The Opal Hills Trail, near Maligne Lake, will likely be closed for the next month due to a female grizzly bear and her cubs, according to Parks Canada.

“We close the trail to protect the public and give the bears the space that they need,” said Wes Bradford, wildlife conflict specialist for Jasper National Park, who suspects the trail will be open by late August or early September.

“A female grizzly bear with young of year cubs are probably one of the most dangerous bears on the landscape because they are very protective of their cubs,” he said noting that the Opal Hills area is an excellent feeding source for grizzly bears, he said. 

“For all we know, the grizzly bear might have been raised there by her mother and knows the food sources. She could be very comfortable there, so is going to feed her cubs there now too,” he said.

When this popularity amongst feeding grizzly bears is coupled with the popularity of the trail amongst hikers – which has reduced sight lines due to it’s narrowness and dense vegetation – there is an increased likelihood of a bear being surprised by a hiker on the trail, said Bradford.

“All that means it’s possible it could turn into an aggressive encounter,” said Bradford.

For these reasons the Opal Hills trail is closed two out of every three years, he added.

“The opening criteria is when we know that the bears have switched from digging for squirrels and roots to berries,” he said noting that the trail should be open by the third week of August but maybe a little later as the berries may take longer to ripen this year. 

Hikers should remember to obey trail closures, travel in groups and carry bear spray when hiking in the national park.