Alberta Parks staff share tips to stay safe, avoid fines this long weekend

Sunny skies and warm weather are in the forecast for May long weekend in Alberta, and everyone from campground operators to conservation officers are expecting to see plenty of visitors headed out of the city over the coming days.

Parks staff are reminding visitors to play it safe and follow the rules while they're enjoying the great outdoors.

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"We're expecting a big rush of people here later today with the weather clearing up, now that it's not raining anymore," said KananaskisEnvironment and Parks regional conservation officer Murray Ingstrup.

"We're all going to be out on the landscape looking for infractions, monitoring and seeing what's going on out there."

Provincial officers will have more enforcement tools on May 31, when new and increased fines come into effect.

Off-highway vehicles

Ingstrup said officers look for things like whether or not off-highway vehicles are insured and have the correct registration, and if drivers are staying out of creeks and on designated trails.

"We have a lot of random trails, people are creating their own trails and they're not designated," said Ingstrup.

The fee for using an off-highway vehicle in a non-designated area ranges from $287 to $402.

Parker Hjelsvoldwas out Friday with his dirtbike and ready to hit the trails at McLean Creek, like he does every year.

"We only got to ride out here once last year due to the fires and all of the smoke. This will be a great trip, really looking forward to it," he said.

Garbage

Ingstrup said another concern for enforcement officers is trash.

"We're looking for things like garbage, making sure things are cleaned up and picked up all the time, not just when they leave," he said.

He said usually campers are pretty good about leaving things as they were, but they've also had some issues with large groups camping without permits.

"We've seen a few raves and big parties, large, like 300 people, that can cause a lot of garbage."

The fee for leaving garbage on public land is $287.

Campfires

There are a number of fire advisories, restrictions and bans around the province Alberta Parks has an up-to-date list on their website.

"Be aware of [campfires]. We've had some rain this week so that helps a lot. Keep your fires under control, and small and make sure they're out when you leave," he said.

Shaun Coetzeewas out camping Friday with his family, making a fire. He said within 10 minutes of booking his site online, most of the sites were taken.

He was happy to see enforcement out in the parks for the long weekend.

"I think that's great specifically because we've got families out here, it's needed."

Backcountrytravel

While it might be beautiful down in the valleys, it still feels like winter up in the backcountry.

"If you're going to be up high, you need to be prepared for snow and for the avalanche conditions, keep an eye out for cornices and things like that," he said.

"It's been a longer winter it seems, or a later spring, so it's going to be a little bit longer before that snow disappears.

River safety

And all that snow is going to lead to a lot of melt over the coming weeks.

Rivers will be high, and campers and boaters should watch for daily fluctuations in water levels, Ingstrom said.

Parks has a list of high-water advisories on its website.

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