Parking
Park at the Cave and Basin National Historic Site lot at the end of Cave Avenue; the outdoor boardwalk begins near the historic-site buildings.
Overview
About Discovery Boardwalk
Why go
- Rare chance to see a unique thermal-spring ecosystem up close
- Deep dive into the exact place Banff National Park began
Heads up
- Short and stairs limit—more a stroll than a hike
- Boardwalk can be slick in wet or snowy weather
Discovery Boardwalk is the free Upper Boardwalk experience at Cave and Basin National Historic Site, the place where the 1883 hot-spring discovery helped launch Canada's national parks. It is a short, easy way to see the thermal-spring landscape and the historic site without committing to a backcountry hike.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy goMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Banff map
Full mapElevation1,404–1,447 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Banff alerts
- ClosureRed Deer River valley bottom closed for ceremonial bison harvestThe Red Deer River valley bottom is closed to the public during an Indigenous ceremonial bison harvest taking place through November.Official details
- ClosureLake Minnewanka and Aylmer area closureLake Minnewanka Trail, Aylmer Pass Trail, and campgrounds Lm8, Lm9, Lm11, Lm20, Lm22 and Lm31 are closed to all users because black bears are displaying food-seeking behaviour.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Banff Tour Guide
Your drive to Discovery Boardwalk, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Banff National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Cave and Basin: Birthplace of Canadian ParksListen
“You're coming up on the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, the very spot where Canada's entire national park system began.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Banff Springs Snail
- Warner Stables: Banff Horseback and Sleigh Rides
- Buffalo Nations Museum and Banff Recreation Grounds
- Valleyview Picnic Area: An Eastbound-Only Stop
- 178 audio storiesacross Banff’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Brown Bear, Gray Wolf, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 177 trails, 236 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…Loved the commentary as you drove thru. I’m sure the app can do more than I know but the tips were very helpful. I’m gonna use it when we go to Banff next month.”
Trail guide
Hiking Discovery Boardwalk
The walkThis is an out-and-back visitor route from the Cave and Basin National Historic Site trailhead.
This is an out-and-back visitor route from the Cave and Basin National Historic Site trailhead. The connected paved approach, boardwalk and stair sections lead toward the vent-hole end of the Upper Boardwalk, with a mapped corridor of about 0.18 miles (0.30 km) each way. Allow about 0.37 miles (0.6 km) total and roughly 20–25 minutes at a relaxed, sign-reading pace. The route is generally easy, but its short climbs and stairs mean it is not uniformly wheelchair accessible.
Access and what you’ll seePark at the Cave and Basin National Historic Site lot at the end of Cave Avenue; the outdoor…
Park at the Cave and Basin National Historic Site lot at the end of Cave Avenue; the outdoor boardwalk starts near the historic-site buildings. Parks Canada lists the Upper Boardwalk as a short boardwalk with minimal elevation gain; admission may be required for the building and cave exhibits even though the outdoor Discovery/Upper Boardwalk is the free part of the visit. Look for warm spring water, steam, interpretive signs, and the fragile habitat of the endangered Banff Springs Snail.
Tips and cautionsStay on the planks and designated paths because the hot-spring ecosystem is sensitive.
Stay on the planks and designated paths because the hot-spring ecosystem is sensitive. Stairs and damp or snowy boards can be slippery, and pets are not allowed on the boardwalks. Early or late in the day is usually quieter; the nearby Marsh Loop and Sundance routes are separate, longer add-ons rather than part of this short boardwalk experience.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Banff
122 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
150 sightingsBrown BearMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
44 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
12 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
67 sightingsMooseMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
465 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 9 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Banff. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
