Area Closures

Mountain safety

Avalanche Closure Zones are in effect annually from November to May within Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay national parks.

To ensure public safety during avalanche control operations, designated avalanche paths and adjacent areas within the national parks will be closed, as and when required.

These are legal closures and violators may be charged under the Canada National Parks Act. For full details, consult the Important Bulletin: Temporary area closures for avalanche control.

Avalanche Canada's regional avalanche forecasts are used to communicate the active closures of these zones, and are updated daily by forecasters. When the region's avalanche forecast headline indicates avalanche control operations, the indicated areas are legally closed.

Visit Avalanche Canada to see the regional avalanche forecast. Select a region on the map to open the regional forecast and view the forecast headline. The forecast headline is the large text above the Danger Ratings section.

Avalanche Closure Zones are indicated in the field through permanent warning signage and temporary closure signage. Details about each zone can be found below.

Avalanche Closure Zones

Use the following maps to see the boundaries of the Avalanche Closure Zones within Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay national parks.

Hwy 93 North (Icefields Parkway), Banff National Park

93 North - Overview

Mount Hector

Noseeum Peak

Dolomite Peak

Silverhorn Mountain / Observation Peak

Mount Noyes

Waterfowl Gullies

Bison Peak

Yoho National Park

Yoho - Overview

Mount Field

Notes: Yoho Valley Road to the Stanley Mitchell Area is not in the closure zone.

Mount Stephen

Mount Dennis

Notes: This closure zone includes all of the ice climbs on Mt. Dennis.

Mount Burgess

Mount Bosworth (full seasonal closure)

Mount Bosworth is closed annually from November to May. Remote avalanche control systems may be detonated at any time. For full details, consult the Important Bulletin: Seasonal Area Closure, Mount Bosworth.

Boundaries: South side from 1 km west of the summit to 1.5 km east of the summit and from the ridge crest down to the Trans-Canada Highway; north side from the summit to 1.3 km east of the summit and from the ridge crest down to 2,200 m elevation.