World famous Banff Upper Hot Springs
It’s magical to sit in the pools in the wintertime, watching snow fall on the surrounding peaks. Sunrise and sunset at any time of the year is also a wonderful time to visit, as the mountain air cools down during these times of day. The springs are open until late in the evening year-round.
The Natural History Of The Banff Upper Hot Springs
The water in the Banff Upper Hot Springs is heated geothermally, bubbling up to the surface from three kilometres into the earth’s crust. The water that reaches the surface has not seen daylight for hundreds of years. It began as precipitation (rain and snow) which very slowly seeped through the sedimentary rock layers, getting hotter and absorbing dissolved minerals as it descended. The water then flows up to the surface along the Sulphur Mountain Thrust Fault, a large fracture in the mountain where rock layers have slid on top of each other. The natural temperature of the water that emerges at the Upper Hot Springs outlet varies depending on the season. During the winter, the temperature is as hot as 47°C (116°F). In the spring, the flow increases and the temperature cools off, to a minimum of 27°C (81°F). Heated municipal water is used to top up the pool during winter when the spring’s natural volume is lower.
The facilities at the Banff Hot Springs are universally accessible and includes a large pool and café. Swimsuits, towels, and lockers are available to rent.