Day passes will be mandatory to explore these 5 B.C. parks this summer

When summer officially begins, so too will the B.C. government's mandatory day pass program for five provincial parks.

From June 23until Oct. 22, day-use passes will be required for visitors toJoffre Lakes, Golden Ears,the Berg Lake Trail at Mount Robson, theBackside Trail at Stawamus Chief Park and the Diamond Head, Rubble Creek and Cheakamustrailheads at Garibaldi park.

Thefree passes can bereserved online one day before visiting and are an extension of a pilot program introduced last summer to reduce crowding during COVID-19.

According to the province, day use in B.C.parks has increased by 34 per centsince 2011 andpark visitors often stay on popular trails that can become overused and crowded in areas such as viewpoints.

Overuse of trails can also have negative impacts on the environment such as trail widening, soil erosion, altered hydrology, damaged vegetation and increased garbage from people littering.

Stu Burgess, operator at Golden Ears Park, said in a statement the day-use pass program has been a safe and effective way to manage the volume of traffic entering the park.

In 2018-19, B.C.provincial parkshad 26 million day-use visits andover 42 per cent of this visitation was in the South Coast region.

"People in B.C. love the outdoors. For many of us, it's an important part of who we are," said Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy George Heymanin a news release.

Heyman said the day pass program both protects nature and improves managed access to parks and trails.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday in Victoria, the minister said each of the five parks will have different caps on how many people can visit per day during peak hours and those will be adjusted "based on experience."Heymandid not specify what those numbers are now.

Based on stakeholder feedback after the pilot launched last year, day-use will no longer be required this summer for Mount Seymour and Cypress provincial parks on Vancouver's North Shore.

For the parks included in the summer pilot, the number of passes available each day will be adjusted to accommodate as many visitors as possible. Passes arenot required for individuals aged 18 or youngerwhen accompanied by a parent or guardian who do have one.

"The South Coast is one of the busiest regions in the province and for search and rescue. We strongly support B.C. Parksinitiatives that protect nature, keep the wilderness wild and educate park visitors about responsible recreation," saidSandra Riches, executive director of B.C. AdventureSmart.

The earliest people can book passes onlineis 7a.m. the day before they visit.The reservation systemopens for the season on June 22 for June 23 bookings.

Joffre Lakes Park is temporarily closed but is set to reopen on June 22, in partnership with Lil'wat and N'Quatqua First Nations,in time for the summer hiking season.

That particular park, said Heyman, has been "very, very crowded for a very long time" and he hopes the day pass program and new management partnership will let people better experience the sights, rather than "tripping over each other in the trails."

The B.C. government recommends people print their day passes rather than relying on their cellphones to work in parks as it could be challenging to get a network connection.

To learn more, and to reserve a day pass when the time comes, visit the B.C. Parks website.

Day-use passes will not be required for evening visits, which is after 4p.m. at Garibaldi, Golden Ears, Mount Robson or Stawamus Chief, or after 7p.m. at Joffre Lakes.