Section of B.C.'s world-renowned Berg Lake Trail opens after flooding repair
Trail into Mt. Robson area now open as far as Kinney Lake for day trips, overnight camping
One of the most acclaimed backcountry hiking trails in British Columbia has partially reopened after months of extensive repairs to rebuild portions of the path that were wiped out during record flooding nearly two years ago to the day.
B.C. Parks said the Berg Lake Trail, which takes hikers through Mount Robson Provincial Park near the Alberta border in central B.C., is now open between the trailhead and the Kinney Lake campground.
The seven-kilometre section is popular among both tourists and locals from nearby Valemount, B.C., leading along the gushing Robson River to the azure-blue Kinney Lake. Mount Robson — the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies — is visible on the way up.
The trail is now open for day trips and overnight camping at Kinney Lake's 18 sites, according to B.C. Parks.
Large parts of the 23-kilometre Berg Lake Trail were severely damaged when rapidly melting snow and ice caused flooding during the province's record-breaking heat wave in 2021. Dozens of hikers were evacuated from the park over the Canada Day long weekend because of the extremely high water levels.
The area is immensely popular. Camping spots typically sell out for the entire summer within a few hours once reservations open in the spring during a normal season. B.C. Parks said the route offers "some of the most spectacular scenery in the province."
"It's visited by people within Canada, within British Columbia, but certainly by people from many different countries, and to have that trail system down for a long time affects not only the park system but certainly would affect the local communities through tourism revenue," said Brian Menounos, a University of Northern British Columbia professor who's been volunteering his time as a consultant for B.C. Parks.
"It's been a tremendous loss, but at the same time, the park system and parks, in general, have to ensure that when they do invest into the trail system, that it will be there for decades ahead."
Last summer, CBC News reported on crews working to rebuild the trail so it can better handle future climate crises.
The renovations range from rebuilding broken bridges to reinforcing eroding riverbanks and elevating or rerouting vulnerable trail sections.
At Kinney Lake, tent pads have been moved farther from the lake's edge to prevent damage in the event of another flood.
To accommodate the growing number of visitors, the agency nearly doubled the number of parking stalls in the trailhead lot. Crews added 97 new spaces, including six accessible parking spots.
The entire trail is being fixed in three phases. The section between Kinney Lake and Whitehorn Campground is set to reopen next summer, while the portion between Whitehorn Campground and Berg Lake is scheduled to be done in 2025.
WATCH | How B.C. Parks is rebuilding the Berg Lake Trail to survive climate change:
With files from Jet Belgraver