A Day in Harrison Hot Springs

• Author: ClaireB
• Accommodation: Vancouver Coast & Mountains

I’ve only visited Harrison Hot Springs once but the stunning scenery around this quaint little resort town quickly convinced me that I should go back for a second or even a third look! It’s villages like Harrison Hot Springs after all that give British Columbia its moniker ‘Beautiful BC’, and if you’ve never experienced this type of glacial scenery before this is a great place to do it.

Harrison Hot Springs is nestled at the southern end of Harrison Lake; a lake that’s about 60 kilometres long. The lake formed inside a glacial valley with steep mountainous sides to it, and is one of several in the region so you do have other opportunities to see this spectacular scenery within the Lower Mainland.

The hot springs themselves have been attracting tourists for many decades, but soaking in the mineral rich hot springs is not all you can do here. Try to coincide your visit with one of the annual events held in the village, such as the international sandcastle building competition every September, or the Harrison Festival of the Arts in the summer.

If you can’t visit during these times don’t worry, in fact if you choose a time when there are less people here, visiting Harrison Hot Springs can actually be a far more pleasurable experience. Start your day at the Harrison Hot Springs Visitor Centre and from there you can plan what you’d like to see and do. I enjoyed the Harrison Hot Springs Village Heritage Walk as it’s a good way to get to see the sights of the village and its historical buildings. The walk starts at the Harrison Hotel and goes along the lakeshore, so you get to enjoy more of the fabulous scenery by doing this too!

Getting out on the lake provides a different perspective from which to enjoy the scenery, and you can rent boats or kayaks in order to do this. Though a motorized boat will get you around quicker, a kayak really lets you enjoy the serenity of this place, so this gets my vote!

Photo and article copyright Claire Bolgil. Claire is a freelance travel writer based in Beautiful BC. Find out more about her at http://www.clairebolgil.com/