A Must Visit in Banff: Cave and Basin National Historic Site

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Banff is a unique metropolis located within Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. The resort town has ample of boutiques, nightclubs, shops, fancy restaurants, and museums for its locals and tourists. Visit the Cave and Basin National Historic Site to experience the birthplace of Canada’s national parks and learn about the natural and cultural history of the mountains. Discover the hot water that seeps from the rocks, smell the minerals, and explore the trails. Enjoy it on your own or take one of the many guided tours. The Cave and Basin National Historic Site is a popular tourist attraction of Banff, which draws a lot of visitors to Banff.

The Cave and Basin National Historic Site Banff is known as the birthplace of the Canadian National Park system. In 1883, William McCardell and Frank McCabe employees of the Canadian Pacific Railways accidentally discovered this site. Though the Cave and Basin National Historic Site was known to the indigenous locals for many years, some say almost 10,000 years, but it came into limelight due to those railway employees. They built a cabin nearby to commercialize the cave and basin site. Then many private businesses started facilities for bathers to enjoy the thermal spring. The situation became so chaotic that to avert an environmental catastrophe; the Canadian Government had to declare the springs as Canada’s First national park.

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In the coming years, many things happened to facilitate the visitors to Cave and Basin. An artificial tunnel was made in 1886 to aid visitation to the Cave and Basin. Later in 1912, to further take monetary benefits from the water from the Cave and Basin site with alleged curative powers was sold as bottled water. A naturally heated swimming pool was opened for the public in 1914. This swimming pool continued operation till 1994, and then it was closed for public.

The original bathhouse of 1887, the first-ever structure of the site, was declared inadequate by 1902. So, a new pool was built in 1904. The better bathhouse designed by architect Walter S. Pinter built of stone and was completed in 1914. The pools which were closed back in 1975 were reopened in 1985 were again closed in 1992. Most of the earlier structures were built by World War I detainees. These detainees were from a Ukrainian Canadian Camp, located nearby.

In 1981, the Cave and Basin were officially declared a national historic site by the government.

Though the bathing and swimming in the springs have been stopped for many years now, the site was reopened by the government in May 2013 as an impressive museum. Visitors coming here can still see the original cave during the tour. There is now a beautiful terrace overlooking the former lower mineral spring’s pool. A boardwalk takes the visitors uphill from here to the cave’s upper vent and additional springs.

The Cave and Basin National Historic Site is a must-visit place in Banff not only for its historical significance but also for its stunning views. It is historically significant as the birthplace of the national park system. The built facility now includes an artificial tunnel to a natural grotto. It is the replica of the original tunnel and bathhouse of 1887. The 1916 restored swimming pool and structure, along with interpretive displays, hiking and snowshoe trails are there for visitors to enjoy.

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The Cave and Basin National Historic Site has various tours to educate the visitors not only about the history behind the national historic site formation but also about the local wildlife. It is a world-class example for visitors to see how Canada protects its wildlife and natural resources. It also showcases how natural resources are conserved to avoid an environmental catastrophe. The visitors also visit to know the cultural history behind Canada’s Parks and enjoy the sights, which led to the creation of Canada’s first national park.

The Cave and Basin National Historic Site have many activities for its visitors, including some daily tours to better understand the site. One can enjoy some or all of them according to one’s inclination.

Discovery Boardwalk, or as it is commonly called Discovery Tour, is the tour where the visitors learn and explore the history of the cave site and enjoy the natural sights of the place. It is a 45 minutes duration tour where visitors get to see the colorful characters from the past of Banff. They also learn the history behind the Cave and Basin National Historic Site and how it became the birthplace of Canada’s national parks. This tour is must see the jaw-dropping views of the bubbling hot springs. The tour is conducted daily, the year-round. The tour fee is included in the site entry fees.

Families or people coming with kids need to visit the Arts & Crafts Tent. It is located on the Cave and Basin pool deck and has a lot of activities for young kids from 3 to 12 years of age. They can let their imagination run wild and create many things from puppets to butterflies or enjoy coloring. Do check beforehand about the drop-in times.

There are many trails which the visitors take at the Cave and Basin National Historic Site. They start from the parking lot of the historical site. Start with the Upper Boardwalk trail, where one needs to walk 0.4 km along the Upper Boardwalk above the bathing pavilion. From there they can see the cave vent and site of the former Hotel. Along the trail, there are sightings of two smaller mountainside springs and pools filled with white and green algae, pink bacteria, small fish, and insects. The Lower Boardwalk trail is 0.5 km and is below the building. Take this trail to know more about the area’s natural history and enjoy the sightings of fish and birdlife, which live in the wetlands below.

