Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Radium Hot Springs is a small village at the western gate of Kootenay National Park, where the Columbia Valley meets the Rockies. Visitors come for the hot pools in Sinclair Canyon and stay for scenic drives, easy hikes and a base that suits families and road trippers.
Radium Hot Springs pools
Sinclair Canyon
Paint Pots
Marble Canyon
+5 more places
The village takes its name from the hot springs just inside Kootenay National Park, which were named when an analysis found traces of radon, a decay product of radium. The radiation dose from bathing is described as inconsequential, so it is a story to enjoy rather than worry about.
Beyond the pools, the village is a gateway. Highway 93 climbs through the park to the Continental Divide, and Highway 95 runs south along the Columbia Valley to lakes, golf and more springs.
The hot springs complex sits just inside the park in Sinclair Canyon. There is a hot pool for soaking, usually around 39 degrees Celsius, and a larger swimming pool that stays much cooler.
The hot springs complex has a hot soaking pool and a larger cooler swimming pool. Photo: Harmon, Byron: Photography, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Highway 93 squeezes through this narrow gorge at the park entrance, and it is as dramatic as it is convenient. Pull over where it is safe to take photos, and watch for bighorn sheep that sometimes stand near the road.
Highway 93 passes through narrow Sinclair Canyon on its way into the park. Photo: Qyd, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Created in 1920 as part of an agreement to build the Banff to Windermere highway, the park takes in a long slice of the Canadian Rockies. It is part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site.
These cold mineral springs deposit ochre that tints the ground orange, red and brown. A short trail leads to the pools,.
The Paint Pots are mineral springs that deposit reddish ochre. Photo: Marek Ślusarczyk (Tupungato) Photo gallery, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5
A narrow gorge carved by a creek, Marble Canyon has a short walkway with bridges across the water. The cliffs are cool and shaded, which is welcome on a hot day.
Marble Canyon is a narrow gorge cut by a creek in Kootenay National Park. Photo: Chris Woodrich, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
This small, shallow lake sits close to the road and is an easy stop for a picnic or a short walk. The forested shoreline is photogenic, so bring a camera if the weather is clear.
Olive Lake is a small shallow lake beside Highway 93 in Kootenay National Park. Photo: JZ85, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Reached directly from Highway 93, these falls plunge through a rock gorge a short drive south of Marble Canyon. It is easy to reach from the road, which makes it a good stop for families.
Numa Falls can be reached directly from Highway 93. Photo: Lindsay Sutherland, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Day hikes near the village climb Redstreak Mountain and follow Redstreak Creek, and they start close to a campground.
Mule deer, black and grizzly bears, mountain goats and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep all live in the area. Keep well back from any animal, never feed wildlife and drive slowly at dusk and dawn.
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep live in the area around Radium Hot Springs. Photo: Gerry Thomasen from Nanaimo, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Reached by a long dirt road from Brisco, north of Radium, this wilderness park is famous for climbing and hiking.
Bugaboo Provincial Park is a wilderness park known for climbing and hiking. Photo: Pmc at English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5
This 4.7 kilometre trail leads from Main Street toward Invermere and passes numbered posts that mark points of interest. A car park about halfway between the two towns lets you shorten the walk.
About 14 kilometres south, Invermere is the hub of the Columbia Valley and sits on the northwest shore of Windermere Lake. It is a popular summer destination, with beaches, shops and restaurants.
Invermere sits on the northwest shore of Windermere Lake. Photo: PatInver, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Radium has a strong Central European streak, with German, Bavarian and Hungarian restaurants along the highway and on Main Street. Order goulash at a Hungarian kitchen, or schnitzel at a Bavarian or German restaurant, and linger over dinner after a day outside.
For dessert, look for huckleberry pie. Huckleberries grow wild in the mountains of interior British Columbia and have long been picked for jam, pie and syrup.
Popular dishes to try in Radium Hot Springs
Radium village is the natural base. Motels, resorts and a campground line the highway and Main Street, and the hot springs and park gate are minutes away.
Invermere, about 14 kilometres south, is a larger town on Windermere Lake with beaches, shops and more restaurants.
Fairmont Hot Springs offers a resort setting centred on mineral pools, plus golf and a small ski area. It suits couples and families who want a longer resort stay and are happy to drive to the park.
Where to stay in Radium Hot Springs
The main tourist season in Kootenay National Park runs from June to September, when roads, trails and campgrounds are open and daylight lasts late. Summer is best for hiking, picnics and scenic drives.
Forest fires in 2003 and 2004 left burn scars that are still visible beside the highway, a reminder to follow current fire restrictions in dry summers.
Radium sits at the junction of Highways 93 and 95, about three hours by road from Calgary, nine hours from Vancouver and three hours north of the United States border. Golden lies roughly 105 kilometres north along Highway 95. Highway 93 runs through the national park to Banff.
A car is the simplest way to see the region. BC Transit runs weekday buses along the valley between Invermere and Edgewater via Radium, which helps with short hops.
Arrive in Radium, walk Main Street and soak in the hot springs before dinner. Finish with an evening stroll along Main Street.
Drive Highway 93 into Kootenay National Park.
Head south to Invermere and Windermere Lake, or walk part of the Old Coach Trail from the visitor centre car park toward the next town.
WISERMAP PLACERadium Hot Springs: photos, reviews & things to doSee traveler photos and reviews, or share your own →
Golden, British Columbia
Fernie, British Columbia
Telegraph Cove, British Columbia
Port Hardy, British Columbia
Smithers, British Columbia
Whistler, British Columbia