After four days of heli-hiking heights or via ferrata climbs at CMH, your legs might scream for a soak.
That prescription is easily filled for our guests who choose to fly into Kelowna (YLW) and self-drive to CMH Bugaboos or CMH Bobbie Burns. With a few extra days to spare following your adventure at one of these remote, luxury lodges, you can head south for a road trip diversion through hot springs country on the drive back to Kelowna.
We’ve compiled suggestions of our most recommended, recuperative stops and easily customizable driving options to make the most of your time. A soak in any of these mineral hot springs is the perfect reprieve for a few days of rest and recovery.
About the route
Start: CMH Bobbie Burns helipad or CMH Bugaboos helipad
End: Kelowna International Airport
Distance: 820 km / 509.5 mi
Total drive time (non-stop): 10 hr 30 min
Suggested days: 2-5 days
Map: driving directions
While mountain activity predominates in BC’s booming adventure towns of Golden, Revelstoke and Nelson, the scenic winding route between these trailhead epicentres also provides alluring hot spots for rest, recovery and relaxation.
Known for endless lakeside vistas, hidden gem geography and iconic small towns with historic mining-era character, this route is punctuated by a high concentration of mineral hot springs that provide immersive experiences to soothe the muscles in vista-perfect surroundings.
In winter, this tucked-away region is a haven for skiers of all kinds—cat, heli and backcountry—due to the Selkirk and Monashee Mountains that rise from each side of the natural range boundary of the 230-kilometre long Arrow Lakes.
But when summer sun shines on these mountain towns, this lakeside route, that was once the domain of steamboats connecting Revelstoke to the Columbia River, inspires at every twist and turn with its endless trailheads, provincial parks, historic mining-era towns and relaxing, restorative soaking spots.
Add-ons and options
The basic route is highly customizable, depending on how many days you have.
Choose to shorten it by doing an out-and-back when you reach Revelstoke, hitting only a few hot springs before returning to Kelowna.
Or, make the route longer by adding days exploring some of the small towns you’ll pass through, or by hiking in Valhalla Provincial Park or Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park.
For those who have even more time, you can complete the full Hot Springs Circle Route, which will take you deeper south.
The soaks
Halcyon Hot Springs
After taking the trip across Upper Arrow Lake on the Shelter Bay Ferry, the first stop headed south is Halcyon Hot Springs Resort, a tranquil lakeside retreat focused on rest, relaxation and rejuvenation. The developed mineral springs features four pools filled with lithia-rich waters overlooking the Monashee Mountains and Upper Arrow Lake. On-site dining and resort-style accommodation make it an obvious overnight when the sun slips behind the mountains.
Nakusp Hot Springs
The second mineral springs on our hot springs spur route, the Nakusp Hot Springs is a cherished gem of a public soaking resort 12 kilometres up Hot Springs Road from the town of Nakusp deep in the forest in the Kuskanax Valley. Community owned and operated—with a tradition of public access dating to a surface mining claim from 1897—the natural thermal springs sits in a beautiful forested valley. The two developed pools are mineral fed, but filtered, providing some of the cleanest and clearest hot springs water anywhere in the province.
Ainsworth Hot Springs
Even further south, Ainsworth Hot Springs is located in a setting the Ktunaxa people have utilized as a place of healing since time immemorial. The mountainside hot springs, operated with a distinctive First Nation character, is situated on the shore of Kootenay Lake. Known for the healing properties of its spirit waters, this destination still offers a combination of a medicinal experience with the pure visual power of nature. Indigenous-inspired fine dining and comfortable accommodations are located on-site.
The sights
Nakusp, New Denver and Kaslo
Compared to more marquee tourist epicentres in the Rockies, BC’s interior towns exhibit a different feel and flavour in summer, where it’s easier to mix in with the local culture and community. Whether visiting Nakusp with its lakeside waterfront walkway and paddleboarding possibilities, New Denver with its museums and artisan studios or Kaslo with its historic wharf and Saturday Farmer’s Market, each town exudes a slower-paced, unhurried and off-the-beaten path feel, even during the height of the summer season.
Valhalla Provincial Park
For hikers with endless reserves of energy, two provincial parks in the hot springs region offer endless kilometres of trail for an encore to the CMH summer experience. The first is Valhalla Provincial Park, one of the most stunning locales in BC. The trails and campsites of Valhalla are worthy of its nomenclature, but they do come with a caveat. A recent wildfire heavily impacted the landscape and created temporary closures within the park, but the protected landscape is now partially re-opened and worthy of the high-clearance drive into one of its marquee trailheads.
Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park
Known far beyond Canada for its iconic namesake beer can vista, this massive 32,000-hectacre park is prime backcountry territory for remote hikes, camps or adventures of any kind. With two glaciers, thirty lakes, 85 kilometers of hiking trails, world-class trout fishing and the marquee 1200-meter long Kokanee Lake, the park features some of the most scenic mountain terrain in the southern section of the province. Be forewarned though—even the roadways can be a bit of a backcountry experience, with high clearance recommended to reach many of the trailheads.
The Lodge at Arrow Lakes
A CMH-owned property that serves as home base for our CMH Kootenay operation in winter, the Lodge at Arrow Lakes reorients itself toward the water in summer. The lodge is conveniently located in downtown Nakusp just a short walk from the public sandy beach. Marked by CMH’s high standard of service and hospitality, and infused with our trademark relaxing feel, the lodge is a convenient spot to stop for the night before heading further south or just spending a down day lounging on the shores of Upper Arrow Lake in this relaxed lakeside mountain town.
Extra time? Do The Full Circuit
For those with the time and leisure to complete the full six-soak circuit, the extended BC Hot Springs Circle Route links six hot springs and eight towns in twelve segments during a weeklong extended itinerary.
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