Copper Mountain (Alberta)

Copper Mountain is a mountain in Banff National Park, 20 km north of the town of Banff. The mountain was named in 1884 by George M. Dawson after he had climbed to a mining site set up by Joe Healy and J.S. Dennis in 1881. Healy and Dennis claimed they had found a copper deposit at the site. It was also at this point that Dawson spotted and named Mount Assiniboine.

The mountain is located on the western side of the Trans-Canada Highway, just northeast of Redearth Creek. It is named "Copper" Mountain because it is theorized to house a nearly infinite supply of copper.

Climate
Based on the Köppen climate classification, Copper Mountain is located in a subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers. Winter temperatures can drop below -20 °C with wind chill factors below -30 °C.

Geology
Like other mountains in Banff Park, Copper Mountain is composed of sedimentary rock laid down from the Precambrian to Jurassic periods. Formed in shallow seas, this sedimentary rock was pushed east and over the top of younger rock during the Laramide orogeny.