We love exploring this sunny valley to the west of us in British Columbia and usually visit in spring or autumn when days are getting cooler here in the Rockies. We've been exploring the valley now for the past 15+ years and I'm starting to feel like it is our second home.
Contents
1. Camping in the Columbia Valley
2. Some of our Favourite Hikes in the Valley
3. Best Bike Rides in the Valley
4. Hot Springs
5. Beaches and Water Fun
6. Paddling and Exploring the Columbia River
7. Rafting on the Kootenay River
8. Visiting Panorama Mountain Resort
9. Dining and Eating Out
10. Family Fun in the Columbia Valley
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| The Columbia Valley is a vacation wonderland destination |
Camping in the Columbia Valley
We love camping when we're in the Columbia Valley. Below are our fav. spots to camp.
Camping in Radium Hot Springs
In the Radium Hot Springs area we either stay at
Redstreak, the Kootenay National Park campground or at
Canyon RV Resort, a private campground for those using trailers and RVs. If you're tenting, Redstreak would be your best option here because Canyon does not allow tents.
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| We love camping beside Sinclair Creek at the Canyon RV Campground |
This luxury RV Resort accommodates self contained trailers and RVs (must have a kitchen and bathroom in your unit.) Reservations for non-vacation club members can be made starting in January each year. While the resort is primarily a vacation club for members who purchase their annual vacation week(s,) all guests are welcome to reserve vacant sites for a weekend, a few nights, or even a week.
Each campsite here comes equipped with a wooden platform and covered gazebo, your own BBQ and propane. The sites are very large and many are extremely private. All sites are fully serviced. There are also 9 vacation homes to rent for the non-campers in your group.
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| All campsites at RidgeView Resort include a wooden deck and covered gazebo |
We absolutely loved this resort where you'll find a huge outdoor swimming pool with loungers circling the pool. There are also private cabanas that can be reserved beside the pool, and families will enjoy the pool-side snack shack which makes lunch very easy to take care of without having to go back to your site.
Visit over a long weekend for live entertainment beside the pool, and you'll also be treated to a live band every Saturday night during the summer months for their weekly dance party.
Read all about the RidgeView Resort here:
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| Camp at RidgeView and this will be your swimming pool! |
Camping in Fairmont Hot Springs
In this area we enjoy camping at the
Fairmont Hot Springs RV Resort. Here you'll find full service sites for those with trailers and RVs. They do not allow tents. Those camping at the RV Resort receive access to the hot springs at a discounted rate from what the public pays.
If you are tenting, you can camp at the
Spruce Grove Campground nearby (also managed by the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort.) This campground has a swimming pool and is located on the Columbia River. There's a great sandy beach area beside the river (early or later in the season when the water level is low) and you can still access the hot springs as a public user (without a discount.)
The Spruce Grove Campground also has several power + water sites along the river for those camping with trailers or RVs, and they have full hook up sites as well so there's something at this great campground for everybody! - it's honestly become one of our favourite campgrounds in the Columbia Valley.
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| Camping at the Spruce Grove Campground |
Camping in Kimberley
Further to the south in the small city of Kimberley we've recently found an amazing gem of a private campground, the
Kimberley Riverside Campground. They have full hookup sites for trailers and RVs, they have glamping tents, and they also allow tenting on all sites. The sites are large, private, and have trees surrounding them for privacy from your neighbors. (Honestly, you won't find a better campground offering something for all styles of camping.)
Add a swimming pool and a mini golf course, and you've got an amazing place to spend a week! AND, it's always quiet here. (We've never struggled with loud partying, groups, or excessive noise.)
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| Camping at Kimberley Riverside Campground |
Some of our Favourite Hikes in the Valley
We certainly haven't done all of the hikes in the valley (something we'll be working on over the next many years) but we've definitely found a few family favourites.
Radium Hot Springs and area hikes
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Hiking in Sinclair Canyon, Radium Hot Springs
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Invermere area hikes
1.
Mt. Swansea - This is one of the only mountains where you can drive most of the way to the summit! (high clearance vehicle recommended) The upper parking lot takes you to within 500 metres distance of the summit with only 100 metres of height to climb.
For a longer hike, and if you don't have a high clearance vehicle, start from the bottom parking lot for a 6 km return hike (750 metres of height gain.)
