Joel Hibbard

Joel is an owner, outfitter and guide with Canadian River Expeditions. His favourite paddling trip is the upper stretches of the Nahanni River which saves him from having to choose which part of the park he enjoys most! Joel has a lifetime of experience in the Nahanni and looks forward to sharing the beauty, history and adventure of the North with you.

Last Updated: December 4, 2019
River Life
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Kraus Hot Springs on the Nahanni River

A highlight for many who journey down the Nahanni River with us is a relaxing soak in the soothing 32°C waters of Kraus Hot Springs.

We arrive at Kraus Hot Springs after paddling through Nahanni’s spectacular First Canyon, the steepest and deepest of them all. This sulfuric hot spring is an idyllic spa in the wilderness. It smells like rotten eggs but it feels like heaven.

The hotsprings were named after Mary and Gus Kraus who resided there between 1940 and 1971. The only structure remaining is a small cabin which functioned as an outbuilding. Garden parsnip and a few other exotic plants grow in the area, a legacy from the Kraus’ garden.

More to explore

Nahanni Gold Seekers

October 24, 2019

Value:
The regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.
(Oxford English Dictionary)

Mary Kraus, First Lady of the Nahanni

October 29, 2019

The Nahanni watershed is widely recognized as a place of global significance. Its diverse geology boasts landforms that include Canada’s deepest river canyons, some of the largest tufa deposits in the world, as well as hot springs, karsts and pseudo-karsts. For those travelling the Nahanni River, it is the stories of the people who spent time in the Nahanni that add dimension and colour to the magnificence of the landscape they’re immersed in. Read on for a bio of Mary Kraus, First Lady of the Nahanni.