Top 8 Vancouver Day Trips: British Columbia's beautiful hot springs

3. Crazy Creek Hot Pools, British Columbia
 
Offering 2,000 square feet of hot pools, Revelstoke, BC's Crazy Creek resort isn't technically a hot spring – the water bubbling up from this spring is heated with natural geothermal energy by the resort. The bonus: these soothing pools have none of the usual sulphur egg smell. Only six hours from Vancouver, this is worth checking out.

 
4. Hot Springs Cove, British Columbia
 
Hot Springs Cove is a 1.5 hour water taxi ride north of the island's surf town,Tofino, BC. This hot springs spot is remotely situated on the incomparable Clayoquot Sound of west coast Vancouver Island. This pristine rainforest experience – about seven hours from Vancouver including the ferry ride – is renowned because the springs have been left in their natural state. The boiling water cascading down the rocks is described as “intense,” but the pool temperature is also a searing 47 degrees C. One of the most unique features of these springs is that when the tide rises, sea water mingles with the thermal source. The water taxi departs daily at 9 a.m. and noon ($105, reservations required); another boat offers a tour.
 

5. Canyon Hot Springs, British Columbia
 
The hot springs of Albert Canyon, BC, is just over seven hours from Vancouver and offers thermal pools from May through September. Legend has it that early 20th century railway workers (labouring under notorious conditions) discovered the hot springs while digging, lined the hole with railway ties, and relieved their pain at the end of the day in the soothing waters.
 
 
6. Halcyon Hot Springs, British Columbia
 
This incredible BC interior resort is a gem near Revelstoke. Eight hours might seem like a long drive, but these hot springs' rare blend of calcium, magnesium, lithium, sodium and strontium – known as “lithia waters” – are celebrated for soothing aches, arthritis, osteoporosis and gout. Perched in the midst of stunning mountains and the picturesque Arrow Lakes, whether you come for just a healing soak, or a full resort spa treatment, it'll be worth the trip. Apparently, these hot springs are so awesome that First Nations fought wars over them – and ended up creating a peace treaty that gave the Arrow Lakes their name.
 
 
7. Nakusp Hot Springs, British Columbia
 
At the bottom of the BC interior's Kuskanax River canyon, 200,000 litres of fresh water replenish this naturally heated pool each day. Piped into two large, semi-circular pools, at 37 and 41 degrees respectively, the water at its source (1.5 km away) is a scalding 54 degrees C! Nakusp's outdoor springs are fully developed, with a shop selling local handicrafts, soaps, mineral bath balls and souvenirs.
 
 
8. Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia
 
Don't worry about the radioactive-sounding name - this spa is pure healthy. Nestled within the boundaries of the mountainous Kootenay National Park, Radium features Canada's biggest thermal pool flanked by stunning rock walls. The water is under 40 degrees C, and lacks the unpleasant sulphuric odour common in thermal baths. These springs also host a day spa, and promote themselves as BC's most accessible commercial hot springs for people with disabilities.
 
 
9. Ainsworth Hot Springs, British Columbia
 
This writer's personal favourite hot springs are, sadly, the farthest from Vancouver. And while Ainsworth Hot Springs may not be accessible in a single “day trip” from Vancouver, they are well-worth checking out for a weekend. The most beautiful and unique feature of these thermal pools is the horseshoe-shaped, dimly lit cavern carved long ago by miners – a sign at the entrance warns swimmers not to moan, howl or sing in the echoey, stalactite encrusted tunnel! In the hottest of three pools, the temperature is roughly 40 degrees. Ainsworth – partway between the communities of Nelson and Kaslo, BC - also features a natural sauna, a four degree C “cold plunge” pool for masochists, and view over Kootenay Lake.

Thank you to the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze for sponsoring the "Top 8 DayTrips from Vancouver" series.