Kananaskis Trails ‘Drying Out Well’ Following June Flood

One month after heavy rainfall triggered a multi-day state of emergency across Kananaskis Country, the majority of trail networks and primary access routes across the provincial park are once again operational. 

Around 170 mm of precipitation fell over a 24 hour period in late June, causing erosion, flooding, and infrastructure damage throughout the region. But unlike the severe floods of June 2013, which destroyed whole corridors and swept away major bridges across the Bow Valley, field reports indicate that this summer’s storm caused far less systemic damage.

"I think we really got lucky with this particular event," said Trevor Julian, Executive Director of the Friends of Kananaskis Country, a non-profit trail building and stewardship organization that works alongside Alberta Forestry and Parks. "It varies regionally, but we had slightly less than a third of the rainfall from 2013. What we're seeing is that a lot of the trails that are generally well built and don’t get a lot of water did pretty well through that event."

In the immediate wake of the flood, Friends of Kananaskis diverted staff and volunteers to trail assessments, clearing deadfall trees brought down by wind and bank erosion while reporting structural washouts back to provincial officials.

While field crews, conservation officers, and park rangers have now visited virtually all major corridors in the park system, Julian noted that the physical impact on the ground remains highly localized. Low-lying areas, boggy sections, and drainage points took the brunt of the water volume, leaving deeper ruts, muddy tread, and standing water.

A sustained stretch of dry weather throughout July helped stabilize soil conditions and accelerate trail drying.

"Things have drained out," Julian said. "You're probably going to see a lot of dried mud or, in low-lying areas, you're still going to see some wet. But for the most part, you're not going to see a lot of physical damage from that event."

Where structural damage did occur, it remains concentrated at stream crossings and vulnerable water features. A handful of footbridges were swept away or structurally compromised, requiring detours along the Ribbon Creek trail network and access routes leading into backcountry campgrounds at Forks, Three Isle Lake, and Turbine Canyon. The Black Prince Cirque Interpretive Trail, High Rockies Trail and Wedge Pond Trail remain closed indefinitely. 

Trail users should visit albertaparks.ca for the latest information on trail closures. Alberta Parks advises trail users to use caution, watch for debris and gravel deposits, and strictly obey posted signage and closures

"There is some damaged infrastructure that's going to take a bit of time to fix," Julian explained, adding that large-scale structural repairs, including bridge replacements and heavy machinery operations, fall under the jurisdiction of Alberta Parks rather than volunteer stewardship groups.

For Friends of Kananaskis, field work has shifted back to routine seasonal projects. In the Jumpingpound and Powderface Trail corridors, crews are working to mitigate erosion and repair wet sections made worse by June's rain volume. Weekly maintenance continues on the mountain bike trail network at the Canmore Nordic Centre, which suffered minor storm impacts.

Despite the disruption to the early-summer schedule, Julian said the organization expects to fulfill its planned work objectives for the season. The post-flood response also spurred an uptick in local volunteer engagement, with Bow Valley residents signing up for trail work days in high numbers.

For mountain users heading into Kananaskis for the remainder of the summer, trail managers are asking the public to exercise discretion in muddy zones to prevent lasting trail degradation.

"If trails are really wet and waterlogged, we need to stay off them because we damage them by using them, whether we're hiking, biking, or equestrian use," Julian said. "If they're muddy, you just wreck the tread and it can take a long time to fix it after that."

Locals and visitors who encounter unreported trail washouts, damaged bridge abutments, or hazardous blowdowns can report conditions directly to Alberta Parks or email descriptions and location details to Friends of Kananaskis Country at [email protected]. Volunteer trail crew sign-ups remain open on the organization's website at kananaskis.org.