Golden-hued larches in Banff draw huge crowds

Police in Lake Louise say they will be ready to close the road up to a mountain lodge on the weekend if thousands of motorists arrive in the area to see the golden-hued larches.

Last weekend RCMP officers had to temporarily close Moraine Lake Road after so many fall-colour sight-seers descended on the area that safety became an issue.

"We got to the point where we couldn't really handle the volume of traffic," said David Hutton, who co-owns the lodge at the lake.

"It had all the makings of a perfect storm," he said, adding that great weather and an article in a local newspaper drove more people than usual out to see the yearly spectacle of bright yellow larches on the mountainsides.

When Corp. Jeffrey Campbell arrived on Saturday morning, the parked vehicles along Moraine Lake Road already stretched for three kilometres, he said.

"It was a little overwhelming when you first drive up into that area, you see the sheer numbers of vehicles that were up there," he said.

By mid-morning, RCMP officers and Parks Canada staff shut the narrow road down for a few hours, only allowing cars out of the area.

Parks officials are asking visitors to consider other spots to view Banff's famous golden trees before they lose their needles for the winter.