Breathtaking scenery, wildlife, and the famous hot springs await
RICK MACDONNELL
RADIUM HOT SPRINGS, BC – “The Mountains shall bring peace to the people.”
This phrase is the first thing one sees when driving into Radium Hot Springs. Emblazoned on the sign on the outskirts of the village, it typifies life in this quiet mountain town.
The town of Radium Hot Springs is home to the famous Hot Springs Pools, which is the central attraction, but it's certainly not the only adventure to be had there. Thousands upon thousands of visitors come to Radium for the Hot Springs each year, and leave marveling at the scenery, wildlife, backcountry activities, hiking, and, of course, the Bighorn Sheep.
"We have a resident heard of about 150 Bighorn Sheep," said Dale Genest, the marketing administrator for Tourism Radium Hot Springs. "For eight months of the year these sheep literally live right in our community, walking the streets, grazing on the golf courses and residents' lawns and flower beds. In the fall we are treated to a spectacular mating display of rams battling each other – sometimes in the middle of the highway – hence the “traffic jams”. They are by far the most photographed attraction in our community."
1 million don't visit by accident
The pools receive almost 300,000 visitors a year, but the village plays host to roughly half a million in total. Add in the rubber tire traffic that stops in for day trips and you have nearly a million people who come to experience the magic of Radium each year.
The scenery is breathtaking. On the Rockies side Radium Hot Springs has soaring snow-covered peaks and white water rivers along the Banff-Windermere Highway through Kootenay National Park to the dramatic gateway of the Columbia Valley through Sinclair Canyon – another highly photographed attraction.
On the Purcell side there's towering 11,000 foot rugged mountains capped with glaciers. There are famous climbing peaks like Farnham Tower & the Bugaboo Spires. Numerous waterfalls cascade down the valleys from the Purcell range.
And bestled between the two mountain ranges lies the Columbia River Wetlands – the longest unbroken stretch of wetlands in North America reaching from the source of the Columbia River at Columbia Lake all the way up past Golden to the north.
So much more than the springs
"There's so much more to the Radium Hot Springs than most people realize. We have the hot pools, as everyone knows, but there's also wildlife (deer, sheep, elk, bear, wolves, moose, and cougars), spectacular scenery, hiking, golfing, mountain biking, canoeing, bird watching, alpine skiing, heli-skiing/hiking, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice climbing, fishing, hunting, hang gliding, parasailing, aerial sight-seeing, mountain climbing, white water rafting, kayaking – virtually every outdoor activity you could want."
Radium is very compact, with numerous high density condo developments that makes everything convenient and close. The village has many walking trails and close-in hiking trails that connect the different areas of the community as well as the Hot Pools.
You're never more than a few minutes away from your next adventure.
"What could be better than spending a day doing your favorite outdoor activity and then soaking in the soothing waters of the Hot Springs at the end of the day?"
For more on the Radium Hot Springs and all its accommodations and activities, visit their website.
Get more info on Panorama on our SnowSeekers' destination page.