Radium Hot Springs

• Radium Hot Springs is a developed Parks Canada bathing facility.
• The water comes from a natural mineral hot spring.
• The hot pool is maintained at approximately 37°C to 40°C.
• A separate cool swimming pool is also part of the facility.
• Pool admission is charged separately.
• A Kootenay National Park pass is required when visiting the facility.
• Entry is first-come, first-served.
• Advance reservations and online pool tickets are not normally available.
• Locker access is available.
• Towel and swimsuit rentals may be available.
• Opening hours vary through the year.
• The hot pool operates year-round under normal conditions.
• Weather, maintenance or safety issues can cause temporary changes or closures.

Radium Hot Springs is not a free wild-soaking site.

Visitors pay an admission fee to use the pools.

Because the facility is inside Kootenay National Park, visitors also require an appropriate national park pass.

Pool admission and national park admission should be treated as separate costs.

Entry to Radium Hot Springs is first-come, first-served.

Parks Canada does not normally offer advance reservations or online pool admission tickets.

When the facility reaches safe operating capacity, new visitors may need to wait until other bathers leave.

Admission prices can change, so check the current Parks Canada Radium Hot Springs fee information before travelling rather than relying on an old price quoted in a travel article.

Radium Hot Springs operates throughout the year, but hours vary by season.

The hot pool and cool swimming pool can also operate on different schedules.

During colder periods, the cool pool may have reduced operating days while the hot pool remains available more regularly.

Hours can also change because of:

• weather
• thunderstorms
• lightning
• maintenance
• mechanical problems
• water-quality requirements
• temporary operational changes

Check the current Parks Canada operating-hours page immediately before travelling.

Radium Hot Springs is a genuine natural hot-spring system, but visitors bathe in developed pools rather than directly in a primitive natural spring basin.

The mineral water is naturally heated underground before being used within the Parks Canada bathing facility.

Parks Canada lists the most prominent minerals in the spring water as:

• sulphate
• calcium
• bicarbonate
• silica
• magnesium

Unlike some sulphur-rich springs that have a strong smell, Parks Canada describes Radium's mineral water as clear and odourless.

Because Radium operates as a public bathing facility, the mineral water is treated in accordance with public-health requirements.

Parks Canada states that the water is chlorinated, regularly tested and continuously refreshed.

This means Radium should not be described as an untreated wild bathing pool even though its heat and mineral water originate naturally.

Radium Hot Springs has stronger accessibility features than many natural hot-spring destinations.

Parks Canada identifies accessibility features including:

• accessible parking and drop-off options
• automatic entrance doors
• elevator access from reception to pool level
• accessible change rooms
• accessible washroom facilities
• ramp access with handrails into the hot pool
• aquatic wheelchair availability on request
• a lift system for entry and exit from the cool pool

The historic Aquacourt building does create some physical limitations, so visitors with specific mobility requirements should review current Parks Canada accessibility information before travelling.

Ask staff for assistance when adaptive equipment or accessible pool entry is required.

Radium is supervised and developed, but soaking in hot water can still cause overheating or dehydration.

• Drink water while soaking.
• Take regular breaks from the hot pool.
• Do not bring glass onto the pool deck.
• Running and rough play are not permitted.
• Diving is not permitted in the hot pool.
• Follow lifeguard instructions.
• Children and non-swimmers require appropriate supervision.
• Appropriate swimwear is required.
• Alcohol and intoxicating substances are not permitted.
• Food is not permitted on the pool deck.
• Only water in an unbreakable container should be taken onto the pool deck.
• Visitors with open wounds, certain illnesses or recent gastrointestinal illness should not enter the pools.

Parks Canada recommends taking frequent cooling breaks while using the hot pool.

People who are pregnant or have chronic medical conditions should seek appropriate medical advice before prolonged soaking in hot water.

Radium is one of the more practical Canadian hot-spring choices for families because it combines a warm soaking pool with a separate swimming pool and supervised facilities.

Children are permitted, but age and supervision rules apply.

Young children and non-swimmers must remain closely supervised.

Lifejackets may be available at the facility.

Children who require swim diapers must wear them in accordance with public-health requirements.

Families should check the latest Parks Canada pool rules before visiting because age and supervision requirements can change.

The Radium hot springs have a much longer history than the current swimming facility.

Parks Canada states that Indigenous peoples have long used the hot springs and surrounding lands.

Non-Indigenous development expanded during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

The springs were previously known as Sinclair Hot Springs.

The name Radium Hot Springs was adopted in the early twentieth century after researchers identified trace radioactive gases associated with the spring water.

The springs became part of Kootenay National Park during the 1920s.

The present Aquacourt was constructed after an earlier bathhouse burned in 1949 and officially opened in 1951.

