Big Hill Springs Provincial Park in Alberta occupies approximately 26 Hectares of land with a unique history behind it’s pastoral facade. Situated in the rolling foothills of the Rockies, on Highway 567, 10 km. north of Cochrane. The valley was formed by Glacial migration and subsequent inland sea that filled the valley. A Coulee forms the lower end of the park while the rest is forest and a series of small waterfalls that cascade gently over Tufa Rock formations forming a clear warm spring fed stream that flows all year round. The Tufa forms when Limestone deposits from Carbonate and minerals mix with warm water to form layers over the years of calcium carbonate, (Calcite) not unlike what you would see inside your teapot if it was never cleaned of it’s mineral buildup. These formations are delicate and subject to Eco damage.
Location: Highway 567 and Big Hill Springs Trail, 10 km. north of Cochrane
The creek that flows through Big Hill Springs Provincial Park is fed by a number of underground springs. Springs most likely exist in a number areas along its length and in spots throughout the park. I am not aware of numbers, size or exact location of springs so I am sorry I cannot give you more specific information than that.
Megan, what did you email them about, exactly? I have been here many times, but it never occurred to me that this would be a feasible spring to collect water from. It I live in Cochrane, so this is much closer than the n atural spring in Canmore
Does anyone know where exactly this is? I’ve been to Big Springs prov. park many times…is it the old fashioned water pump close to where you can park? I’m in Airdrie so it’s a quick drive to the park and I’d love to get some spring water. Once I saw a dead deer lying half-in the water at about the third level off the steps, obviously it would have tainted the water cascading down the little waterfalls….some extra clarification/details would be great! Thanks 🙂
Drinking pure spring water is one of the most important things we can do for our health. Our bodies are over 99% water at the molecular level, so water affects every aspect of our biology. Yet, not all water is created equal. Almost all the bottled spring water available is pasteurized for shelf stability, which neutralizes many of the powerful health benefits such as increased hydrogen, healthy probiotics, and crystalline structure. For more about why unprocessed spring water is the best water to drink, read this.
The best way to guarantee you are getting real unprocessed spring water is to collect it yourself. This is a short and simple guide filled with information about how to gather spring water. We will cover how to find a spring, how to collect the water, how to honor the spring, how to store the water properly and other tips.
FindASpring.org is the best resource for locating a spring near you. However, not all springs are on the map. First, check the map to see if there is a spring in your local area. If there is, look at the reviews and comments. Has anyone shared helpful information about flow rate or posted a water test result? Is the spring in a pristine area? Do a bit of research and make sure the spring is safe to drink from. If you have any doubt about the purity, don’t risk it and get a water test, HERE. If you don’t see a spring on the map in your area, there still might be some that aren’t listed yet. First, ask the older generation who have lived in your area a long time if they know. You can also ask people in your community who might already get spring water such as people at a health food store or at a farmers market. Another great option is to view A US forest service map, where many springs have been marked. You can view these maps through the Gaia GPS or All Trails hiking apps on your phone. The map overlay you want is USGS Topo. Not all are easily accessible or ideal for drinking, but some are and it can be a fun adventure to find them. We have found over half a dozen great springs this way.
Once you’ve found your spring, figure out how you are going to gather the water. Is it right on the side of the road and easy to access or do you have to hike to it? We recommend storing spring water in glass instead of plastic to preserve the purity of the water. It is better for the environment, your body, and the water. Even BPA free plastic has toxic chemicals that can leach into water and cause health issues. If you do want to use plastic for safety reasons when filling at the spring, we recommend transferring the water to glass as soon as possible. FindASpring is sponsored by Alive Waters, which offers beautiful reusable glass. They have a 2.5 gallon option, which is a convenient size for carrying that isn’t too heavy. They also sell handles that you can use to transport the jugs even more easily. If you have to hike to access the spring, we recommend putting the water jugs into an extra large backpack to hike the water out with ease. We use Osprey packs that hold 2 jugs each. You can also use a wheelbarrow or even a stroller depending on how easy a walk it is.
