Towels, robes, and flip flops are also available for rent or purchase at the front desk.
Eclipse is a facility for adults only, ages 19 and up.
The Change from a Recreational Family Facility to an Adult-Only Health Facility
Takhini Hot Springs was purchased in 1999, and since that time the new owners committed to
sharing the beautiful geothermal water of Takhini with Yukoners and visitors alike. The Takhini
Hot Springs pool was old and needed to be replaced. In starting the planning for a new facility,
clients mentioned that they would like a new facility with more natural pools and with hotter
water, much like the Liard Hot Springs Provincial park near the BC/Yukon border. Also, people
would complain that they didn’t like to bathe in a pool with chlorine, concerned that it wasn’t
healthy. The favoured place to sit in the old pool was at the hottest part of the pool, close to the
hot water jets entering the pool. It was clear that clients wanted something hotter, unchlorinated
and more natural.
The owners travelled the globe visiting various hot springs and realized that the best fit for what
Yukoners were hoping for was to build the new facility with Japanese Onsen style pools. Onsen
pools feature shallow natural rock pools, with hotter water, and a “flow through” design that
doesn’t require chlorine because of the rapid turnover of the water (typically less then 4 hours
for a complete change of water).
During this same period, Whitehorse constructed the Canada Games Center featuring a
beautiful, family aquatic facility built with taxpayer money. Further, they steeply subsidized the
entry fee to provide for a low entry price for families. It became clear that competing with a
subsidized facility was a way to guarantee failure. To succeed as a private business with no
government subsidies, the only viable business model was to construct a new facility with more
luxurious pools and spa features different from the Canada Games Center and offer a health
and healing focus as opposed to a family recreational focus.
As a result, Eclipse was built and features hotter water (too hot for infants and many children),
shallow rock lined pools (dangerous for children), and pure unchlorinated hot springs
mineralized water. Unchlorinated water entails strict client hygiene rules to prevent water
contamination, and these rules typically are not respected by children. Eclipse is one of the few
“adults only” facilities in Whitehorse that promotes and supports a healthy lifestyle.
Eclipse hopes Yukoners appreciate a quiet place to disconnect from technology and from their
busy lives and families, and that they can find relaxation in the natural mineral water pools. For
more details on the history of Takhini Hot Springs and the construction of Eclipse, check out the
information here Barefoot Walk Panel
Yes, all of our guests are required to take a full cleansing shower in our on-site showers prior to using any of our amenities. We want to keep our hot springs as natural as possible, therefore, we chlorinate our pools minimally; enough to kill basic bacteria and COVID-19. To ensure we do not have to excessively chlorinate our pools, as you may find in a hotel or public pool, all guests must enter through our shower system. This includes washing your full body, your hair, and all makeup. Soap, shampoo, and lotion are all provided along with hair dryers. We have unscented and scented options – we are not a scent-free facility.
Cell phones are to be left in your complimentary locker when you enter the facility. We respect people’s privacy and those who do not appreciate photos being taken during their visit. The facility is also designed for peak relaxation and, therefore, customers are not permitted to be talking or chatting on their phones while using our services. There are some designated areas, like the Hot Rock Café, where cell phone use is permitted. We are unable to offer wifi internet at this time.
The timeslot you book is just the time you will be checking in for your booking. There is currently no time limit for guests. We expect most people will stay an average of 3 hours to make the most of the facility.
We’ve welcomed many pregnant guests to Eclipse over the years. While our team is happy to help guide your experience, we are not medical professionals, so we strongly recommend checking with your physician before your visit to confirm what’s safe and suitable for you.
We have designed our facility to be welcoming and inclusive to all genders, identities, and orientations. You may notice that it’s mandatory to choose between only two gender options upon booking. While this is a current limitation of our system, we realize this is alienating to some. We are working to address this and to have more gender options available. Our facility was completely built with inclusivity in mind and with comfort and privacy at the forefront of the change room experience. All showers & changing stalls are private. We have three change room options – Men, Women, and Universal. Our universal change room is welcome to any individual that would be more comfortable in a non-gender specific space. We strive to be safe and inclusive for all and we hope that this is reflected in your overall experience at Eclipse.
Accessibility, like inclusivity, is very important to us. All of our amenities are ground level, except our upstairs relax room. Two of our pools have ramps for entry and can be used for wheelchair or walker users (our water could cause damage to these due to the minerals, unless specifically designed for such use). Two other pools do have small staircases with handrails for entry. We have a larger accessible shower with a stool, multiple accessible bathrooms, and the universal change room. There may be moments when some parts of the facility are inaccessible to some if/when there is construction or building happening on-site. If there is something you may need or that we should know that would help support your visit, please let us know in the ‘special requirements’ section when booking.
No, our pools are all gravity fed by a naturally occurring hot spring. Water exits the source at approximately 46°C and sits in our pool at around 40°C. The temperature can vary from pool to pool with a range of 38 – 42°C depending on the weather/season. No pumps or heating technology is used to fill our pools with this naturally hot mineralized water. We highly recommend cooling yourself off and taking some time to rest then doing it all again. This is the Hydrotherapy cycle we hope our guests take part in.
Yes! We offer red and white wine, as well as a few draft beer options. Because of our location and the dehydrating nature of the hot springs, guests are limited to one alcoholic beverage before their soak. Additional drinks may be served after soaking at the server’s or bartender’s discretion.
Our source is naturally full of a number of minerals. Here is a chart showing the make up of our water:
While we recognize nudity and nude bathing is normalized in some spa facilities around the world, we do require our customers to wear clothing made of bathing suit material in the facility. Though quite popular in Europe and other countries, it is not quite normalized here in North America and we want all of our guests to feel at ease and comfortable with their surroundings.
