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Renowned for its world-famous hot springs, the village of Radium Hot Springs is situated in the Columbia Valley, bordering the southwest corner of spectacular Kootenay National Park.
The east Kootenay valleys were first inhabited by the Ktunaxa Nation. European explorer David Thompson later crossed the Rockies in 1807, travelling up the Columbia River to Windermere Lake.
The village of Radium Hot Springs grew up around the hot springs. The town burgeoned when a concrete bathing pool was built in 1914, forging the way for later renovations and refinements.
Today, visitors also come to explore the area’s wilderness parks and the magnificent migratory bird species of the Columbia River Wetlands. The Columbia Valley is also home to many championship golf courses and the four-season Panorama Mountain Village resort.
Find your perfect tee-off point on the Columbia Valley's world-class golf courses. Try Radium's Springs Course, named one of the "20 Best Golf Courses" by SCOREGolf Magazine in 2003, or Radium's challenging Resort Course.
The award-winning Riverside at Fairmont Hot Springs follows the mighty Columbia River. Long drives complement the stunning vistas of Mountainside at Fairmont Hot Springs.
Golf Digest chose Greywolf at Panorama as "Best New Course in Canada" in 1999. And SCOREGolf Magazine named Eagle Ranch as one of Canada's "Top Golf Courses For Conditioning" in 2003.
Don't miss the world-renowned Kootenay National Park, Purcell Wilderness Conservancy Provincial Park, Mount Assiniboine, and Bugaboo Provincial Park.
Hikers and cyclists will find a variety of mountain terrain to explore. The celebrated Golden Triangle draws cyclists on an alpine journey through three of Canada's national parks.
Campers can set up in Kootenay National Park or Dry Gulch Provincial Park.
Soaring, flightseeing and paragliding/hang gliding are also high flying activities.
History comes alive at the Windermere Valley Museum. Enjoy a hands-on look at early mining, farming and pioneer life as well as First Nations history. See the museum's historic photograph collection and a dugout canoe crafted by a member of the Shuswap Nation.
Pynelogs Cultural Centre overlooks Windermere Lake. Come to catch live theatre and music or browse through the Gallery and gift shop.
Arts and crafts events are held throughout the Columbia Valley. Visit some two dozen private galleries and studios showcasing diverse art works.
Immerse yourself in three of BC's most invigorating hot springs: Radium Hot Springs, Fairmont Hot Springs and Lussier Hot Springs. Each offers dramatic settings and soothing, mineral-rich pools.
Overlooking Windermere Lake, the 1.2 ha (3 ac) Columbia Valley Botanical Gardens will add flourish to any outing.
Wander the Windermere Valley Museum to experience valley pioneer life and learn about First Nations history. Highlights include an original train station and school house, as well as a dugout canoe crafted by an early member of the Shuswap Nation.
Visit the four-season Panorma Mountain Village resort for skiing and boarding in winter and horseback riding, golf, tennis, mountain biking and more in summer.
Enjoy the sights and sounds of Pynelogs Cultural Centre, hosting live theatre, staging music concerts and screening foreign films for visitors.
If you like the action fast, check out the Columbia Valley Rockies, a Kootenay International Junior Hockey League club, on ice in Invermere.
Radium Hot Springs is set in breathtaking Kootenay National Park, a UNESCO Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site.
The park's stunning landscape ranges from forested valleys to towering summits. Resident wildlife include Bighorn Sheep, Grizzly Bears as well as Golden Eagles and songbirds. You can swim, cycle, camp and hike all summer long or try cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter.
Bugaboo Provincial Park boasts the largest glaciers in the ancient Purcell Mountains and features spectacular 70 million year old granite spires. Hard-core climbers take on the glaciers, while day hikers explore the park's varied trails.
Dry Gulch Provincial Park is a great base for campers to explore the area's many recreational wonders.
The world-renowned Columbia River Wetlands are a vital habitat for an abundant wildlife population including hundreds of bird species.
Gaze up at the rocky cliffs of Sinclair Canyon while immersed in the stunning pools of Radium Hot Springs in Kootenay National Park. Perched above the river on the east side of the Columbia Valley, Fairmont Hot Springs is the most popular hot spring pool complex in Canada. And Lussier Hot Springs provides refreshing riverside soaks amid the wilderness setting of Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park.
Nearby, in Invermere, visit the sandy beaches of James Chabot Provincial Park on the north end of Windermere Lake. Also on the lake, visit the Kinsmen Beach and Park.
Visit the rejuvenating Pleiades Spa at Radium Hot Springs or check out the spa services in Invermere, Panorama and at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort.
Radium Hot Springs, Fairmont Hot Springs and Lussier Hot Springs are your source for rejuvenating pleasures in the area. Settle in riverside, perched mountainside, or beneath rocky cliffs.
Windsurfers, canoeists, kayakers and swimmers gather around the 15 km (9.3 mi) long Windermere Lake, exploring nearby James Chabot Provincial Park and Kinsmen Beach and Park.
Anglers fish the pristine mountain lakes and glacier fed creeks of the Columbia Valley. Paddlers can navigate the Columbia River on a scenic day trip.
River rafters enjoy the rapids at Toby Creek, the fast running Kicking Horse River or can tempt the boisterous whitewater on the Kootenay River.
In winter, the Panorama Mountain Village resort has more than 100 downhill runs. Fairmont Hot Springs Resort is a small family ski hill just south of Radium.
The great ski resorts of Kicking Horse (Golden), Kimberley and Fernie are within just a 2.5 hour drive from the village of Radium Hot Springs.
For great cross-country skiing nearby, try Edgewater, Nipika Mountain Resort, or the trails at Panorama Mountain Resort. Snowmobiling is also popular in the area.
For the daring, the Purcell Mountains provide opportunities for world-renowned heli-skiing adventures.
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