Filling 2.5 Gallon Alive Waters Jug
When you get to the spring, remember to first give back before you take. Springs are considered sacred in indigenous cultures around the world for their life giving water and also as a connection to the inner earth. A powerful and simple way to give back is to clean up. Is there any trash that needs to be collected? Could you move any dead leaves or sticks to improve the flow rate? Show up in service. Some other wonderful ways to give is with a moment of expressing verbal gratitude, singing songs to the water, offering the water an ethically sourced crystal, a feather, or some other physical gift. Flowers are a popular and beautiful thing to offer, but please be careful to source organic ones as most flowers from the store are sprayed with pesticides and can be toxic to put near a spring. Also, flowers can attract bugs as they decay, so it can be best to offer them to the flowing water directly or a little downstream from the spring head.
When gathering the water, fill the jug as close to the spring head as possible, never gather downstream. Be very careful as wet glass is extremely slippery. Make sure the lid is securely fastened. When transporting the spring water home, the jugs can sometimes slide around the car. Secure them in place or wrap them with towels or something so they don’t crash into each other.
How you store your spring water is essential. It is not pasteurized like spring water from the store, so it will start growing algae if left in direct sunlight. This is good because it means it’s alive! If the water you drink can’t even support the most basic life forms, how do you think it will support your body? Store your water in a cool, dark place such as a dark corner, pantry or closet. The fridge is ideal if you have room. Some people prefer to filter their water through a Berkey filter before drinking, but if the spring is pure, it’s not necessary. We drink our spring water completely unfiltered.
How long the water stays good for depends on how cold a temperature it’s stored at. Spring water is best fresh. We personally do not prefer to drink spring water past 2 weeks old. However, we know other people that will drink it at a month old. It’s great to get in a rhythm where you know how long the water lasts you and put your collection day on the calendar in advance.
I believe that water is calling us to reconnect with her in the deepest way, to gather our own water. Just like our ancestors did. Our ancestors didn’t have fancy water machines. They also didn’t create villages or settle where there was no water. Water was revered as the center of the community and the nodal point around which life could spiral out and take root.
Here’s to restoring the sacred connection with the waters of life.
Written by Dakota Chanel. Water Priestess and Ceremonialist. DakotaChanel.com
Do you have info you'd like to add to the main spring description or perhaps a more accurate gps coordinate?
Please start by making a comment on this spring's page with any additional info, or something that you feel should be changed to reflect more accurate data. After your comment is liked by enough community members, this will validate the improved information.
Please notify us if an update with enough likes hasn't been updated in the description yet.
Big Hill Springs, Calgary, Alberta T2K1H6
Report
There was a problem reporting this post.
Block Member?
Please confirm you want to block this member.
You will no longer be able to:
See blocked member's posts
Mention this member in posts
Message this member
Add this member as a connection
Please note:
This action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to the site admin.
Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete.
I emailed Alberta Parks and this was their reply:
The creek that flows through Big Hill Springs Provincial Park is fed by a number of underground springs. Springs most likely exist in a number areas along its length and in spots throughout the park. I am not aware of numbers, size or exact location of springs so I am sorry I cannot give you more specific information than that.
Hope this helps:)
Megan, what did you email them about, exactly? I have been here many times, but it never occurred to me that this would be a feasible spring to collect water from. It I live in Cochrane, so this is much closer than the n atural spring in Canmore
I am also curious about more details on this location. I went here today and I wasn’t sure where the best spot was to get water?
Does anyone know where exactly this is? I’ve been to Big Springs prov. park many times…is it the old fashioned water pump close to where you can park? I’m in Airdrie so it’s a quick drive to the park and I’d love to get some spring water. Once I saw a dead deer lying half-in the water at about the third level off the steps, obviously it would have tainted the water cascading down the little waterfalls….some extra clarification/details would be great! Thanks 🙂
did you find out any information?
Did you ever find it? I was going to head up soon! Coming from Calgary.