The Hot Springs and Alpine Circle Tour is starts and finishes in the city of Cranbrook. There are numerous communities to visit on the route, although we've only mentioned a few. More details on the communities can be accessed by clicking on the community links at the end of this itinerary.
Route Directions
From Cranbrook, travel north on Highway 93/95 to the Windermere Valley (146 km / 88 mi). Continue north to Golden (121 km / 73 mi) and take Highway #1 west to Revelstoke (149 km / 89 mi).
From Revelstoke the town of Nakusp is south on Highway 23 (99 km / 59 mi) and New Denver is southeast from Nakusp on Highway 6 (46 km / 28 mi).
Continue south from New Denver to Castlegar (127 km / 76 mi) and then take Highway 22 to Trail and Rossland (26 km / 16 mi).
Northeast on Highway 3B from Trail will take you to Salmo (41 km / 25 mi) and Highway 6 north leads from Salmo to Nelson (40 km / 24 mi).
From Nelson head to Balfour (34 km 21 mi) and take the free Kootenay Lake Ferry before heading south on Highway 3A to Creston (78 km / 48 mi).
Highway 3 from Creston leads back to Cranbrook (107 km / 66 mi).
Tour Experiences
Start the tour in Cranbrook, but before rushing off to the first hot spring destination, stop at the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel. Wander through a nine-car rolling hotel and experience the height of elegance in railway travel. From here, the road forks to historic Fort Steele or Kimberley, the Bavarian City of the Rockies.
Fort Steele, the former Boomtown, is very much alive with period actors and the spirit of pre-railroad days. Kimberley, the highest city in British Columbia, is a mining town through and through, but has been reborn with a Bavarian theme. Whichever road you take, you will rejoin Highway 93/95 as it trends north into the Windermere Valley and Fairmont Hot Springs and Radium Hot Springs.
Along the way visit Lussier Hot Springs which is a wilderness hot springs, in the natural setting of Whiteswan Provincial Park. The starting point for this springs, is the entrance road for Whiteswan Provincial Park, on Highway 93/95, located 22 km north of Skookumchuck (8 km south of Canal Flats). The springs occur in three pools along side the Lussier River. BC Parks has maintained the walking path down to the pools, this path is wheel chair friendly, but can be extremely slipper in the winter. There is one small change house at the top, then the 5 minute walk done to the pools, three pools framed in rock, with gravel bottoms, the first pool the hot water pours in at about 110 degrees, filters down to the next pool cooling as it goes, The third pool is the coolest at about 94 degrees, and closest to the Lussier River 10 feet away.
Fairmont Hot Springs and Radium Hot Springs further north along Highway 93/95 are a great place to stop for a soak. The water is always hot, and the mountain scenery majestic. Many people will swear on the curative properties of these springs, and whether you believe them or not, there is no denying how the waters relax. Soothe your muscles with a soak after an afternoon on the road or a round on one of the valley's exceptional golf courses. Each course is challenging and beautifully woven into the mountain terrain.
Heading north up Highway 95, Bugaboo Provincial Park makes an interesting side trip. Take time to witness the granite spires carved by ages of wind and rain before continuing to Golden. An outdoor enthusiast's town, Golden is at the junction of two major rivers - the Kicking Horse and the Columbia. Take Highway 1 west to Revelstoke, through Glacier National Park and over the 1,382 m (4,600 ft) Roger's Pass.
Stop at Albert Canyon and at the Canyon Hot Springs on the way for a soak in the mineral pool. Nearby you can explore the ruins of a ghost town before continuing into Revelstoke, the "Home of the World's Largest Sculpted Grizzly Bears". Visit the Revelstoke Dam and Railway Museum and learn the story of the men and women who put the city on the map.
Head south on Highway 23 and cross Upper Arrow Lake on the free Galena Bay Ferry and head towards Halcyon Hot Springs. Halcyon is surrounded by spectacular alpine peaks, crystal blue lakes, rivers and streams, and an abundance of wildlife. The springs are harnessed by the Halcyon Hot Springs Resort and the hot pool averages 107°F (41°C), warm pool 95°F (35°C) and the cold pool and children's pool 85°F (29°C). There are extensive walking and hiking trails, horseback riding, boat launch, fishing, swimming and ATV packages available during the summer months. In the winter, you can enjoy superb snowmobiling, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Alpine and heli-skiing are nearby.