Mount Swansea Cave extension: If you're able to drive to the top parking lot at Mount Swansea, add on a side trip to visit an old copper mine cave.
To find the cave, walk down the road from the parking lot a very short distance. If you arrive at the South Ridge Trail you've gone too far. The trail to the cave is unmarked but it heads off on the downhill side of the road into the trees. (Left side as you walk down from the summit.)
It's a short 5 minute hike. Turn right when you come to a trail junction and you're almost there. The cave is quite large with several corridors. Bring good headlamps.
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| The entrance to the old copper mine on Mt. Swansea |
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| You'll see the old rail tracks in the cave |
2.
Pedley Pass and Bumpy Meadows - This is another great hike that requires a high clearance vehicle. It's a short walk to Bumpy Meadows (suitably named for the round bumps found throughout the meadow) and then it's a steep climb to Pedley Pass from where you can either hike along the ridge to your left or hike to a lovely tarn to your right. All Trails has the hike marked as 7.6 km return but that assumes you are going to both the summit on the ridge along with the tarn. Taking in both objectives brings you up to 550 metres of height.
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| Pedley Pass Tarn |
Alternately, if you're a fan of ridge walks, check out the new
Pedley Ridge Trail which makes a loop by going up a series of switchbacks, and across the ridge over a series of small bumps and two summits, before reaching the pass where you can detour to visit the tarn before hiking down.
The full ridge loop with a detour to the tarn is 10.5 km in total with 677 metres of height gain (according to All Trails.)
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Hiking across the Pedley Ridge towards the first summit
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3.
Jumbo Pass - And this is yet another hike where you'll need a high clearance vehicle to reach the trailhead. You'll drive past Panorama Mountain Resort before getting onto rough logging roads. The hike is 8 km return with 700 metres of height gain. It's a steep trail with few views for the first hour (at least.) Bring lots of candy or motivational snacks for this part. Once you reach the alpine though, you'll be crossing beautiful meadows as you make your way to a hut that can be booked for backcountry stays.
End your journey at the hut where there's a small tarn. Otherwise, for the best views, climb up the ridge behind the hut for another 100 metres of height gain. Go as far as you want. We stopped at the first summit (which extended our hike by an extra 2 km.)
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Jumbo Pass (photo taken from the ridge above the hut)
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4.
Wilmer Wetlands - We discovered this hike while searching for two geocaches off Westside Road outside the small community of Wilmer. There is a small parking area along the side of the road and you'll see a large trailhead. Follow the path along the edge of an escarpment where you can look down on the Columbia River wetlands.
Hike as far as you want and return the same way. There are alternate return options as well if you want to do a 4 - 5 km loop.
Note you'll want to watch small children carefully because a tumble off the cliffs would not end well.
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| The Wilmer Wetlands is a spectacular destination in the Columbia Valley |
5.
Ray Brydon Park - This off leash dog park is located in Invermere beside the Toby Creek Bridge. We discovered it looking for geocaches. It's a great area to take pets and children for a walk close to town (and there's a wide gravel path for kids who want to ride their bikes.)
Best of all, if you follow the wide gravel trail beside the creek, you'll come to a giant pile of rocks to climb on. The kids will be happy for hours here. (And there's a geocache hidden in the rocks.)
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The rock pile at Ray Brydon Park will be a hit with all kids!
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6.
Mount Bruce - This is another hike that requires a high clearance vehicle because you'll be driving a long ways up the Bruce Creek Forestry Service Road to get here from the Village of Wilmer.
There's only 660 metres of height gain on this one but that's because you'll drive up another 700 metres of height from Wilmer! The hike is only 6.4 km round trip and we found it to be a very pleasant hike although others have said they found it to be steep.
The hike ends with a gorgeous ridge walk and there are larch trees in the fall.
Driving directions: Drive past Wilmer towards Lake Enid. Continue past the lake on the Bruce Creek FSR (forest service road), which then turns into the Ryan Creek FSR. It ends at the unmarked trailhead.
The link above will guide you from the trailhead to the summit.
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| Mount Bruce is beautiful when the larch trees are golden in late September |
7.
