One of Alberta's favourite wellness escapes is in the middle of a serious glow-up. Kananaskis Nordic Spa, tucked into the mountains about an hour west of Calgary, is being renamed Yora Nordic Spa Kananaskis as part of a major renovation that brings new saunas, cold-water features and a refreshed bathhouse to the property.
The spa closed briefly from October 13 to 27 for construction and reopened on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, running daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. It's an adults-only (18+) spot at 1 Centennial Drive in Kananaskis Village, and pricing varies depending on the service you book.
Already on the grounds are a Forest View Sauna, a Cabin Sauna, a Calm Cabin, the Cold Cascades and an upgraded Elements Pool — the hot-cold-rest cycle the spa is known for, all framed by mountain scenery. The bigger draw arrives in November, when a new Elements Circuit opens. That collection adds a Mountain View Hot Pool, a Walk-Through Cold Pool, an Infrared Sauna, an Earth's Heartbeat Sauna, a Botanical Sauna, a two-storey Calm Cabin and red light therapy rooms. The bathhouse is also getting redone, with a redesigned lobby, refreshed locker rooms, extra showers and more massage rooms, plus a new shop and grab-and-go food station.
One caveat if you're heading out this season: construction continues while the spa is open. Noise will vary through the day, some facilities may be temporarily unavailable, and the spa says it may close entirely on days when construction noise gets too disruptive. The spa posts daily construction updates and noise forecasts on its website, so check before you book rather than after you've driven out there.
Why bother? Kananaskis is Banff's quieter neighbour — same Rockies, fewer tour buses — and a soak here pairs naturally with hiking in summer or a Calgary winter weekend. Once the Elements Circuit is running, this becomes one of the most complete Nordic spa setups in Alberta, and a solid excuse to build a trip around the region rather than just passing through on the way to the national parks.