The Aquacourt is now recognised as a Classified Federal Heritage Building because of its historical, architectural and environmental importance.

Modern Radium therefore combines natural geothermal water, Canadian Rockies tourism history and twentieth-century public architecture.

Kootenay National Park is more than a recreational landscape.

Parks Canada recognises long-standing Indigenous connections to the lands and waters protected within the park.

Visitors should treat the wider area with the same respect expected elsewhere in a national park.

• Do not disturb wildlife.
• Do not feed animals.
• Do not remove rocks, plants, cultural materials or natural objects.
• Use established roads, trails and visitor facilities.
• Dispose of rubbish correctly.
• Respect closures and restricted areas.
• Follow Parks Canada instructions.

The developed pool may feel separate from the surrounding wilderness, but it remains part of a protected national-park landscape.

Radium can be visited throughout the year under normal operating conditions.

The best season depends on the type of trip you want.

Summer offers easier road-trip conditions and longer daylight but can also bring larger visitor numbers.

Autumn can provide cooler air and attractive mountain scenery.

Winter can make the contrast between cold mountain air and warm mineral water especially appealing, but snow, ice and highway conditions require more careful planning.

Spring can bring changing mountain weather and variable road conditions.

For any season, check:

• current pool operating hours
• Highway 93 conditions
• Kootenay National Park bulletins
• weather forecasts
• temporary closures
• current admission arrangements

Radium Hot Springs works well as part of a wider Canadian Rockies or Columbia Valley trip.

• Sinclair Canyon
• Kootenay National Park
• Village of Radium Hot Springs
• Redstreak area
• Invermere
• Columbia Valley
• Highway 93 South scenic drive
• Canadian Rockies hiking and viewpoints

Road, trail and seasonal conditions can change quickly in mountain environments, so check current Parks Canada information before adding remote stops.

The Village of Radium Hot Springs is the closest practical accommodation and service base.

The village offers a range of lodging, food and road-trip services outside the immediate national-park pool facility.

Invermere is another useful regional base farther south in the Columbia Valley.

Camping is also available within the wider Kootenay National Park area when campgrounds are open.

Do not assume camping is permitted beside the hot-spring facility itself.

Check current Parks Canada campground information and reservation requirements before travelling.

Is Radium Hot Springs natural?
Yes. Radium is fed by naturally heated mineral spring water, but visitors soak in a developed Parks Canada pool facility rather than an undeveloped natural basin.

How hot is Radium Hot Springs?
Parks Canada maintains the hot pool between approximately 37°C and 40°C, or 98°F to 104°F.

Can you swim at Radium Hot Springs?
Yes. The facility includes a hot soaking pool and a separate cooler swimming pool, although operating schedules can vary by season.

Do you need a reservation?
No. Entry is first-come, first-served and advance pool reservations are not normally available.

Do you need a national park pass?
Yes. Radium Hot Springs is inside Kootenay National Park, so visitors require an appropriate park pass in addition to paying pool admission.

Is Radium Hot Springs open all year?
The facility operates year-round under normal conditions, but seasonal hours and individual pool schedules vary. Check Parks Canada before travelling.

Is Radium Hot Springs wheelchair accessible?
The facility includes accessible routes, elevator access, accessible change rooms, ramp entry into the hot pool and aquatic accessibility equipment. Visitors with specific requirements should check current Parks Canada accessibility information before visiting.

Are the pools untreated natural water?
No. Although the spring water is naturally heated and mineral-rich, the developed public pools operate under health regulations. Parks Canada states that the water is chlorinated, regularly tested and continuously refreshed.

Where is Radium Hot Springs?
The pools are inside Kootenay National Park approximately 3 km east of the Village of Radium Hot Springs in British Columbia.

Is Radium a wild hot spring?
No. It is a developed and supervised natural mineral hot-spring facility with pools, change rooms, lockers and lifeguards.

Primary sources checked:

• Parks Canada — Radium Hot Springs.
• Parks Canada — Radium Hot Springs Hours of Operation.
• Parks Canada — Radium Hot Springs Safety and Guidelines.
• Parks Canada — Radium Hot Springs Facility Accessibility.
• Parks Canada — How to Get to Radium Hot Springs.
• Parks Canada — History of Radium Hot Springs.
• Wikimedia Commons — Radium Hot Springs photograph by Ken Thomas.
• Wikimedia Commons — Hot springs pool Radium photograph by Qyd.

Images: Hero image by Ken Thomas / Wikimedia Commons, public domain. Second pool image by Qyd / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Full licence details retained in the NHSNM image licence log.

Last checked: 8 September 2026.

Publishing note: Re-check Parks Canada operating hours, admission information, park-pass requirements, highway conditions and important bulletins immediately before changing this page from draft to published.

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