Banff National Park's plans to adopt a volunteer mountain bike patrol
IMBA Trail News
Volume 12, Number 2
May 1999
A recent meeting at the headquarters of Banff National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada, brought together park and bicycling leaders to discuss the idea of a volunteer mountain bike patrol. Banff N.P. is a crown jewel of the Canadian National Parks system, The creation of a patrol there would build credibility for bicycle patrols everywhere.
Attending the meeting were local and regional mountain bike advocates, club leaders, an NMBP representative, and park managers. Some of these leaders had recently been fighting with the park over closure of the Bryant Creek Trail, so the meeting demonstrated the positive value of patrols.
Unlike U.S. National Parks, which generally prohibit bicycles on trails, bikes are allowed on many trails in Canadian national parks, including singletrack. The park receives a lot of visits from nearby Calgary, including many mountain biking comprises a substantial portion of the trail-use in the park. Rather than taking steps to restrict off-road cycling in the park, progressive park managers are considering involving mountain bikers as volunteer partners in preserving and managing recreation in Banff National Park.
NMBP coordinator Jon Alegranti gave a presentation to the group describing the philosophy, functions and value of volunteer mountain bike patrols to trails users and land managers. Jillian Roulet, Park Planner for Banff N.P., expressed strong interest in the idea of a volunteer mountain bike patrol. Roulet suggested several functions for patrollers, including:
answering questions on the trail
providing directions
talking to mountain bikers about the importance of responsible riding
maintaining trail access for bikes
providing feedback to Park management on trail conditions and numbers/types of users
It is likely the Banff N.P. will implement a volunteer mountain bike patrol program in the near future. Perhaps most interesting is the possibility that the Banff patrol may serve as a pilot-program for other Canadian parks. Park managers from nearby Jasper N.P., Kootenay N.P. and Yoho N.P. are reportedly interested in helping with the Banff program, and if successful, replicating it in their parks.
