Upper Hot Springs Trail

Upper Hot Springs Trail is a 1.0-mile (1.6 km) point-to-point walk from the Banff Springs Hotel side to the road just below the Upper Hot Springs pool. It climbs through conifer forest and takes about 30 minutes one way. This is a short foot connection to the hot springs, not the longer Sulphur Mountain summit hike.

The mapped line climbs steadily through the woods; some of the conifers along this hillside have been thinned to reduce wildfire risk. The route is short, but the grade is described as moderately steep. There is little current detail about the exact tread or views, so expect a straightforward uphill forest walk rather than a signed scenic circuit. The mapped line ends on the road below the pool, not inside the bathing facility.

Historic directions place the start beyond the Banff Springs Hotel parking lot, above a fire-road entrance. The precise present-day trailhead and public parking there are unclear, so confirm access with Parks Canada or the Town of Banff before setting out; do not assume the hotel lot is available to trail visitors. This is not a loop: walking back the same way makes it about 2 miles (3.2 km) and around an hour before time at the pool. Leashed dogs are generally allowed on Banff trails in summer unless a posted restriction applies.