Pinto Mountain - This is a new favourite spring hike in the valley for us and it also requires a high clearance vehicle to drive up the Pinto Mountain Access Road. You'll start by driving past the lower trailhead for the Mount Swansea Recreation Area and then turn left onto the Pinto Mountain Road.
You can follow the map at the link above on All Trails.
The hike itself is 8.7 km round trip with 960 metres of height gain. It is quite steep in spots and then the final summit ascent is scrambly. There's also a narrow ridge walk at the very end. The views are amazing so choose a sunny day.
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| Looking over the Columbia Valley from the Pinto Mountain Trail |
Fairmont Hot Springs and area hikes
1.
Findlay Falls - This cute little hike takes you to a lovely set of waterfalls and is only 2 km round trip with minimal elevation gain/loss. It is located near the
Fairmont Hot Springs Resort so plan a trip to the pool while you are in the area.
More photos can be seen in my story:
Want Spring? Go West to the Columbia Valley.
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| Findlay Falls near Fairmont Hot Springs |
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The Hoodoos Trail - We love this early season hike to the top of a cliff lined with giant hoodoo rock formations. It's an easy 2.9 km hike to the end of the trail and much of it is chariot-friendly as you'll start off on a double track road.
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| Hiking the Hoodoos Trail near Fairmont Hot Springs |
3.
Trails around the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort - There are many easy hiking trails that can be accessed from the resort if you're camping or staying here. Otherwise, park in the day use lot and hike to the trailhead for your chosen hike.
Our favourite hike is the
Geary Lookout Trail for a short easy jaunt from the RV Campground. The trail is shown on a map that can be downloaded from the link above.
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Geary Lookout Trail, Fairmont Hot Springs
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Kimberley and area hikes
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| Wycliffe Buttes Trail near Kimberley, BC |
Best Bike Rides in the Valley
This is the easiest section to write because I've already written a comprehensive guide to biking in the valley. AND, I update it every year with new trails or areas to ride.
Read the guide here:
The Best Family Bike Trails in the Columbia Valley
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| There are no shortage of amazing bike trails in the Columbia Valley |
For more fun on bikes, check out the
Radium Hot Springs Pump and Jump bike park in Sinclair Creek or the
Mount Nelson Skatepark in Invermere with its own pump track.
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| Biking on the Radium Hot Springs Pump and Jump in Sinclair Creek |
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| Mount Nelson Skatepark in Invermere (great with bikes too) |
Hot Springs in the Columbia Valley
Below are where to find the natural and commercial hot pools across the valley:
Best Natural Hot Springs:
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The Indigenous Baths, Fairmont Hot Springs Resort
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We also like
Lussier Hot Springs in
Whiteswan Provincial Park. Unfortunately, so does everybody else so don't expect to get them to yourself. There are several pools of varying temperatures from glacial cold to scalding hot. Kids will love climbing on the rocks between the pools. It is a short 2 minute hike down to the pools and there are two out house bathrooms for changing in.
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| Lussier Hot Springs are great when they aren't busy! |
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| Soaking in the Lussier Natural Hot Springs |
Best Commercial Hot Springs:
We love
Fairmont Hot Springs. We come here year round but especially enjoy this pool in the summer because of the warm swimming pool This way, I get to soak in the hot pool while my boys swim and play in the other pool. Win win for all.
Regardless of the season, the swimming pool is always open though and so my boys can still swim around while I'm soaking.
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| Fairmont Hot Springs has a large swimming pool along with a hot soaking pool |
And if you're in the Radium Hot Springs area, you have to check out the
Radium Hot Springs Pools. Along with hot soaking pool, there's also more of a "real" swimming pool here with a diving board and a slide so the whole family will be happy.
Note for 2023, the cold swimming pool is closed for repairs. Opening date is TBD.
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| A quiet day at the Radium Hot Springs pools |
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| Swimming pool at Radium Hot Springs |
Beaches and Water Fun
Kinsmen Beach, Invermere:
My vote for best beach would go to Kinsmen Public Beach in Invermere where you'll find a splash park, playground, and jumping rafts with slides. It's primarily a rocky beach but the town brings in a big pile of sand for the kids to play in.
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| The slides at Kinsmen Beach are a lot of fun! |
Lake Lillian, Invermere:
For a great picnic spot,
you'll find
Lake Lillian outside of Invermere on the way up to Panorama Mountain Resort. There are few picnic tables with fire pits and the lake is small enough for paddling without the noise of motor boats found on the larger Lake Windermere. There are also mountain bike trails across the road.
