STATE & NATION TRAVEL · alerts
Waterton wildlife orders close Red Rock Parkway and part of Kootenai Brown Trail
By Staff Writer · Published November 5, 2026 · Updated November 6, 2026
Updated November 6 to add the separate November 2 Kootenai Brown Trail area closure. The restriction applies to the mapped area and adjacent trail section, not the entire trail. The original publication date and article URL are unchanged.
Separate November 2 orders restrict two recreation corridors in the Alberta park. Neither lists an end date; the Kootenai Brown restriction covers the mapped area, not the entire trail.
Official announcement: Parks Canada · November 2, 2026
Source: Parks Canada November 2 Red Rock Parkway closure order
Parks Canada has closed Red Rock Parkway in Waterton Lakes National Park to all traffic and travel because a bear is feeding on a carcass. The superintendent's November 2 order does not list a reopening date and warns of a maximum C$25,000 penalty for violations.
The parkway had already reached its normal winter vehicle closure on October 26. Under ordinary seasonal operations, that change leaves the 15-kilometre road available to people walking, cycling or skiing. The wildlife order is more restrictive: it removes that nonmotorized access as well until Parks Canada lifts the closure.
The route runs through the Blakiston Valley to Red Rock Canyon, with grassland, mountain views and pullouts that make it a popular wildlife-viewing corridor. A bear on a carcass can behave defensively, so the closure is a safety boundary rather than a suggestion to pass quickly or keep extra distance.
A second November 2 order restricts land beside the Entrance Road, including the nearby portion of Kootenai Brown Trail. Parks Canada says wildlife activity there must not be disturbed. The closure follows the boundary on the order's map; it should not be read as a shutdown of every kilometre of the trail, and the agency gives no end date.
Waterton remains a year-round park, but an open road is not proof that the walking route beside it is open. The Entrance Road's standing schedule lists year-round access; the separate wildlife order limits the mapped area and nearby trail section. Neither order announces a park-wide closure. Winter travelers also face reduced services and weather-dependent road access.
What Travelers Need to Know
Do not enter Red Rock Parkway on foot, bicycle, skis or by vehicle while the November 2 closure order remains posted. Check Waterton's important-bulletins page immediately before travel; no end date has been announced.
Do not approach the carcass area to look for the bear. Use another open winter route and report wildlife emergencies to Parks Canada dispatch at 1-888-927-3367.
For the Kootenai Brown Trail, consult the separate official closure map and obey posted boundaries. Do not use the Entrance Road's year-round operating status as permission to enter the restricted land or trail section beside it. No reopening date is supplied for that order either.
For other parts of Waterton, check the road schedule and Alberta 511 before departure. Winter drivers on Akamina Parkway must turn back at Little Prairie; snow clearing may temporarily restrict access further.
Arrive prepared for limited winter services. The park remains open, but most townsite facilities are closed from November through April, there is no winter fuel station inside the park, and the nearest fuel is in Pincher Creek or Mountain View.
About the Location
Waterton Lakes National Park is in southwest Alberta, where the prairie meets the Rocky Mountains along the borders with British Columbia and the United States. Established in 1895, it became part of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park in 1932 with Glacier National Park in Montana.
The international peace park received UNESCO World Heritage status in 1995 for its mountain scenery, glacial landforms and ecological diversity. Red Rock Parkway expresses that meeting of landscapes directly: it climbs from rolling grassland through the Blakiston Valley toward red argillite beds at the canyon, making the temporary loss of the route significant to winter visitors as well as summer drivers.
Official sources
- Parks Canada November 2 Red Rock Parkway closure order
- Parks Canada current Waterton road and winter driving information
- Parks Canada Red Rock Parkway scenic-drive guide
- Parks Canada Waterton winter activities and service limits
- Parks Canada Waterton history and international designations
- Parks Canada November 2 Kootenai Brown Trail area closure and boundary map
- Parks Canada current Waterton important bulletins
- Parks Canada park history
- Parks Canada wildlife safety and dispatch contact