Ainsworth Hot Pots

Not far from Banff, home of the famous, outdoor-oriented Banff Film Festival, lies the Kootenay wilderness. You’ll have outdoor pursuits galore to get after in this region, and when you’re done, the Ainsworth hot springs will rival the best of what you’ve found in the wild. For starters, they’re located in the side of a mountain where the views will compare favorably to any hike.

Add in several pools and a stream-fed cold plunge, and the heart can keep pumping all day long, even while you’re (mostly) still! The ultimate gem is the 150-foot-long cave, artificially lit to keep it from turning spooky. Fear will be the furthest thing from your mind as you make your way to your favorite bend in this extended horseshoe shaped pleasure dome.

It’s like few other experiences you’ll find anywhere while offering the soothing experience of hot, natural, spring-fed waters. You can even visit in winter – there’s plenty of skiing nearby for daytime – and enjoy the change in atmosphere from windy and snowy to foggy and humid.

Fairmont Hot Springs

Internationally known and attended, these springs are the largest Canada has to offer. Not only are they huge, they’re odorless as well, which allows your senses to focus on other things. Perhaps you can tune in on just how swiftly the concerns of the office have melted away.

Or just gaze deeply and at length at the nearby Purcell mountains. No matter your previous concerns, they’ll fade, regardless of whether you choose the larger, public pools with their panoramic vistas, or a more intimate, solitary experience in the available private hot spring.

Located in the Columbia Valley, the resort that has been built around the Fairmont hot pots will cater to most every desire you can dream up, even as your body is soothed by the naturally heated waters.

Hot Springs Cove

 Located on Vancouver Island, the surroundings switch it up from the previously mentioned mountains to a more placid ocean setting. But don’t start thinking there’s anything tame about Hot Springs Cove. For starters, this chunk of paradise can only be reached by air or by boat, which creates its own hard-won ambiance.

Once you’ve arrived, you’ll still have to ‘get there’ by taking a 2 kilometer stroll out on the boardwalk that leads right to this natural paradise. With multiple levels of pools feeding into one another, you can find one that suits your ideal temperature preference. Each higher pool has hotter water than the lower one as the Earth’s heating flows downward and cools by the time it reaches each pool.

Perhaps unique among the average hot pots, ocean waves enter the lowest two pools twice daily at high tide. This not only filters the pools, but also creates an invigorating sensation with the entry of each successive wave! Who needs an artificial splash pool when nature so artfully supplies her own?

Dewar Creek Hot Springs 

Unlike some of the other offerings here, the Dewar Creek is a nearly complete wilderness experience. Not only is it more than 22 kilometers of driving from the last turnoff, once the auto is parked, it’s another 9 kilometers of hiking before the bliss is reached.

But relaxation is best enjoyed when led into and followed by some exertion, and the reward is that you just might have these hot springs all to yourself. When you’re seeking activity and solace, Dewar Creek hot pots offer both in abundance.

Harrison Hot Springs

Perhaps your idea of remote involves the ability to change channels on the television and do other things without much effort. If so, the Harrison hot springs might be just for you. As the centerpiece of a luxury hotel, there are many individual pools to choose from: 2 indoor and 3 outdoor. Each offers relatively rigorous temperature control to keep things pleasant.

Only open to hotel guests, the Harrison offers an air of exclusivity to compliment 22-hour-a-day access to the pools. Waterfalls, rock formations, and landscaped plants round out the experience, while mountains provide a phenomenal view in the distance.

CONCLUSION

Canada’s hot pots run the gamut. One thing is for certain; each provides a charm all its own, whether near a rugged mountain range, or resting on the shores of the coastal ocean waters. For hot pots as individual as you are, look no further than these chart toppers when you’re looking to soak in Canada.