Sulphur Mountain (Alberta)
Sulphur Mountain | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 2,451 m (8,041 ft)[1][2] |
Prominence | 670 m (2,200 ft)[3] |
Listing | Mountains of Alberta |
Coordinates | 51°07′25″N 115°33′21″W / 51.12361°N 115.55583°W[4] |
Naming | |
Native name | Mînî Rhuwîn (Stoney)[5] |
Geography | |
Country | Walking trail
Gondola lift/Hike for Sanson's Peak (2,256 m or 7,402 ft) |
Sulphur Mountain (
, Canada.The mountain was named in 1916 for the hot springs on its lower slopes.[1] George Dawson had referred to this landform as Terrace Mountain on his 1886 map of the area. Sanson's Peak was named in 1948 for Norman Bethune Sanson who diligently attended the observatory recording equipment atop Sulphur Mountain for nearly 30 years.[6]
Recreation
Two hot springs have been commercially developed. The lowest is the Cave and Basin National Historic Site and the highest is the Banff Upper Hot Springs.
A gondola on the eastern slope goes to the summit ridge which has an upper terminal containing three restaurants, a gift shop, and multiple observation decks. The summit ridge provides views both westward up and east down the Bow Valley. A boardwalk can be followed on the north side to the top of Sanson's Peak (2,256 m or 7,402 ft).
The original, and more scenic, summit access is along an old fire road (Sanson Road) on the Southwest face of the mountain with a distance of 5.8 km from the Banff Sundance Canyon trail system near the
Scientific importance
The mountain has been the site of two research facilities. In 1903, a meteorological observatory building was completed atop Sanson Peak. This building still exists and visitors can look through a window to see its interior complete with rustic furnishings. In the winter of 1956-57, the
The hot springs at the base of Sulphur Mountain are home to the endangered Banff Springs snail and the now-extinct Banff longnose dace.
References
- ^ a b "Sulphur Mountain". cdnrockiesdatabases.ca. Retrieved 2007-09-03.
- ^ "Topographic map of Sulphur Mountain". opentopomap.org. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
- ^ "Sulphur Mountain". Bivouac.com. Retrieved 2009-01-02.
- ^ a b "Sulphur Mountain". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
- ^ Pearce, Kyle (June 13, 2023). "An Indigenous First Nations History Of Banff National Park". mindfulecotourism.com. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- ^ a b "Sulphur Mountain Cosmic Ray Station National Historic Site of Canada". Parks Canada. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
External links
- Banff Gondola
- "Hike Description". Archived from the original on 2012-07-03.