The village of Radium Hot Springs is little more than a support system for area vacation development; gas stations, a couple of cafes, and a string of motels that grow denser as one nears the hot springs at Radium Hot Springs. But people come here for more than the town that is located within the boundaries of Kootenay National Park, which has the same mountain peaks and glaciers as Alberta’s more famous Banff National Park. They come here for the natural hot springs, and Canada’s largest hot springs pool.
Radium Hot Springs, the actual springs, makes an ideal soaking spot at the base of Redstreak Mountain in the Kootenay Mountain Range. The mountain setting is spectacular, and a sheer rock wall rises above two pools; one heated, the other much cooler. Unlike some hot springs, these waters are free of odorous sulphur. The water temperature varies with the season; in spring, the snowmelt cools the thermally heated springs.
The Radium Hot Springs story is as old as the Rocky Mountains themselves. It began with the unleashing of powerful forces that left its tale in heaving, tortured rocks. The earth’s crust cracked along a fault, more than two kilometres deep. The shatter zone around the fault lets groundwater seep close to the earth’s core heating, pressurizing and returning it to the surface with more than 700 milligrams of minerals per litre at a rate of 1 800 litres (396 gallons) per minute. The hot springs water, 44°C (114°F) at the source, is filtered and chlorinated, and enters the pool at a comfortable temperature of 39°C (103°F). The cool pool temperature is 29°C (84°F).
The soothing mineral-rich warm water of Radium Hot Springs and the stunning Rocky Mountain scenery combine to relax tired muscles and return peace of mind. After soaking in the pools, visitors can enjoy a massage or reflexology treatment in the spa. Of all the commercial hot springs in BC, Radium is the most welcoming to people with disabilities, with special bathing chairs available, and the pools and changing rooms all fully wheelchair accessible. Radium and the Upper Hot Springs are open to the public year-round.
Radium Hot Springs is the perfect spot to enjoy great hiking and backpacking, rock climbing, horseback riding, fishing, river rafting, and superb wildlife viewing, and the golf courses nearby are simply world class. Winter offers cross-country, backcountry and alpine skiing, ice climbing, and outstanding downhill skiing at Panorama and Fairmont Hot Springs Ski Resort.
Location
Radium Hot Springs is located on Highway 3 in the BC Rockies, at the junction of Highway 93 & 95, a 90-minute drive north from Cranbrook.
Contact Information
Radium Hot Springs
PO Box 225
Radium Hot Springs, BC
V0A 1M0
Phone: 250-347-9331
Nearby Regions & Towns
Services in or near Radium Hot Springs
Biographical Info
The Canyon RV Resort in Radium Hot Springs is set on Sinclair Creek amongst big old trees, huge lawns and lots of flowers, surrounded by the Rocky and Purcell Mountains. We offer grassy tent sites, deluxe RV pads, fully serviced bathrooms, laundry, and playgrounds, with hot springs, hiking and golf nearby.
