Ainsworth Hot Springs

A Hot Spring Complex On Kootenay Lake With A Walk Through Horseshoe Cave Of Steaming Water, A Hot Pool And A Cold Plunge, Used For About A Century As A Spa. A Pay Site With A Hotel; The Cave Water Is About 40 Degrees C. Kaslo And The SS Moyie Are A Short Drive North. · Ainsworth Hot Springs, British Columbia

Ainsworth Hot Springs is a mineral hot-spring resort on the west shore of Kootenay Lake, about 40 km north of Nelson on Highway 31 in the interior of British Columbia. Its signature is a horseshoe-shaped cave of hot water that you walk through, with steam, low light and a wet floor, alongside a hot pool of about 40 degrees C, a cooler pool and a lakeview pool looking out over the water. Hot springs have been used here for about a century as a spa, and there is a hotel on site. It suits couples, tired road-trippers, hikers and skiers wanting a soak, and anyone who likes mineral water. The cave smells of minerals and the air is humid and hot, so people with heart or blood pressure problems should be careful. It is a pay site, with a day-use fee (confirm), swimsuits are required, and age rules apply (confirm). Allow two hours. Winter, when snow falls around the pools, is lovely, and summer is busier.

Mineral hot-spring resort on the west shore of Kootenay Lake about 40 km north of Nelson on Highway 31, with a horseshoe-shaped cave of hot water, a lakeview pool and a hotel, Ainsworth Hot Springs, British Columbia, Canada

The pools commonly open daily through the year, with the springs open into the evening, but exact hours change by season, holiday and maintenance, so confirm before you travel. Day-use entry is paid at the front desk, with possible last-entry times before closing, and the site may close the cave or pools for cleaning or repairs, so a short call ahead is wise. Peak times are weekends, summer and holidays, when a visit can feel crowded. Hotel guests may have different access, and the hotel, restaurant and shop keep their own hours. Kaslo and Nelson services nearby have shorter hours in winter, so plan food and fuel before you reach the springs.

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