MARVEL IN THE UNIQUE
GEOLOGY OF ANGEL SPRINGS
If interesting geology is your thing, then you
definitely need to make the journey to Angel Springs in
Kelowna.
Angel Springs Interpretive Trail in MyraBellevue Provincial Park leads hikers to a warm spring
featuring tufa benches. Along the trail, a number of
signs provide details about the geology of this mixed
coniferous forest. The path crosses through seasonal
wetlands and forests full of Douglas-Fir, Lodgepole
Pine and Western Larch before changing dramatically to
Western Red Cedars so dense their crowns block the
sunlight resulting in sparse vegetation.
Banded or layered rocks along the path
referred to as Okanagan Gneiss were created in the
interior of the earth 40 million years ago. Gneisses are
metamorphic rocks formed when older rocks are cooked
or metamorphosed during mountain building events.
The original rocks may have been granites formed 1.8
billion to 40 million years ago. Minerals in these rocks
indicate cooking temperatures of 500 to 600 degrees
Celcius at depths of 10 to 15 kilometres. A fault at the
bottom of Okanagan Lake, caused rocks that were once
10 to 15 kilometres above our heads to move westward
uncovering the gneisses along the trail.
 Angel Springs is a mineral spring that created tufa benches along the forest floor.
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The trail becomes steep and narrow as it
descends to the springs. The Angel Springs tufa
deposits are composed of mineral calcite which, along
with limonite (an orange algae-bound iron bearing
mineral) precipitates from the hot water rising for
kilometres along a fault below the creek bed. The
estimated subsurface temperature of the water is over
100 degrees Celcius but it cools down considerably as it
spills out the surface.
In areas where the water pools, tufa benches
up to three meters long are created. As water crests over
these benches it picks up carbon dioxide then forms
calcite which traps plant material creating casts of
leaves, sticks and needles in the tufa.
Tufa’s unique mineral rich properties which
can directly support plant growth make it a highly
sought after material for landscaping
Claims on the Angel Springs tufa had been
registered in 2000, but in 2001 the Provincial
Government moved to expropriate the claims in order to
preserve this unique geochemical and biological system
which is one of the few warm springs in the Okanagan
area.
FAST FACT – The springs were
discovered by Ben Schleppe during
a hunting expedition in the 1960’s.
HOW TO GET THERE – The trail-head is located on
the east side of Little White Forest Service Road at
kilometre four. To reach the trail-head from Kelowna,
take K.L.O. Road to McCulloch Road then to June
Springs Road follow June Springs Road to Little White
Forestry Service Road. The trail length to the springs is
3.2 kilometres for a 6.4 kilometre round trip. The
estimated time for the average hiker is 3 hours for a
round trip.
 Top: Penny walks past a large boulder along the trail
carrying her big stick for protection. Bottom: Angel Springs
flowing over the rocks formed from mineral deposits carried
in the water.
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