Yoho National Park of Canada
Connecting Wildlife and People with the Land
Parks Canada is committed to managing the Lake O'Hara area in an ecologically sustainable manner. As part of this effort, we are asking visitors to voluntarily change the way they visit and use the Odaray-Highline trail to help protect an important wildlife corridor.
People, wildlife and science
Conflicts between people and grizzly bears on the Odaray Plateau and in McArthur Valley resulted in restrictions in these areas in 1993. Concerns for both public safety and the viability of local grizzly bear populations led to a five year research project to study how people and wildlife use this area.
Research identified key grizzly bear habitat and an important wildlife corridor running through the Lake O'Hara area. In 1999, Parks Canada modified closures and rerouted some trail sections in McArthur Pass to better integrate visitor use with these important ecological areas. On-going evaluation of our management actions and their consequences will help us continually adapt our actions to ensure wildlife and habitat are protected while visitor opportunities are maintained across the greater landscape.
Wildlife and the landscape
Animals move through the landscape by following river valleys and crossing mountain passes; these areas form natural wildlife corridors. The McArthur Valley - Cataract Brook wildlife corridor is one such route passing through the Lake O'Hara area.
This corridor is part of a regional network of corridors important to the health of local and regional wildlife populations. It allows wildlife movement from the western slope of the Rockies across to the eastern slope. Over time, wildlife movement, or gene flow, across the landscape maintains biological diversity. On a local and shorter time scale, this corridor allows individual animals and small populations to move between daily and seasonally important habitats.
This corridor is part of a regional network of corridors important to the health of local and regional wildlife populations. It allows wildlife movement from the western slope of the Rockies across to the eastern slope. Over time, wildlife movement, or gene flow, across the landscape maintains biological diversity. On a local and shorter time scale, this corridor allows individual animals and small populations to move between daily and seasonally important habitats.
The McArthur Valley forms part of the wildlife corridor and also contains important grizzly bear habitat. Here, plant communities on avalanche paths provide important seasonal foods for grizzly bears, especially in spring and summer, e.g. cow parsnip. The McArthur Valley closure has been modified to allow limited human use after August 15th.
Adjacent to McArthur Valley and also contributing to the corridor is the Odaray Plateau . It contains habitat used seasonally by several species, including grizzly bears and mountain goats. The existing closure on the plateau will be maintained to protect habitat and to limit disturbance in the corridor.
Heading off the squeeze at the pass
Wider sections of the McArthur Valley - Cataract Brook corridor allow more "elbow room" for use by both people and wildlife, but narrow sections can bring people and wildlife into conflict.
The McArthur Valley - Cataract Brook corridor squeezes through McArthur Pass. Here the Odaray-Highline trail cuts across the corridor and human activity on the trail can create a barrier to wildlife.
Concentrated points of human activity can influence the behaviour, survival and reproduction of individual animals. Wary species, like carnivores may avoid the area, or be forced to alter their movement to travel at night. This effect is magnified in a narrow wildlife corridor where, over time, it can influence the composition and persistence of entire communities of wildlife.
If wildlife cannot move freely across the landscape, less habitat is available to them, and ultimately the patch of habitat they are in becomes isolated. This reduces the effectiveness of the corridor and its role in connecting healthy, viable wildlife populations and communities.
Fortunately it's possible to "shrink" the disturbance zone or barrier of human activity to ensure a wide variety of species can continue to use the corridor effectively.
Our Request to You
NUMBER 1: LIMIT your use of the Odaray-Highline trail . . .
Throughout the season, please limit your use of the trail. Choose to hike other trails first.
The area offers a wide choice of hiking trails. Some alternative hikes are: the Lake Oesa trail, the Opabin Plateau Circuit, and the Lake McArthur trail.
August 15 to September 15 is an especially sensitive period for wildlife movement. During this time, please choose not to use the trail at all.
NUMBER 2: if you use the trail . . .
If you choose to hike the Odaray-Highline, you can limit your impact on wildlife in the corridor by observing the following guidelines:
At the trailhead:
- Check the Odaray-Highline trail log-book. It will show how many groups of people are currently using the trail. Four groups or less per day will help maintain a low level of disturbance. Your responsible decision may guide you to hike elsewhere that day.
- Sign in your group so other hikers can assess if they should use the trail that day.
- If possible join another group before entering the corridor. Each group represents a disturbance in the corridor. By joining your group with another, two disturbances are reduced to one.
While in the wildlife corridor:
- Use the trail between 9:30 am and 4:30 pm. This makes human use more predictable to wildlife and concentrates disturbance in a shorter daily period.
- Stay together. Travel at the speed of the slowest group member. A tight group represents a pulse of disturbance; a group that spreads out creates a wall of disturbance.
- Don't stop or eat below treeline.
- Don't bring your pet.
- Stay with your group for your return through the corridor.
August 15th to September 15th
Many species of wildlife use this corridor in all seasons; however, some species like grizzly bears, tend to increase their use of the corridor at this time of year. Further limiting disturbance in the corridor is critical for this wary species.
Please consider not using this trail at all.
If you need to use the Odaray-Highline trail, check the trail logbook: two groups or less per day is our target. Please follow the trail use guidelines while in the corridor.
The McArthur Valley wilderness route
After August 15th, when seasonal plant foods favoured by grizzly bears have peaked, two hiking parties per week may travel through McArthur Valley.
A McArthur Valley hiking permit is required to hike this unmaintained wilderness route and can be obtained by phoning the Yoho visitor centre: 250.343.6783.
Plan ahead for a great experience
A broad range of hiking opportunities exist in the Lake O'Hara area. The following maps will help you plan your visit:
- Lake Louise and Yoho Hiking Map and Guide (1:50,000): Gem Trek Publishing
- Lake O'Hara Trails Map: Parks Canada
- Lake O'Hara (1:20,000), The Adventure Map Series: Chrismar Mapping Services
Bears in the mountain national parks
Encountering a bear is always a possibility anytime and anywhere in the mountain national parks. Please read and practice the bear safety protocols outlined in the brochure " Bears and People " available at Parks Canada visitor centres and at Le Relais Day Shelter.