Canada's hot springs number at least 23 in this directory, nearly all of them in the western mountains of British Columbia and Alberta. Banff Upper Hot Springs sits high in the Canadian Rockies, while Liard River Hot Springs steams in a boreal wetland far up the Alaska Highway. 6 of the 23 listed here are free to soak. British Columbia holds the great majority.
The British Columbia interior, through the Kootenay and Columbia valleys, holds the densest cluster of pools in the country. Resort baths at Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort and Halcyon Hot Springs line the lakes, while the free wild pools of Lussier Hot Springs sit beside a mountain river. More than half of the directory's Canadian springs lie across this southeastern corner of British Columbia.
The British Columbia coast and far north add remote, wilder soaks. Boat-access Hot Springs Cove near Tofino pours over a coastal rock shelf, while Liard River Hot Springs and Toad River Hot Springs sit far up the Alaska Highway near the Yukon border. Several of the listed Canadian springs need a trail, boat, or long highway drive to reach.
The Canadian Rockies of Alberta hold the country's most famous resort pools inside the national parks. Banff Upper Hot Springs overlooks the Bow Valley and Miette Hot Springs sits high in Jasper National Park, both developed pools with mountain views. A handful of the springs listed here lie across the Alberta Rockies.
The territorial north carries a few far-flung springs across the Yukon and Northwest Territories. Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs near Whitehorse runs a developed Nordic spa, while the free pools of Kraus Hot Springs sit deep in Nahanni country reached by float plane or river. These northern springs round out the directory's Canadian entries.
Canadian soaking splits between developed national-park resorts and remote wild pools, with little in between. Park baths like Banff and Radium offer road access and change rooms, while the 6 free sites listed here, among 23 total, often need a hike or a drive into the backcountry. Water at Liard River runs near 52 degrees Celsius. These form part of the wider hot springs in North America.