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| Swimming at Lake Lillian, Invermere |
There is also a floating dock at Lake Lillian for jumping off in the summer months.
And, the lake is home to a healthy population of painted turtles! They're fun to search for while you paddle around the lake. (Look for logs along the shoreline.) - Just remember not to touch or disturb them.
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| Painted turtles at Lake Lillian |
Twin Lakes / Bottomless Lake:
If water adventure is more your "thing," consider visiting
Twin Lakes or "Bottomless Lake" near Invermere. Park on the side of the road, hike a short 5 minutes in, Cliff jumping is very popular here.
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Cliff jumping at Bottomless Lake
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| Bottomless Lake |
Lazy Lake:
And further south of Fairmont Hot Springs, a visit to
Lazy Lake will get your heart pumping! This incredible lake has cliff jumping, an amazing rope swing, and is a great place to paddle around with no loud motor boats. There is also a healthy painted turtle population.
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| Rope Swing at Lazy Lake |
Note you'll need paddleboards, kayaks, or a canoe to move around the lake between the rope swing (opposite side of the lake from the day use area) and the cliff jumping (which is near the day use parking lot.)
And Lazy Lake is not a great picnic area if you aren't planning on paddling around. The beach area beside the day use parking lot is rocky and very small! Large groups gathering here block access to the water for all other users (and this includes setting up your picnic or sunbathing session on the fishing dock!)
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| Lazy Lake is a beautiful place to spend the day |
There's also a small campground here (see the link above for more information) or you can camp at nearby Wasa Lake which takes reservations.
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Cliff jumping at Lazy Lake
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Whiteswan Lake, Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park
South of Fairmont you'll find
Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park with numerous FCFS campgrounds and day use areas. We like the Home Basin Campground and Day Use Area at the far end of Whiteswan Lake. There's a nice rocky beach area and the water is crystal clear for paddling/swimming.
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| Whiteswan Lake is a great day trip from Invermere or Fairmont |
Note the road is a bit rough, but it's very doable with a normal car. This is also the same access for the Lussier Hot Springs, so plan to warm up there after visiting Whiteswan Lake.
To discover more great lakes south of Fairmont, read my guide to the best of Kimberley.
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| You won't find a better lake for SUP touring on a calm day than Whiteswan Lake! |
Premier Lake, Premier Lake Provincial Park
Premier Lake is another gorgeous lake south of Fairmont near the Village of Skookumchuck. It's definitely a drive for a day trip, one hour of driving each way, but it's worth it on a hot day if you're looking for a great park to explore. There's also a provincial park campground here and reservations can be made 4 months in advance for 22 of the sites.
"The emerald green lakes of Premier and four smaller lakes, Canuck, Yankee, Cats Eye and Quartz offer a unique and varied fishing experience in a secluded and pleasant park atmosphere." - BC Parks
Premier Lake is the largest lake with a boat launch for motor boats. Restrictions are in place on the southern half of the lake. In this area towing sports are restricted and boat speeds are limited to 15 km per hour or less.
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| Premier Lake Provincial Park |
Canuck, Yankee, and Cats Eye are only accessible on foot as part of a 6 km day hike around the area.
Quartz Lake however is accessible by vehicle as long as you're ok with a rough gravel road. You can drive right up to the lakeshore to launch paddleboards, kayaks, or canoes. It's also a popular fishing lake with small row boats.
We recently visited the lake, and while it didn't look like much from the shore, it was stunning once we reached the back of the lake where there's a short rocky island you can hike up to look down on the water. Cliff jumping is also fun off the lower part of the island (Don't even think of jumping off the top because there are rock ledges under the water that you'd near clear!)
The photo below is taken from the top of the rocky island.
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| Quartz Lake is a stunning location for paddling! |
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| The rocky island at the back of Quartz Lake |
Paddling opportunities and exploring the Columbia River
We love paddling the Columbia River from Invermere to Radium Hot Springs. It's a gentle float and perfect for the whole family. And if you need to rent boats or arrange for a shuttle service, contact
Columbia River Paddle in Invermere. They offer guided or self-guided tours of the Columbia River wetlands, shuttle services, and a variety of boat rentals.
