking spaces have already been added, which should help.

Newcomers to the park may find the wildlife so much of a novelty, it contributes to traffic issues.

“We’ve kind of planned ahead for that. And we’re hoping that people will be courteous, that they’ll use common sense when they see wildlife, and be patient when there are traffic jams created by people who are viewing wildlife,” Marshall said. He explained additional staff have been hired to teach safe ways to view the wild animals in the park.

A ban on motorized and trailer-launched watercraft remains in effect, in an effort to keep invasive mussels out of the lakes. Marshall said Parks Canada has not adopted inspection sites, because they have not met expectations when used elsewhere.

People can still use hand-powered boats, but must self-register. Tour boats remain in operation.

by Geoff Smith (@smithco on Twitter) with files from Dori Modney (@Dori_Modney on Twitter)

Expect long-weekend crowds at Waterton

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