 Respecting Jasper National ParkThose who love hiking in Jasper, also probably know how easily we can disrupt it's natural environment. Hiking trails are established for people to enjoy hiking, but in a perfect world, we probably wouldn't be out there at all, so keep these things in mind while you take it all in...
- Stay on the trail - try to stay on the established hiking trails even when muddy, and certainly don't take or make a shortcut. There are places where you will see the beginnings of shortcuts forming into what appears to be a hiking trail and it doesn't take very long or very many feet to do this. It does, however, take a very long time for alpine and subalpine areas to grow back to their original state. When areas are wet or snow-covered, they are even more sensitive to our trampling.
- While we all love animals, and especially dogs, please also keep in mind that they do disturb other wildlife and many other hikers. Even near Jasper's townsite, please don't walk your dog near or especially through a group of wild animals like elk or mule deer.
Having your dog near other wildlife will probably cause a natural unpleasant reaction, or worse, the wildlife may become used to dogs being around, which may eliminate their natural fear of one of their predators...which has obvious chaotic concerns.
Enjoy Jasper National Park, and help us keep it the way it is.
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