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| Day tripping down the Columbia River from Invermere |
For more information on day trips along the Columbia River, read this story below:
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| The Columbia River is great for novice paddlers |
Want to try an overnight trip on the Columbia River?
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| Overnight paddling doesn't get more awesome than this! |
Rafting on the Kootenay River
Kootenay River Runners operates several different rafting tours from their office in Radium Hot Springs. You can book a tour on Toby Creek (near Invermere,) The Kicking Horse River (near Golden,) or the Kootenay River (near Radium Hot Springs.)
My family tried a full day wilderness tour on the Kootenay River which included a second breakfast mid morning, a riverside lunch, and a visit to the incredible Pedley Falls. We had a fantastic experience on our family-friendly tour.
Read more below:
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| Rafting Tours on the Kootenay River are a great family-friendly summer activity |
Visiting Panorama Mountain Resort in the Summer Season
When most of us think of
Panorama Mountain Resort, we think "skiing and snowboarding." This resort is constantly expanding its summer services though, and it's quite the place to spend a day year round now!
The resort is a short drive from Invermere and you'll find summer activities on site to entertain every age, interest level, and ability.
New for the 2024 season:
The Wild Rider Mountain Coaster sends riders on a fun 1km track winding its way down the mountain underneath the Discovery Chairlift. This Pipe Coaster is similar to the one you may have ridden at Revelstoke Mountain Resort or at the Golden Sky Bridge.
It's recommended to
reserve tickets online in advance so that you don't have a long wait when you show up at the resort. Children as young as 3 years old can ride the mountain coaster with an adult. Visit the website at the link above for information on height restrictions.
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| The mountain coaster is fun for all ages young and old |
"Our highest flying adventure opens this summer! This family-friendly ropes course features four levels of fun with 50 different obstacles to move through. Take it at your own pace and decide what route you want to take from level 1 just 15 feet off the ground all the way up to the top-level which stands 60 feet up in the air!
Crawl, climb, swing, stretch and step your way through the various obstacles as you test your balance, ability and strength while safely attached at all times to the ropes course."
Again, advanced reservations are recommended and children as young as 6 years old can participate with a parent chaperone on the park who will need to help them with clipping and unclipping from the safety cables if they are not tall enough to reach them.
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| The aerial park is a blast for the whole family! |
Other summer activities at Panorama include their lift accessed mountain bike park, hiking trails, sightseeing chairlift rides, slopeside restaurants, and mini golf.
Visit the Panorama website to
read about all summer activities. They also have lodging onsite, and entry to their outdoor pools is included in all lodging options.
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| The Panorama Bike Park has downhill trails for all abilities |
Dining and Eating out in the Valley
Below are some of my recommendations:
Best Ice-cream -
Hopkins Harvest in Windermere (Look for the ice-cream truck outside the market. They get their ice-cream from the D Dutchmen dairy farm near Sicamous and it's the creamiest ice-cream you'll ever find!)
Other recommended ice-cream shops:
The
Horsethief Pub and Eatery in Radium Hot Springs is great with kids! The place is family-friendly and the food is always good. Kids will enjoy the hamburgers with the "choose your burger style" option (including options for beef, chicken, or veggie, and several options for a side including classic french fries of course.)
We also love
The Station Pub in Invermere. The food is good and it's located right beside Kinsman Beach.
Finally, in the Kimberley area, it has to be the
Pedal and Tap forever for mucked up fries.
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| Mucked up fries and a giant sandwich at the Pedal and Tap |
Best Coffee shop in Radium Hot Springs - The
Big Horn Cafe in Radium Hot Springs gets my vote here. We stop here endless times when we're in the valley because their baking is exceptionally delicious as is everything on the menu. And if you want a quick breakfast (or lunch,) their breakfast burritos are the absolute BEST.
Best Coffee shop in Invermere - We like the
Blue Dog Cafe downtown Invermere. They have great sandwiches and coffee.
Best Coffee shop in the Fairmont Hot Springs Area -
The Valley Coffee Company is located just off the highway beside the Pizza and Ice-Cream Parlour. It definitely has the best coffee in Fairmont.
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| Homemade donuts and awesome coffee at the Bighorn Café in Radium |