Nakusp is the first major community south along Highway 23, a pretty little town with two well-kept hot pools. The village of Nakusp is set on the shores of the Upper Arrow Lake in the Kootenay Mountains. In summer, travellers are drawn to the fine 9 hole golf course and the great fishing in the many streams and lakes. Take a relaxing walk along the waterfront pathway to a lovely Japanese Garden. The Nakusp Hot Springs invite visitors to relax in their soothing waters. Pools are naturally heated and range in temperature from 38ºC (100ºF) to 41ºC (106ºF). Heli-skiing based out of Nakusp features some of the finest snow and finest ski terrain in British Columbia. The cross-country ski trails in the winter and backcountry hiking in the summer provide pleasant pastimes.
Continue south along Highway 6 and to the sleepy mountain village of New Denver. Founded in 1892 on the shores of Slocan Lake, the Village of New Denver saw its first houses built by the mining prospectors. These mining pioneers were followed by merchants and businessmen, who built stores and hotels, and the village prospered. New Denver soon became the hub of government services in the Slocan Valley. The former mining town is now noted mainly for its spectacular location on Slocan Lake, with the peaks of the Valhalla Mountains rising more than 2,100 m (6,825 ft) on the opposite shore. During World War 2, New Denver was the site of an internment camp that housed some 2,000 Japanese-Canadians displaced from their West Coast homes.
From New Denver you can take a side trip 8 km (5 mi) on Highway 31A to the ghost town of Sandon which in the 1890s was known as Monte Carlo of North America. Famed for its unbelievably rich deposits of silver-lead ore following the 1891 discovery of silver by Eli Carpenter and Jack Seaton, thousands of men soon filled the small valley almost to bursting. Further along Highway 31A, 47 km (29 mi) is the lake town of Kaslo. Here visitors can walk through Victorian streets and heritage sites and board the CPR sternwheeler SS Moyie, a dry-docked museum.
Leaving New Denver continue south on Highway 6 along the shores of Slocan Lake. When you come to Castlegar, stop at the Doukhobor Heritage Village or take a trip east on Highway 3 out to the settler's museum in Grand Forks. On your way back, stop at Christina Lake for some warm-water recreation.
Highways 3A and 3B both lead to the mining communities of Rossland and Trail. Nestled in a volcanic crater, the steep hills around Rossland are home to Red Mountain Ski Resort and have helped it become named the "mountain bike capital of BC". Trail was built around the Cominco Smelter in 1895 and drew workers from around the world. The large Italian community is said to be the home of British Columbia's best Italian food.
Travel east from Trail to Salmo. Salmo began as a railway siding town called Salmon Siding on the Burlington Railway Line. At this time gold and silver were being discovered in the surrounding mountains and Salmo grew as a centre for supplies and entertainment. Salmo claims to have the world’s oldest telephone booth on the property of the Sal-Crest Motel. As well, Salmo boasts the world’s largest penny dedicated on July 1, 1995, Canada's Birthday, in honour of Penny Power.
After exploring Salmo drive Highway 6 north to the city of Nelson. With more artists and craftspeople per capita than any other city in Canada, Nelson is often described as a "funky" mountain community. Take a heritage walking tour and explore some of the 355 fine heritage homes, hotels and shops.
From Nelson travel east to Balfour and then take a side trip 15 km (9 mi) north up Highway 31 to world-renowned Ainsworth Hot Springs. The Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort’s natural hot springs feature a unique horseshoe-shaped cave where the darkness, the mineral deposits and the humidity all combine to offer an exhilarating experience. The hot, steamy, odourless shower of mineralized water falls from the cave's roof and forms a waist-deep pool, providing a rejuvenating natural steam bath.
Back at Balfour, take the Kootenay Lake Ferry - the longest free ferry ride in the world - then follow Highway 3A south to Creston. Based on agriculture rather than mining, Creston is located in one of the widest and flattest valleys in the region and a stop on the Pacific flyway - the migration route for thousands of birds. Visit the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area before driving back to Cranbrook along Highway 3 (95) and completing the hot springs and heritage circle tour of the Kootenay Rockies.
