Nestled within the mighty Canadian Rockies, Banff Hot Springs had an interesting birth. In 1883, during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, three railway workers stumbled upon thermal springs on Sulfur Mountain's northeast slope. To protect these natural resources, they made the bold move of establishing Canada's first national park, Banff National Park, in 1885, and declared the hot springs as reserved land. The Banff Upper Hot Springs we see today, managed by Parks Canada, is one of nine naturally occurring hot springs in the park.