Every year, thousands of people flock to the Radium hot springs for a relaxing dip. But you can only soak for so long, and then what?
The hot springs are located not too far away from the village of Radium Hot Springs, often referred to as just Radium. (Which is how I’ll refer to it for the sake of this article.) Radium is only about five-and-a-half hours from Kamloops, just under three hours from Calgary, Alta., and about an hour and 40 minutes from Banff, Alta. Radium is a perfect location for soaking in the springs, and then getting out and having some fun!
Situated in the Columbia Valley, Radium offers the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Purcell Mountains to the west, with the Columbia River also found just west of the village. And if you want provincial and national parks to explore, you’re certainly in the right location. Surrounding Radium is the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy Provincial Park and Protected Area, Height Of The Rockies Provincial Park, Kootenay National Park, Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park and Bugaboo Provincial Park, with even more parks outside of this area. The springs themselves are located within Kootenay National Park, less than 10 minutes from town.
So if you’re not basking in the warm water, what can you do?
Hiking
With such beautiful scenery and so many parks around, there are plenty of hiking opportunities around Radium. For example, there’s the Redstreak Campground Trail, an easy out-and-back trail about 3.2 kilometres (https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/canada/british-columbia/redstreak-campground-trail); the Radium Hot Springs Trail, another out-and-back type of trail that’s considered moderate and stretches about 1.7 kilometres (https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/canada/british-columbia/radium-hot-springs); the Sinclair Creek Trail, located right in Radium and considered an easy out-and-back trail at 1.9 kilometres (https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/canada/british-columbia/sinclair-creek–2); and the Old Coach Trail, another out-and-back type of trail that’s rated as moderate and stretches 15.3 kilometres (https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/canada/british-columbia/old-coach-trail). These are just a few examples.
Go Golfing
The Radium Golf Group offers two courses, the Radium Course and the Springs Course. The Springs Course is located at 4717 Springs Dr., and the Radium Course is located at 8100 Golf Course Rd. And if golfing is a big item on your to-do list while in the area, you can consider playing the Columbia Valley Golf Trail, comprised of eight golf courses between Radium and Fairmont Hot Springs. These courses include the Springs Course and the Radium Course, Eagle Ranch, The Point at Copper Point, The Ridge at Copper Point, Windermere Valley, Mountainside at Fairmont and Riverside at Fairmont. Visit https://columbiavalleygolftrail.comfor more information.
Eat!
Radium is home to lots of restaurants, pubs and cafes, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Visit https://www.radiumhotsprings.com/listings/dine-radium/dining-nightlife/for a list of restaurants in Radium, and in neighbouring communities.
Sledding
Winter is a fantastic time to visit Radium, and be sure to bring your sled! The trails are pristine in this area, and you can contact the Windermere Snowmobile Society for information about the Forester Creek riding area, which they maintain: https://wvss-bcsf.silkstart.com/cpages/home. There are trails around Radium for novice riders, intermediate and advanced sledders. You won’t run out of places to play anytime soon. Visit https://www.radiumhotsprings.com/listings/sledradium/ridingareas/for a list and a map of places to go sledding and available cabins and staging areas.
Stay & Play
If you’re looking to turn your trip to Radium from a one-day getaway to an overnight stay (or longer!), be sure to check out these listings for hotels, resorts, bed and breakfast options and more: https://www.radiumhotsprings.com/listings/accommodations/. There are also several campsites in the area, or you can pitch your tent away from town in one of the nearby parks.
There’s a lot more to do in Radium than just soak your cares away, but don’t forget to do that too! You’ll deserve it after eating great food, hiking, golfing and whatever other adventures you can find.