Miette Hot Springs:

Miette Hot Spring is somewhat of a Mecca for travelers along the the Yellowhead Highway. Traveling West on Highway 16 from Hinton as you head towards Jasper National Park, gaze upward toward the impending Rockies. Allow yourself to let the rigid structure of your mind to relax for just a little bit and you will see a majestic Indian chief . Actually it is a mountain form that appears to be a chief reclining while wearing his headdress. This famous landmark is readily visible once you have seen it for the first time. If you look in the center of the photo below you will see his throat and chin on the right then his nose and forehead, and then the headdress. This picture was taken from Athabasca River Valley, but the view from the highway depicts it just as clearly.

This ominous form is the gate keeper to the eastern entrance into Jasper National Park, perhaps one of the finest parks anywhere and is a favorite with visitors from all over the world. Just beyond the park entrance you will find the roadside village of Pocahontas and a turn off to the Miette Hot Springs. This road will take you up the Wild Fiddle Valley and up the side of the mountain. The journey itself is an attraction with multiple inexpensive campgrounds, waterfalls and abundant wildlife.   Several enjoyable miles later  you come to the little village of Miette Hot Springs. Camping, gifts, food and limited accommodations are available but most people come to soak in the pool. It is heated by water gushing out of the ground at 54 degrees Celsius and is cooled to 40 degrees Celsius before entering the pools. (for our metrically challenged readers see our conversion calculator)  You may find this helpful for many functions. 

In times past you actually soaked in the hot sulfur water that was blended with some cold mountain spring water to make it bearable.  The original spa pool was replaced with the "less smelly" version which now uses fresh water passed through a heat exchanger. While it is still fantastic to soak in it lacks the therapeutic benefit of the sulfur and therefore, some of the lure that it once had. 

To take in part of the history and ambience of the Miette, you can stroll  down to the old bath house and beyond, to the head of the spring. This will give you a sense of the original Miette Hot Springs. (by sense we mean smell) Sulfur has the strong smell  of boiled eggs and it was necessary to rinse off after being in the pool to rid yourself of the smell. Unfortunately the sulfur is partly to blame for the new system being fresh water, as sulfur is acidic and when combined with heat and moisture it can be extremely corrosive to the plumbing.

You will leave the thermal pools feeling thoroughly at ease and maybe a little cooked. See the Parks Canada page on Miette

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