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BC’s Coolest Ski Towns
The case for skiing north of the border, written by an American
The journey is part of the adventure as you hike through a forest—or spend a day on the water—en route to a rejuvenating soak in undeveloped natural hot springs. Soothe aching muscles and keep an eye out for passing wildlife before you return to home base.
Below are two BC parks hot springs you won’t want to miss.
Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park – Liard River Hot Springs
There’s plenty of room at the Liard River Hot Springs. Photo: @happiestoutdoors via Instagram
Feel the tension melt away as you ease into the second largest hot springs in Canada. Follow a boardwalk from the parking area as it winds through a boreal forest, and watch for moose who like to feed in the nearby warm water marsh. Open year round, Liard ranges from 42 C to 52 C, and it is home to a new change house and washroom facilities.
How to get there: Liard River Hot Springs is located at kilometre 765 of the Alaska Highway, approximately 3.5 hours northeast of Fort Nelson.
Maquinna Marine Provincial Park – Hot Springs Cove
Gazing out over the Pacific Ocean. Photo: @_miss.mandy_ via Instagram
Clayoquot Sound’s Hot Springs Cove is located off the west coast of Vancouver Island. A popular day trip from Tofino, these geothermal hot springs cascade down a waterfall into half a dozen rocky pools. The hot pools flow from one level to the next, gradually becoming cooler as spring water mixes with ocean swells. Average temperature is 50 C.
How to get there: Several companies offer boat and floatplane tours to Hot Springs Cove, which is accessible only by water or air. From the dock, enjoy a 30-minute walk along the wooden boardwalk trail that wends its way through old-growth rainforest to the hot pools.
Marine Hot Springs of Coastal British Columbia
Have access to your own boat? Check out these marine hot springs located in BC parks.