Backcountry campsites along Lake Minnewanka in Banff National Park have been closed once again after a string of incidents in which black bears repeatedly tore through tents searching for food, prompting Parks Canada to shut down the area for public safety.
The most recent closure followed a particularly unsettling discovery on June 13, when campers returned to their site after a full day of hiking to find their tent completely destroyed. Sleeping pads had been popped open, gear was scattered everywhere, and the tent itself had been ripped entirely free of its stakes, leaving a massive opening on both sides.
No Food Left Out, Yet the Tent Was Still Targeted
What made the incident especially troubling was that the campers had done everything right, storing all scented items properly in the bear boxes provided at the site and eating their meals near the designated cooking area rather than inside their tent. After discovering the damage, the group immediately reported the incident to park officials and warned other nearby campers before the site was evacuated.
This wasn’t an isolated event. Parks Canada confirmed a black bear damaged and accessed an unoccupied tent at the same LM9 campsite as early as June 6, with two more tents damaged there and a food bag accessed at a neighboring site on June 13. Two additional unoccupied tents were torn apart at campsite LM20 just a day later on June 14.
Closure Now Covers Six Campsites and Two Major Trails
Given the repeated nature of the incidents, Parks Canada has now closed all affected backcountry campsites, LM8, LM9, LM11, LM20, LM22, and LM31, along with the Lake Minnewanka Trail and Aylmer Pass Trail, with the closure remaining in effect until further notice. Officials say the closed zone is off limits to all entry, with violators facing fines of up to $25,000 under the Canada National Parks Act.
Parks Canada has confirmed that several hungry black bears have been spotted in the Lake Minnewanka area, though officials note there have been no aggressive encounters or direct human-wildlife interactions reported, and all of the tent-related incidents themselves were unwitnessed. DNA samples are now being collected and sent for testing to determine whether a single bear is responsible for all the incidents.
Park Asks Visitors to Stay Alert and Respect Wildlife Space
Terry Larsen, a resource conservation officer specializing in human-wildlife coexistence for Banff National Park, said the campers involved were experienced and followed proper bear-safe camping practices throughout their trip. Despite that, officials are reminding visitors that bear encounters can happen anywhere in the park at any time of year, and are urging people to stay alert, store all food and scented items securely, and steer clear of areas where bears have recently been active.
Stay updated for the latest news as this story develops.
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