Natural mineral springs a hot destination
by Amanda Follett
There’s a certain technique to really enjoying the outdoors — a fine balance between losing yourself to the wilderness and maintaining your sanity. To make the most of your Rocky Mountain experience, take the time to search out relaxing hot springs and be rewarded with the best the outdoors have to offer. You’ll enjoy beautiful scenery, rustic settings and the peace of mind that comes with a good soak. A great destination year round, geothermal hot springs were believed by Native cultures to have therapeutic powers, but one thing is for certain: bathing in a mountain pool is good for the soul.
Banff Upper Hot Springs
Best to start with what started it all: the Banff Upper Hot Springs. Discovered by railway workers in 1881, the desire to protect Banff’s hot springs was the catalyst for creating Banff National Park, eventually leading to the creation of Canada’s modern day national parks system. The springs originally brought tourists to this area and not much has changed in recent years — they are still swarmed with visitors most seasons. That said, with their close proximity to downtown Banff they are still worth visiting, if only for the rental 1920-style bathing suits. A main building offers change rooms with lockers, a cafeteria, a spa and the bathing area, a maintained, pool-style facility with great views from the slopes of Sulphur Mountain. The springs are a favourite stop-off on the way home from a hike or the ski hill. The nearby Cave and Basin, which was the original site for bathing, is now a historical site and interpretive centre.
Admission: $7.50 for adults, $6.50 for children and seniors. Family rates also available.
When to go: Open long hours, year round. Times fluctuate according to season.
One of the hottest springs in the area, Dewar Creek can only be accessed by a 10-kilometre hike.
Miette Hot Springs
Miette Hot Springs is also a pool-style facility, but being off the beaten track makes it a little quieter than Banff’s hot springs. The scenic, hour-long drive from Jasper makes for a great day or overnight trip. From Jasper, follow Highway 16 east for about an hour. Hang a right at Miette Road and follow the paved, winding road another ten minutes to the springs. The parking lot is also the jumping off point for a half-day hike along the Sulphur Skyline trail, a moderately difficult trail offering great views of the Jasper front ranges’ valleys and rivers. After stretching your legs, reward yourself with a relaxing soak in one of Miette’s two hot pools. Rustic accommodation, camping or cabin-style, can be found near the junction of Miette Road and Highway 16.
Admission: $6.25 for adults, $5.25 for children and seniors. Family rates also available.
When to go: In summer, the springs are open 8:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. Open spring and fall, 10:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. Closed in winter.
Radium Hot Springs
Radium Hot Springs have become one of the most popular in the area, in part due to the nearby golf course and beautiful surroundings. These pool-style facilities are tucked aesthetically into a nook at Sinclair Canyon, offering spectacular views in a seemingly rustic setting, although you are unlikely to find yourself bathing alone. From Canmore, follow the TransCanada Highway west to Castle Junction, where you’ll catch Highway 93 south to Radium. The drive is a pleasant one and takes less than two hours. Just before Radium, you’ll find yourself descending rapidly into the canyon, which spits you out in a valley between the Columbia and Rocky Mountains. The springs can’t be missed — they’re right on the road after leaving the canyon, just before reaching Radium’s main intersection.
There are two bathing pools at Radium, one hot and one cool. This is a great place for children to play, with a beach-like slope at one end of the hot pool. It’s also the most accessible for those with disabilities and a plastic wheelchair is available for use in the pool, just call ahead.
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Banff Upper Hot Springs is a pool-style facility located in close proximity to great hiking, skiing and Banff’s shopping district.
Change rooms with lockers, a snack bar and massage clinic are also located at the springs. Although the town itself is enough to keep visitors occupied for, oh, maybe half an hour, nearby Invermere is great for shopping and accommodation and there is a great deal of camping in the area.
Admission: $6.50 for adults, $5.50 for children. Family rates also available.
When to go: Open 9 a.m. until 11 p.m., May to October. In winter, hours are limited from noon until late evening.
Lussier Hot Springs
Lussier Hot Springs, in Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park, offers a pleasant mix of off-the-beaten track and easily accessible. The trip is less than three hours from Canmore, taking road-trippers through Radium and the beautiful Columbia River Valley. From Radium, follow Highway 93 south until you see a sign for Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park. Turn left and follow a scary-but-scenic logging road about 20 kilometres to the springs’ parking lot, on the right. A short trail takes visitors from the parking area to three small pools, which are maintained but still not far off their natural, rocky state. The Lussier River runs next to the pools and on hot days is great for daring one another to jump in and cool off. While Lussier is still relatively close to untouched, its close proximity to the road has seen an increase in visitors in recent years. Unless visiting in the off-season, best to camp at one of the nearby campgrounds and plan your soak for evening or early morning.
Admission: The desire to get away from it all is all you need at these hot springs.
When to go: A sign in the parking lot offers rules and regulations about bathing times and procedures, none of which seem to be enforced. The stranger your time of visit, the more likely you are to have the springs to yourself. (Note: Nudity is prohibited!)
Dewar Creek Hot Springs
Dewar Creek is just one example of what you can find if you’re willing to travel off the beaten path. If you visit, there’s a good chance you won’t have to share your pool with a single soul. However, there is a time and effort investment, as the springs are located a 10-kilometre (6-mile) hike from a remote logging road in the British Columbia interior. If you have a couple days to spare and are a strong hiker, the adventure can be made from Canmore with one day in, one out. From Radium, follow Highway 93 south to Kimberley. Just past Kimberley, turn right on St. Mary Road. Not long after, the pavement ends and you will be confronted with a network of logging roads. From here, it’s best to have the guidebook handy, Hot Springs of Western Canada by Glenn Woodsworth. After about an hour on rough logging roads, you’ll reach the trailhead. The hike to the springs is a moderate one, taking two to three hours for the average hiker. There are designated campsites near the springs, but if you continue five minutes further the trail opens into a beautiful mountain meadow. This trip is best enjoyed in autumn when the leaves have turned and the trail is dry. During runoff in spring and early summer, the creek floods the lower pools, offering the choice of lukewarm or scorching hot water — at their source, Dewar Creek hot springs are one of the hottest in the area.
Admission: All it takes to enjoy the peace and quiet of Dewar Creek is a little effort and time investment.
When to go: The best time to visit is in fall, when the trails are dry and spring runoff isn’t flooding the pools.
If you go:
For all you need to know about local hot springs, pick up Glenn Woodsworth’s Hot Springs of Western Canada (1997, Gordon Soules Book Publishers Ltd.), available at most book stores in the area. If you’re a hot spring connoisseur and planning on touring Western Canada, keep this book handy and knock off as many as your trip will allow.
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