The management of the Tatra National Park (TPN) is considering introducing a year-round ban on moving along trails after dark. This is linked to the growing popularity of night hikes in the Tatra Mountains, New Year’s Eve incidents involving tourists, and the need to ensure better nature protection and improve safety.
“More and more people are entering the mountains after dark. This increases the risk for tourists and at the same time affects nature, including the nighttime activity of many animal species. That is why TPN is analyzing the possibility of introducing a year-round ban on moving along trails at night,” emphasized TPN Director Szymon Ziobrowski. Currently, this ban applies only during the summer season. According to TPN regulations, moving along trails after nightfall until dawn is prohibited from the beginning of March until the end of November. This restriction is intended to protect animals, including those waking up after winter and beginning their mating season. Limiting tourism at night also allows animals to move freely between feeding and resting areas. Conservationists also remind that hiking at night can be dangerous for tourists, as wild animals are more active then.
Problems related to night excursions in the Tatra Mountains were noted, among others, on New Year’s Eve, when many tourists headed into the mountains after dark. Two incidents involving the use of fireworks were recorded – on Sarnia Skałka and in the area of the shelter at Morskie Oko – as well as a number of minor violations of park regulations. Some ended with fines, others with warnings. “The park area at night is not a space for loud New Year’s celebrations,” Ziobrowski stressed.
The ban on using flares and fireworks and on making excessive noise stems from the Nature Conservation Act, which prohibits, among other things, the use of light sources with an open flame outside areas designated by the park director. Fireworks may be used only on the basis of an individual decision by the Minister of Climate and Environment. TPN reminds that the use of flares and fireworks is punishable by a fine of up to PLN 500; in the case of cumulative offenses – up to PLN 1,000; and in the event of more serious violations or refusal to accept a fine, the case is referred to court, which may impose a fine of up to PLN 5,000.
In the Polish Tatra Mountains, there are 275 km of marked hiking trails of varying levels of difficulty – from very easy to very difficult, equipped with safety installations such as chains, clamps, and ladders. The trails are marked with five colors: black, red, green, blue, and yellow; the colors do not indicate the level of difficulty.