BOW VALLEY – The number of cyclists on the Legacy Trail between Banff and Canmore has reached a significant milestone.
While Parks Canada can’t say one million people have ridden the scenic 26-kilometre trail between Canmore and Banff, counters at both ends of the popular route have clocked more than one million ‘rides’ over the past 11 years.
“It’s an awesome number to reach, an exciting milestone on that trail,” said Daniella Rubeling, Parks Canada’s visitor experience manager for Banff National Park.
“I think the dream was that this would not only be a destination in and of itself, but a way for people to get from these popular destinations – Canmore and Banff.”
Built in 2010 to commemorate Banff National Park’s 125th anniversary, the three-metre wide paved route runs parallel to the Trans-Canada Highway.
Since August 6, 2010, Parks Canada statistics show the Legacy Trail sees on average of 196 daily rides; 1,798 weekly and 7,820 monthly rides.
The busiest day was July 11, 2020, with 3,120 rides and the busiest week was Aug-10-17, 2020 with 10,407 rides. Last August was the busiest month in a decade with 43,466 rides.
“It’s been exciting to see the level of activity it has been getting,” Rubeling said.
Parks Canada officials say it’s hard to confirm 100 per cent if COVID-19 played a role in the increase in users in 2020.
“It’s hard to speculate, but it would be consistent with what we’ve been seeing over the last 18 months in terms of it being an opportunity for people to get out,” Rubeling said.
“There’s also a number of rental companies allowing for cycling and so that’s probably played into the Legacy Trail’s popularity as well.”
Rubeling said the trail offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains from a different vantage point and offers residents and visitors a way to explore the landscape in an environmentally friendly way.
“It’s a way to experience the amazing views of the Bow Valley from the seat of a bicycle,” she said.
Cycling on the 51-km Bow Valley Parkway, which parallels the Trans-Canada Highway from just west of Banff to Lake Louise, also continues to be popular.
Currently, public vehicles are banned on a 17-kilometre section from the Fireside day-use area to Johnston Canyon until the end of August to encourage road cycling.
Parks Canada will be seeking input from the public on a variety of options for the 17-km section. More details will be forthcoming in the not-too-distant future.
Parks Canada is also reviewing the results of a trial cycling opportunity on the Minnewanka Loop that occurred on weekdays in May.
“There’s definitely some lessons learned there as there always is when we pilot something, so have a few things to work out in terms of what that would look like if we would look at that in the future,” Rubeling said.
“Right now, what we’re focusing on is the Bow Valley Parkway because there’s a few more more pieces of infrastructure likes gates and so on that make it a bit more manageable for us.”
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