Liard River Hotsprings
Liard River Hotsprings is located in Liard River Hotsprings Provincial Park at kilometer 765 of the Alaska Highway, approximately 60 km north of Muncho Lake Provincial Park. The Park has 53 campsites each with a picnic table and fire ring. 20 sites may be reserved in advance. The picnic area has a playground and picnic shelter, picnic tables, toilets, water and garbage facilities are also provided. The pools can be accessed via a well maintained boardwalk and staircases, it is an easy walk to either pool, Beta pool being the furthest from the parking area, and campsite.
History: Historical themes at Liard River Hot Springs include native use of the area, the fur trade, Geological Survey exploration, settlement by pioneers and construction of the Alaska Highway.
The Liard region was home to people speaking the Athapaskan and Kaska tongues, with original groups including the Beaver, Sikanni, Nahanni and the Dog Rib. Moose was a mainstay of these peoples and they traveled the rivers of the region by canoe. Following the arrival of white man, native use became closely linked to the fur trade and exploration work.
The first written recording of the hot springs on the Liard River was made in 1835 by Robert Campbell of the Hudson’s Bay Company. Following Campbell’s exploration, the Liard River was used as a trading route to the Yukon. The rapids along the upper Liard River were so treacherous that this route was abandoned in 1870.
The first scientific exploration of the Liard region was undertaken in 1887 by R. C. McConnell for the Geological Survey of Canada. William Ogilvie further explored the Liard in 1888 and 1889; his party camped at Liard Hot Springs on both expeditions.
The first white man to live at Liard River Hot Springs was Tom Smith, a prospector in the Klondike Gold Rush, who built and lived in a cabin with his daughter by Alpha pool in the early 1920’s. They left the area after two years of trapping; on their way to Fort Liard, Tom was drowned in the Liard River, while his daughter was rescued by some Indians and sent to the Anglican mission at Hay River.
The Japanese thrust to Alaska and the allied commitment to supply war materials to the Soviet Union spurred construction of the Alcan Military Highway (Alaska Highway). The 1,600 miles of highway was construction by 10,000 American Army Engineers and 6,000 civilians. The first boardwalk and pool facilities were built by the American Army in 1942. Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park was created in April 1957.
Geology: Liard River Hot Springs is underlain by folded, faulted sedimentary rock overlaid by a veneer of glacial drift. The springs may be related to a major fault system which parallels the valley on the south side of the Liard River; however, the exact mechanism and source of the hot springs are unknown. It is believed that ground water following gravity seeps down through the folded, faulted sedimentary rock of the Liard Plateau down towards the earths core. The groundwater, heated and pressurized by hot gases deep underground, strips minerals from the rocks and is forced back to the surface along natural faults to emerge as a thermal spring. As the hot springs water bubbles from the earth it reacts with air and certain minerals are deposited. Calcium carbonate is one of the minerals that precipitates to form tufa. Tufa forms the terraced base of the Hanging Gardens. About eight pools make up the hot springs complex in the park.
Unlike most other thermal springs in Canada, Liard River Hot Springs does not flow directly into a nearby river or creek, but into an intricate system of swamps. These warm swamps are the most unique feature of the park; these swamps create a micro climate allowing a unique vegetative community to thrive here.
Liard River Hot Springs lies in the Liard River Valley and is located in the Liard -Rabbit Plateau. The park lies within the Boreal Black and White Spruce biogeoclimatic zone. The majority of the 250 plant species in the park are of the boreal variety. However, the effect of the hot springs accounts for the occurrence of 14 thermally influenced species.
Wildlife: A total of 104 bird species and 28 mammals have been recorded at Liard River Hot Springs. Moose are year round residents and provide the most consistent viewing opportunities. During the summer months, bulls, cows and calves are observed feeding on aquatic vegetation in the swamps.
The Pools: There are two hot spring pools at Liard River Hotsprings, with water temperatures ranging from 42° C to 52° C; the nearest is the Alpha pool. Beta pool is beyond Alpha and is larger and deeper. These springs could accurately be called thermal springs, hotsprings, mineral springs, or all three. Thermal springs have water which is 5deg warmer than the average air temperature; hotsprings have water warmer than 32deg C; mineral springs contain solids in concentrations higher than 1000 parts per million
Hot water enters Alpha pool
Alpha pool walkway and ladders
Please: when visiting any of our magnificent Provincial Parks and their sensitive area's, stay on designated trails and follow all park rules, these areas have been set aside for all to enjoy, so be respectful and take with you only memories and photographs.
In order to Log this Earthcache you must:
(1) E-mail the owner the temperature of the source water of Alpha pool, and the name of the springs from which the cooler waters mix with the source water to create the pleasant pool temperature of around 40 - 49 deg C.
Optional : Post a picture of yourself or your GPS showing Alpha pool in the background.
NOTE: While awaiting the arrival and installation of new signage, please ask at the "Gatehouse" and they will provide the old sign with the required information to log this EarthCache.
Effective June 2, 2005, the Province introduced a new day-use fee at Liard River Hot Springs. The cost is $5 for adults, $3 for children or $10 for families. Annual passes cost $10 for adults and $20 for families. Visitors pay at a staffed gatehouse, which also functions as a local visitor’s centre. 75% of these revenues will be invested back into this particular park. The funding will go toward increased services and increased staff presence. These new fees will also help to cover this park’s maintenance costs, which are high due to weather variances and heavy use.
Historical information was obtained from the Ministry of the Environment, Province of British Columbia, and through information I personally gathered at the Liard River Hot Springs themselves.
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