Winter Road Trip to Ainsworth Hotsprings in British Columbia Canada

Hotsprings Tour in British Columbia Canada 

What Can Non-Skiers Do in British Columbia Canada in January

A Winter Road Trip to Ainsworth Hotsprings was on my list of mini excursions for my Canada Adventure Seeker holiday while staying near Nakusp, British Columbia, Canada. Ainsworth has actually been on my bucket list for quite some time now. In 2019, I was close while traveling, but not close enough to pop in. Then again in 2020, I was so close. But I think they were only open to hotel guests because of covid. Or they didn't want out of province people. Or maybe the pools weren't even open during that time. I don't recall exactly, but there was a good reason I didn't go while nearby the second time. And that's ok because third time is the charm, finally in 2025 I got to visit this magical hot spring with a cave. Keep in mind, the pools are not open 7 days a week, so plan your trip accordingly. 

Winter Road Trip to Ainsworth Hotsprings in British Columbia Canada. 
Hot spring Hopping in BC 

This may sound funny, but I was staying at Halcyon Hot Springs near the town of Nakusp in B.C. I recently won the annual duck race for top Canada Adventure Seeker of the year with ehcanadatravel.com. I specifically had Halcyon Hot Springs on my list of 3 choice destinations for the trip, due to its proximity to Ainsworth Hotsprings. I knew my mom would be traveling with me from Calgary so it was the difference between a 6 hour drive versus an 8 hour drive. Halcyon has also been on my bucket list for awhile now as well, so it was an easy decision to sleep at Halcyon for basecamp and travel over to Kootenay Lake from that point. Therefore the road trip is only a 2 hour drive each way then. Much better set up for a winter road trip to Ainsworth Hotsprings in British Columbia Canada. 

Getting to Ainsworth Hotsprings from Halcyon Hotsprings 

We set out from Halcyon Hotsprings heading south 33 kms to Nakusp along the gigantic Arrow Lake. If you're traveling from Revelstoke to Nakusp, be sure to stop at the Ione Rest Area. It won't disappoint, no matter the season. Carrying on from there we headed southeast 47 kms to the gorgeous Slocan Lake and the tiny town of New Denver B.C. Nakusp offers many coffee shops and restaurants, whereas New Denver is much smaller but does have 2 gas stations available if needed. Both scenic and easy drives depending on the weather. We were quite lucky with optimal winter road conditions in these mountain areas. From New Denver, the next target destination is Kalso B.C. On this part of the road trip we're on Hwy BC 31A. It's worth mentioning that this is a mountain route that has many avalanche and snow slide areas along the way. Twisty winding roads that climb multiple mountains and follows along the Kaslo River for a large portion of the journey. It's also referred to as the Valley of the Ghosts due to the number of ghost towns along the route. Most famously, Sandon. It's only 46 kms from New Denver to Kaslo B.C. but the drive will take longer than you expect, especially in the winter. So give yourself extra time if trying to make your pool reservation at Ainsworth Hotsprings. Kaslo is a cute town with all services and restaurants available year round. It's only a short distance from Kalso to Ainsworth at just over 20 kms but a very scenic route along Kootenay Lake. While driving in British Columbia, it's handy to use the DriveBC website for up to date information regarding road conditions. Especially along a route like 31a which is known for the avalanche and slide areas along the way.

History And Information About Ainsworth Hotsprings 

Interestingly, the community of Ainsworth Hotsprings is the oldest community on Kootenay Lake. There is an old photo online from 1888 of the Ainsworth pool. So it's certainly been around and changed a lot since then. The caves came about by the early 1930's and were quite the attraction for the area. Now a full blown resort with an on-site restaurant, it's come a long way! This area is also known for the Cody Caves, a Provincial Park nearby, which is where this mineral water travels down from. The flow rates are interesting, the cave pool changes 6 times a day, whereas the larger pool changes 4 times a day. There is a large hot pool, a cave pool and walk thru tunnel, as well as a cold plunge pool on-site. The list of minerals in the pool is quite extensive as well as the amounts. The large pool has clear water but the cave pool has a brownish mineral tone to it. A popular tourist destination for a very long time!

Checking In At Ainsworth Hotsprings Pool

Upon arrival, there was ample parking at the end of January, even on a Saturday. I could see it being tight during the busier summer months. There were signs for a ramp to head up to the pools so away we went. On arrival we were greeted by friendly staff who checked our reservation and gave us a quick run down of the pools and change rooms. They mentioned free lockers which was a great perk. After a quick exchange, we kicked off our shoes and headed for the change rooms. Clean and well kept, it was a bit of a wait for the showers before entering, but not bad. Only a few minutes. It was about -2°C for temperature the day we visited, so once out of the pre-swim shower, we quickly headed for the pools to warm up.

Winter Trip to Ainsworth Hotsprings in British Columbia

We hopped in the large pool first and were happy to be in the warmer water out of the chilly air. The temperature in the large pool is kept around 35°C or 96°F. Whereas the temperature in the smaller pool and cave is about 48°C or 108°F. The Ainsworth Hotsprings Cave is a neat loop that's 150 feet long. It's very dark inside, although they do have strip lights under the water as well as a few lights in a couple jut outs along the way. It's a one way loop starting from a tiny pool a few steps up from the main one. It's also very very hot and humid inside the cave tunnels, so you may want to take a good few breaths of fresh air before entering. Definitely a neat feature for a hot spring to have. I've never been to one with a cave before, and that's why it's been on my bucket list for awhile now. We stayed for about an hour, hopping between the large cooler pool and the caves. 

Ainsworth Hotspring is Worth the Drive

Overall, we had a wonderful day road tripping through the Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada. From one hotspring to another, it's obvious to see why they call this area "The Hotspring Highway" in addition to the Valley of the Ghosts. So much to see and do, even in mid winter for the non-skier types. From Halcyon to Ainsworth, it's 150 kms of natural beauty with stunning mountains, pristine rivers, wildlife, and of course ghosts and hotsprings. It's worth noting, that from the start of our journey we had a fair amount of snow but not too much, then in the middle along the 31a there was a ton of snow. Once arriving in Kalso and heading down to Ainsworth Hotsprings, it looked like spring with minimal snow and warmer temperatures. Certainly a fun Canada road trip destination all year round! 

Photo Credit-Andrea Horning

East Kootenay Winter Road Trip  

Winter Road Trip to Ainsworth Hotsprings in British Columbia Canada