Are you planning on hiking in the Bow Valley Corridor or Kananaskis Country? If your answer is yes, then you need to first get a Kananaskis Conservation Pass. With this pass, you can visit Elbow Sheed Wildland Provincial Park, Spray Valley Provincial Park, and Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.
Will I need the Kanakaskis Conservation Pass if I am staying in Canmore?
If you are staying in the town of Canmore, you won’t need either a Kananaskis Conservation Pass or a National Park Pass. However, this isn’t the case if you are residing in areas around Canmore.
Where to purchase a Kananaskis Conservation Pass?
You can buy a Conservation Pass online. Next, you can register your car’s license plate. Alternatively, you can visit the Canmore Nordic Centre Day Lodge or Kananaskis Visitor Information Centers. And from here, you can purchase a pass in person or through Wi-Fi.
What is the price of pass?
You can buy a Conservation day pass by paying $15 plus taxes. These passes aren’t person specific and are tied to the vehicle. Therefore, you only pay $15 plus taxes even if six people travel in the same car. This makes it easy to share costs among your fellow travelers.
Additionally, locals and Calgary residents planning to spend more than a week in Kananaskis should get the Annual Pass for $90 plus tax. Each Annual Pass can register one trailer and up to three vehicles from the same household. Furthermore, all passes remain valid until 11:59 p.m. on their last day.
Will I need a Kananaskis day pass if I stay mostly in Banff?
No, you won’t need one if you aren’t planning on visiting Bow Valley Corridor or Kananaskis. Rather, you will require a National Park Pass.
Who are exempted from having a Kananaskis Conservation Pass?
You won’t need a Conservation Pass if you travel through the area without halting. It also isn’t required for vehicle drivers who are either picking up or dropping off hikers. However, you don’t need a pass if you enter Kananaskis by bike, on foot, or on horseback.
Are all pass holders checked at Alberta Parks?
Alberta Parks do not check individual people. Rather, it checks license plates and vehicles. Since the pass links to each vehicle, you receive a physical pass. Moreover, Alberta Parks monitors all vehicles at busy trailheads on weekends. Therefore, you could face a fine of up to $150 if you park in the area without a valid pass.
Do you need to show your pass physically?
No, the Conservation pass is tied to the license plates of vehicles digitally. As a result, you don’t need to manually show them anywhere.
On which days can I enjoy at Kananaskis without a pass?
- Wilderness Wednesday, first Wednesday of each month
- New Year’s Day, 1st January
- Family Day, 3rd Monday of February
- Earth Day, April 22
- Indigenous People’s Day, June 21
- Parks Day, 3rd Saturday of July
- Kananaskis Country’s Birthday, September 22
- Remembrance Day, November 11
- First day of winter, December 21
- Christmas Day, December 25
