Cave and Basin National Historic Site

Great place. The parking costs 20 bucks. Lots of availability though. The history of the swimming pool was pretty awesome. If you don’t like the smell of sulfur I would not recommend going to see the cave. Pretty nasty smells. The snails were super cool! Would be really cool to swim in that huge pool back in the day. Oh and don’t forget to take a photo in the Photo Booth 😀

The cave and basin National historic site is small location. We get to explore a small cave, which smells a lot due to the mineral salts. But there are a lot of other action available. Especially for kids. But going there as adults might turn out to be a little boring and will occupy only around 15 minutes of your time.

There are hiking trails from this location and the scenery in this location is amazing. It is worth the visit just for the hiking trails.

Cave and Basin National Park is a hidden gem that offers a perfect blend of natural beauty and historical value. Whether you're a nature enthusiast, a history buff, or simply seeking a serene and picturesque setting, this place is a beauty. I can't recommend it enough.

It's one of the tourist attractions in Banff National Park. If you love history, this is the right place, and if you don't, then this place is still interesting.
Cave is small & smells of sulfur, but it's beautiful. There are two boardwalks, upper & lower.
The upper boardwalk, the view is spectacular & you will get to know lots of information about the past. Lots of stairs to climb up.
The lower boardwalk is very interesting, with a little pond (different types of small fish), and if you are lucky, you will see different types of birds too.
The staff are helpful and knowledgeable.
Great for families, especially with young kids and groups, too.
The admission is free with the annual park pass.
Parking is free. There is a small gift shop next to the parking lot.

An interesting part of Canada’s National Parks history as it is the start of it after all, we were very interested in the Banff Springs Snail and how it can live in the pools. The ‘Winter Carnival’ was on when we visited which added to the experience but as wonderful as the surroundings and history are it’s a little underwhelming as there isn’t a huge amount to do or explore within the main cave & basin area itself, although you can go up a few elevations. Be prepared for the very strong smell of sulphur (of course), we knew it would be intense, but this was something else entirely. Maybe consider having some refreshments, possibly in the winter a warm drink offering, such as coffee, to keep visitors at this important location for longer.