SPRING RESTRICTIONS ON SELECTED HIKING TRAILS

KRNAP is temporarily closing some trails to protect the critically endangered black grouse. The restrictions will remain in place until the end of May.

The Krkonoše National Park Administration (KRNAP) is once again imposing temporary restrictions on access to selected mountain trails this year.

From March 15 to May 31, certain sections of hiking trails will be closed to protect sensitive animal species, particularly the critically endangered black grouse.

This is the fifth year the park administration has implemented this measure. The closures apply annually to areas where the capercaillie is regularly found and where its spring mating season takes place—a breeding period when the birds are particularly sensitive to disturbance.

According to conservationists, human presence during this time can significantly affect nesting success and the overall stability of the population.

Spring is a critical time for capercaillies. Disturbances during the mating and breeding season can have a major impact on their population.

Temporary restrictions on tourist movement thus help create peaceful conditions for the birds during the most sensitive time of the year.

The closures apply, for example, to sections of trails near Zadní Rennerovky, Vosecká bouda, Labská louka, Tetřeví Budy, Luční bouda, Černohorské rašeliniště, Kolínská bouda, and Pěticestí.

In the field, these sections of the trails will be clearly marked with signs reading: “No entry due to nature conservation from March 15 to May 31.”

The good news for tourists is that most of the closed sections can be bypassed via adjacent marked trails.

Similar measures are also in effect on the Polish side of the mountains. In Karkonoski Park Narodowy, seven hiking trails will be closed from mid-March to the end of May, also to protect the capercaillie and other sensitive species.

Source: KRNAP Press Release