Info on AllTrails app sending visitors off track in Kananaskis: Alberta Parks

Ha Ling Peak in Kananaskis country overlooking the town of Canmore. (file)

Alberta Parks is warning visitors to Kananaskis country against relying solely on AllTrails, a crowd-sourced app, that the organization says has placed hikers in peril.

In a Wednesday morning social media post, Alberta Parks said search-and-rescue crews have had to respond in situations where visitors to the mountainous provincial parks have been misled.

"The Kananaskis Country Public Safety Team has responded to many incidents caused by unreliable information from (AllTrails) the crowd-sourced app," read the post. "While AllTrails can contain useful photos and reports of current trail conditions, you should never rely solely on the app to plan your trip.

"Read guidebooks, look at satellite images, study your GemTrek topo map and check official trail reports on AlbertaParks.ca before you go."

Alberta Parks also encourages the use of physical maps and satellite messengers as cell service is not readily available in many sections of the parks.

A spokesperson for AllTrails issued the following statement to CTV News Wednesday afternoon in response to the concerns of Alberta Parks.

"AllTrails takes trail safety very seriously and users can help us maintain accurate and up-to-date trail pages by suggesting edits or leaving reviews. We strive to work directly with parks and land managers to ensure the public receives the best possible information. We also recommend that trail-goers download their trail maps for offline use before heading out. This AllTrails Pro feature helps keep users on track even if service is unavailable."