Provincial officials have imposed a ban on foot and bicycle traffic along Highway 40 in the southern reaches of Kananaskis country due to intense bear activity. The prohibition was announced on Thursday and affects the well-travelled corridor from Kananaskis Lakes Trail to Highwood Pass. The decision was prompted in part by a human encounter with a grizzly bear. Multiple day-use areas along the highway are included in the closure.
Reason for the Ban
According to an online posting from Alberta Parks, multiple bears, including breeding pairs, are active in the valley bottom due to the snowpack. Additionally, a grizzly bear bluff charge was reported. The measure will remain in effect until further notice. The advisory warns that although an advisory is in place, bears can be encountered at any time.
Previous Incidents
No further details on the bluff charge have been released, but it follows several similar encounters further north in Kananaskis. On May 4, a grizzly bluff-charged a hiker near Troll Falls, coming within about one metre of the person. A year earlier, a grizzly confronted a couple in the same area but was scared off.
Safety Recommendations
Hikers are urged to travel in groups, make plenty of noise, and keep their pets leashed. They are also advised to watch for signs of bears, have bear spray readily accessible, and know how to use it. In the past five years, four people have died from grizzly maulings in Alberta, all in areas northwest of Calgary.
Wildland Management Responder Network
In 2024, the province introduced the Wildland Management Responder Network, which allows qualified citizen hunters to kill problem bears subject to government approval. So far, two grizzlies have been killed under the program—one in 2025 and another this year—both south of Calgary.
