Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
All Parks Canada facilities are temporarily closed, all visitor services and all motor vehicle access by visitors are suspended until further notice.
The health and safety of Canadians, visitors and Parks Canada team members is our top priority.
We are following the advice of public health experts and taking steps to support the Government of Canada’s efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 and reduce risks to visitors, employees, and other users of Parks Canada spaces.
Update for March 24, 2020
Parks Canada is calling on Canadians to support the national effort to limit the spread of COVID-19 and stay home.
The Agency is temporarily suspending all motor vehicle access by visitors at all national parks, national historic sites, and national marine conservation areas effective 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, until further notice. All visitor services remain suspended and all visitor facilities remain closed.
This means that all parking lots, vehicle services, washrooms, day use facilities, showers, visitor centres, and camping facilities, including oTENTiks, yurts and backcountry camping are closed until further notice. Many trails and day use areas across the Parks Canada network are also closed for public health or public safety reasons, to protect ecological or cultural resources, to protect the health and safety of employees, or due to limited availability of search and rescue response.
Highways and roadways which pass through Parks Canada places will remain open.
Parks Canada will limit its activities to basic critical operations.
Please continue to visit this page for the latest updates on COVID-19 at Parks Canada locations
Current situation
What is the current situation in Parks Canada?
Parks Canada is calling on all Canadians to support the national effort to limit the spread of COVID-19 and stay home. All Parks Canada visitor facilities are temporarily closed, all visitor services and all motor vehicle access by visitors is temporarily suspended until further notice. This means:
- This means that all parking lots, vehicle services, washrooms, day use facilities, showers, visitor centres, and camping facilities, including oTENTiks, yurts and backcountry camping are closed until further notice. Many trails and day use areas across the Parks Canada network are also closed for public health or public safety reasons, to protect ecological or cultural resources, to protect the health and safety of employees, or due to limited availability of search and rescue response.
- Highways and roadways which pass through Parks Canada places will remain open. Commercial and through traffic is permitted on these corridors.
- Residents of townsites will still be permitted vehicular access, but those with recreational properties within National Parks are strongly encouraged to stay home.
What are we asking visitors to do?
Parks Canada is asking Canadians to stay home. Anyone considering a visit to a Parks Canada location, including those in urban areas, should cancel their plans.
What services remain available?
Parks Canada is asking Canadians to stay home. Anyone considering a visit to a Parks Canada location, including those in urban areas, should cancel their plans. All visitor services are suspended and all parking lots, vehicle services, washrooms, day use facilities, showers, visitor centres, and all camping facilities, including oTENTiks, yurts and backcountry camping, are closed.
There are a number of tourism businesses and operations within Parks Canada places. Parks Canada regrets that these temporary measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 may have impacts on businesses within and nearby Parks Canada places. These operators are valued partners and provide important services to visitors.
The health and safety of Canadians, visitors, and Parks Canada team members is of the utmost importance to the Agency. We must all do our part to limit the spread of COVID-19 and reduce risks to visitors, employees, and other users of Parks Canada spaces.
What basic critical operations will Parks Canada still provide?
While visitor services are temporarily suspended, Parks Canada will continue to deliver a number of critical functions, including highway management and snow removal, fire response, dam operations and water management on historic waterways, among others.
What is the current situation in Canada?
This is an evolving situation. Visit the Public Health Agency of Canada Coronavirus disease page, or follow Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, on Twitter for the latest information.
Specific Parks Canada locations
Below, please find the links to specific Parks Canada locations that have special instructions.
Western Canada
British Columbia:
- Fort Langley National Historic Site
- Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites
- Glacier National Park
- Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
- Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site
- Kootenay National Park
- Mount Revelstoke National Park
- Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
- Yoho National Park
Alberta:
Canadian Prairies
Saskatchewan:
Manitoba:
Ontario:
- Bruce Peninsula National Park
- Fort Malden National Historic Site
- Georgian Bay Islands National Park
- HMCS Haida National Historic Site
- Point Pelee National Park
- Rouge National Urban Park
- Thousand Islands National Park
- Woodside National Historic Site
Quebec:
- Battle of the Châteauguay National Historic Site
- Carillon Barracks National Historic Site
- Cartier-Brébeuf National Historic Site
- Coteau-du-Lac National Historic Site
- Forges du Saint-Maurice National Historic Site
- Forillon National Park
- Fort Chambly National Historic Site
- Fort Lennox National Historic Site
- Fortifications of Québec National Historic Site
- The Fur Trade at Lachine National Historic Site
- Grosse Île and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site
- La Mauricie National Park
- Lévis Forts National Historic Site
- Louis-Joseph Papineau National Historic Site
- Louis S. St-Laurent National Historic Site
- Obadjiwan–Fort Témiscamingue National Historic Site
- Saint-Louis Forts and Châteaux National Historic Site
- Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site
- Sir Wilfrid Laurier National Historic Site
Atlantic Canada
Nova Scotia:
- Cape Breton Highlands National Park
- Fort Anne National Historic Site
- Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site
- Halifax Citadel National Historic Site
- Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
- Port-Royal National Historic Site
- Sable Island National Park Reserve
Prince Edward Island:
- Ardgowan National Historic Site
- Green Gables Heritage Place
- Prince Edward Island National Park
- Skmaqn–Port-la-Joye–Fort Amherst National Historic Site
New Brunswick:
Northern Canada:
Yukon:
Northwest Territories:
Nunavut:
Is it safe to visit a Parks Canada place?
Your health and safety
The health and safety of Canadians, visitors, and Parks Canada team members is of the utmost importance to the Agency.
Parks Canada is asking Canadians to stay home and support the national effort to limit the spread of COVID-19. Anyone considering a visit to a Parks Canada location, including those in urban areas, should cancel their plans.
Precautions
As directed by health authorities, please always respect the following guidelines to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:
- Parks Canada is asking Canadians to stay home and support the national effort to limit the spread of COVID-19.
- Keep a healthy space of 2 metres between you and others.
- Be extra cautious when engaging in any activities to avoid injury and/or getting lost to help minimize the demands placed on emergency response, search and rescue teams, and on the health care system.
- Leave no trace when you visit outdoor spaces. Please take all your garbage with you and help keep these places clean.
- Abide by all travel advisories.
Will there be refunds in light of closures?
Reservations
- All existing reservations for dates between March 18 and April 30, 2020, will be refunded in full. You do not need to cancel your reservation. Your refund will happen automatically.
- If you have a reservation after April 30, you do not need to cancel this reservation. You are encouraged to check back closer to your arrival regarding cancellations.
- Parks Canada will stop taking new reservations until further notice.
Passes and permits
- The sales of all passes has been temporarily suspended until further notice. Please check regularly for updates.
- For current pass holders, Parks Canada will automatically extend the end date of Discovery Passes for the full duration of the suspension period. That means that for each month or part of a month that visitor services are not offered due to Parks Canada's efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19, a full month will be added to the end date of the annual pass.