Cave and Basin National Historic Site of Canada

The Birthplace of Canada's National Park System

The Discovery

“... like some fantastic dream from a tale of the Arabian Nights.”

That is how William McCardell described the mistfilled Cave when he, his brother Tom, and their partner Frank McCabe first saw it in the fall of 1883. Immediately, their plans began to form. They could build a bathing resort! Become rich! If only they could gain ownership of the springs.

Although they were not the first to discover the Cave and Basin Hot Springs, these three railway workers can lay claim to bringing the springs to public attention. In following their dreams of fame and fortune, they unwittingly helped start Canada's national parks system.

A Park is Born

In the early 1880's Canada's first national park was still an idea, whose chief supporters were the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Government of Canada. Both saw the potential for tourist traffic, the advantages of western settlement, and the prestige that a national park would bestow on a young country.

Arguments over the ownership of the Banff Hot Springs escalated into a legal battle, which the government was called into settle. Recognizing an ideal location and opportunity, the government solved the dispute in 1885 by declaring that the springs would belong to all Canadians--as part of Canada's first national park.

Protecting Our Heritage

" The parks are hereby dedicated to the people of Canada for their benefit, education, and enjoyment...and such parks shall be maintained and made use of so as to remain unimpaired for future generations. " National Parks Act, 1930

Banff National Park has become something much bigger then it was in 1885, both in size and in vision. Begun as a resort spa catering to the whims of the privileged classes--an island of civilization' in the midst of wilderness--the park evolved as the world around it changed. Now, like other national parks, it has become more like an island of wilderness' in the midst of encroaching civilization.

You can help protect our heritage by learning about and respecting park habitats, inhabitants, and regulations during your visit. Along with memories and photographs, we hope you will take home with you insights into living in better harmony with the natural world that sustains us all.

Completing the System

We now have 43 national parks in Canada, and the largest national parks system in the world, but many parts of this diverse country are still unrepresented. Canada's goal is to complete its national parks system by protecting significant examples of every one of our many distinct natural land and marine regions.

Cave & Basin Wetlands

A Rich Habitat

Life abounds in the Cave & Basin wetlands. The springs are home to a very special snail, found nowhere else in the world. Brilliant pink bacteria, white and blue-green algae, and a multitude of small fish and insects thrive in the warm waters. Delicate orchids, harmless garter snakes and 80% of Banff's bird species can be found here at various times of the year. Elk, deer, and coyotes frequent the area and--if you're lucky--you may even spot signs of wolf or bears.

Wetlands

soggy, spongy, boggy, muddy, not quite dry land and not quite open water

Wetlands are any area of land which is covered by water for part or all of the year. They can be permanent or temporary. In the mountain parks wetlands are rare and small but very important.

• Wetlands are homes for an amazing diversity of insects, wildlife and plants - including most of Canada's rare and endangered species.
• Like sponges, wetlands hold and slow the release of runoff, reducing erosion and flooding.
• Wetlands improve water quality by filtering out sediments, some pollutants and excess nutrients.
• Wetlands recharge the water tables which provide well-water.
• Wetlands provide many benefits to people including wildlife viewing, food and medicine.

what's in a name?

Each wetland type is defined by its soils and the plants most commonly found in it. Wherever you see a wetland area see if you can tell what kind of wetland you are looking at by using the descriptions below.

Marsh - Cattails or other plants are emerging from shallow water.
Fen - Dry enough for grasses, sedges and shrubs. Peat soils* lie under these plants.
Bog - Drier still. Dry enough for black spruce to become established. Bogs also create peat soil.*
Wet Meadow - Seasonally these meadows are flooded by run off. Look for grasses and shrubs.
Swamp - The driest wetland. Look for white spruce, shrubs, spongy floor and mosses.

* Peat is a wet acidic (sour) soil created in the cold, wet, low oxygen conditions found in fens and bogs. Peat soils form at a rate of only 1 mm per year.

Wetlands keep changing. They go from wet to dry, or dry to wet depending on the season and the climate.

About the Hot Springs

Thermal Springs

Hot springs are among the most unique natural features of the Bow Valley. They provide habitat for rare plants, invertebrates, and fish. There is one endemic snail, Physella johnsoni, found only in the Upper Hot, Kidney, Middle, Cave, Basin, and Vermilion Lake Springs; this species is listed as endangered by COSEWIC.

There are eight hot spring outlets on Sulphur Mountain: Upper Hot Springs, Kidney Springs, Upper and Lower Middle Springs, Upper and Lower Pool Springs, Cave Spring and Basin Spring. The Upper and Lower Middle Springs are designated as Environmentally Sensitive Sites.

The Lower Middle Springs are closed to the public. They remain the most undisturbed hot springs although they are threatened by increased human use, housing developments, and human impacts to the trails that cross the different channels in the area.

Unique species found in the hotsprings:

1. physella johnsoni – endangered (COSEWIC)
2. Banff Longnose dace - extinct
3. Rare damselfly: Argia vivida
4. mosquito fish (introduced)
5. sailfin molly (introduced)
6. jewelfish (introduced)

Where does the water come from?

Most of the rain and snow that falls on the slopes of Sulphur Mountain ends up in the Bow River. Some of it, however, filters down through cracks and pores in the mountain rock, pulled by gravity to a depth of 3 kilometres (2 mi.) Below the surface. It is this water which later returns to the surface in our hot springs--read on to find out how...

Why is it warm?

As it descends the water becomes hotter and hotter--heated by the earth's molten core. Like water in a coffee percolator, when boiling it is under greater pressure and must seek a route back upward. Depending on how quickly the water is able to rise to the surface, and the degree to which it mixes with cold ground-water, Banff's springs have different temperatures: hot at the Upper Hot Springs, and warm at the Cave & Basin.

Why does it smell?

When the water becomes heated, it is able to dissolve minerals from the surrounding rock. Pyrite and gypsum are two common sulphur-bearing minerals dissolved in Banff's hot springs. The rotten egg odour (hydrogen sulphide) is produced when these dissolved minerals are broken down by sulphate-reducing bacteria in the water, before it comes to the surface.

Where does it go?

Once at the surface, the spring water flows down the lower slopes of Sulphur Mountain towards the Cave & Basin Marsh. Along the way, and in the marsh itself, this warm mineral water creates a rich oasis for a diversity of plant and animal life.