Get in!
admission to Cave and
Basin is free with a Parks
Canada discovery Pass.
aMa members save $10
on passes purchased
at aMa centres
by the way
ArguAbly the most storied plAce in the Rockies
is not any one mountain, but something that lies far
below their peaks. Cave and Basin National Historic
Site, on the flank of Sulphur Mountain, is regarded
as the birthplace of Canada’s national parks. Though
known to Indigenous Peoples for millennia, the
group of thermal mineral springs was brought to
national attention in 1883 by three Canadian Pacific
Railway workers. Four years later it became a main
attraction for both nature lovers and bathers looking
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AMA INsIdER
to “take the waters” at the new Rocky Mountains
Park (now Banff National Park). Taking a dip today
is strictly prohibited, as doing so damages the habitat
of the endangered Banff Springs snail (in all the world,
the mollusk is only found here). Instead, interpretive
walks—including a stroll through the underground
cavern—and interactive exhibits in the Story Hall
are designed to show guests how a hole in the
ground helped to foster conservation efforts across
the country. —Craig Moy
Origins Underground