Parks Canada is reminding visitors that building forts in mountain national parks like Banff is illegal and harmful to the environment.
“Please leave the fort-building at home, take only photos, leave only footprints,” read a recent post from Parks Canada.
Officials say they have found multiple cases of illegal fort construction across the parks. These structures often involve rearranging natural elements like logs, rocks or branches.
Under Section 10 of the National Parks General Regulations, this kind of activity is not permitted.
“Removing or rearranging natural objects like logs, rocks, or branches is not allowed,” Parks Canada says.
Though these forts may appear harmless, they can have serious consequences.
Parks Canada says they can “damage sensitive ecosystems and vegetation” and create “safety hazards for staff, visitors, and wildlife.”
Dismantling the structures also takes up valuable staff time that could be better spent elsewhere.