The most popular trail is the Sundance Trail. The path is almost 5.5 km loop through the canyon. One needs first to take the paved trail of about 3.9 km distance, which goes beyond the Cave and basin. It's a few minutes easy walking and then a steady climb from the river. Where the paved path ends, a moderately severe trail starts, which goes through the water-filled canyon. One gets to see panoramic views of the mountains on the way. The scenic walk along the mountains and rivers is worth the effort.

To enjoy the unique environment of the Cave and Basin area, take the Marsh Loop. It is a 2.8 km trail encircling the wetland. The wetland is filled with water coming from the hot springs flowing from the lower slopes of the Sulphur Mountain. Enjoy the exotic plants' species like orchids thriving below the Cave and Basin area.

Visitors interested in science do take the Climate Science Program at the Cave and Basin. This program is conducted for science enthusiasts of all ages, where they get to know the scientific facts behind many things like climatic changes or how to build their glacier. In this program, a park interpreter conducts many fun hands-on activities for the learning and enjoyment of the visitors. The visitors get to learn about the science behind the things and foster an appreciation for the environment. Do check-in beforehand about the drop-in timings of the program.

If one gets tired of strolling around the various trails and wants to sit and relax, then fishing is an enjoyable activity. There are facilities to fish at the Cave & Basin Marsh system. One can fish at the marsh or by the river. There are plenty of spots, and the relaxing activity is enhanced with magnificent views of the mountains.

Visiting the Cave and is incomplete without seeing the Media exhibits and watching the videos. One needs to explore the media exhibits and videos to learn about the journey of Canada’s national parks and their heritage of thermal waters. All the media exhibits are interpretive and enjoyable.

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The Cave and Basin National Historic Site is not only beautiful in the day, but the night beauty is also alluring. To enjoy the after-dark allure of the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, take the Lantern Tour. In this tour, a small group of visitors, visit the Cave and Basin National Historic Site after dark with a small lantern to learn about the history, listen to tales from the old days of discovery and experience the olden days of the area. To recreate the ambiance of starting days, a ghost of the David Galletly is created with the help of lights, fog machine, and sounds. He is the host of the program and was the first caretaker of the Cave and Basin. The host speaks about the history of the site and takes the visitors through unlit corridors of the cave. The visitors enjoy the caves better in the dark with their senses more enhanced. They feel the water is dripping more loudly, with silence all around. The shadows feel taller, and the minerals smell stronger. The shadows cast by the lanterns and the stories of yesteryears by Mr. Galletly mesmerize the visitors. There are other interactive displays and visuals experiences in the Story Hall, where the visitors learn more about the national parks of Canada.

The Lantern Tour is a must to experience the spooky ambiance of the Cave and Basin National Historic Site. It happens on Saturday nights from June till September. There are three tours each Saturday night. The opening timings are 6:00 pm, 7:00 pm, and 8:00 pm. This 40-minute attraction requires prior registration. The ticket fee costs $10.80 per person and is non-refundable.

The Cave and Basin National Historic Site Banff is located on 311, Cave Avenue. It is located one mile west of Banff Town. Accessible transport is available from the Banff Town Centre. If one is driving, then they need to cross the Bow River bridge and turn onto Cave Avenue. The Cave and Basin National Historic Site is at the end of the Cave Avenue Road.

The entrance prices differ for all the ages for Cave and Basin National Historic Site. There are no entrance fees for kids below 16 years of age. The entrance fees for adults from 16 years to 64 years of age are $ 3.90. The entrance fees for elders above 64 years of age are $ 3.40. There is a group discount for families with two adults. The total fees for such families are $ 9.80.

The Cave and Basin National Historic Site operational hours are different for different seasons. During winters, the opening timings are 12 pm till 4 pm from Wednesdays to Sundays. During summers it is open daily from 10 am till 5 pm. During the spring and fall months, the site is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am till 5 pm.

The Cave and Basin National Historic Site has various amenities and facilities for the comfort of its visitors. They have taken ample care to make it wheelchair accessible. Most of the areas are accessible by a wheelchair where ramps and walks are made such that a wheelchair can easily go on them. Similarly, the Cave and Basin site has many washrooms available at various spots. The washrooms are different for different genders with separate ones for specially-abled people, where a wheelchair can go easily.

The visitors can park in the ample parking space provided at the Cave and Basin National Historic Site. The parking space is located right in front of the entrance and ticket counter, making it very convenient for the visitors. They need to park and take entrance tickets and enter the park. While coming back too, the tired visitors need not walk a long distance to their vehicles.

Visitors looking for buying souvenirs for themselves or their near ones can purchase from the gift shops located at the Cave and Basin National Historic Site. There is a café too, for the tourists looking for refreshments. In short, the Cave and Basin National Historic Site has all the facilities to make the visit pleasant and convenient for its visitors.