For thousands of years, the natural hot springs at Harrison Hot Springs — known as Qwó:íls — drew coastal and interior Salishan people from great distances to enjoy its waters.
Situated not far from the Harrison River, considered the social and ecological heart of the territory, the waters were considered calming, with great healing and rejuvenating properties, and held deep significance for the Sts’ailes and other First Nations that enjoyed them.
Just 90 minutes or so from Vancouver, the resort municipality of Harrison Hot Springs is now a major tourist destination, with visitors from around the world descending on the sandy shores of Harrison Lake to experience the hot springs. It’s also drawn some celebrities, including Clark Gable, John Wayne, Michael Bublé, Robin Williams, and Liam Neeson.
But beyond the healing pools, there’s a world to explore in this charming Fraser Valley hideaway. Here are our favourite things to do and explore in Harrison Hot Springs.
Ways to experience Harrison Hot Springs
Take a dip in the famed hot springs
Mineral pool at Harrison Hot Springs Resort (Darcy Matheson)
If you’re going to visit, the picturesque Harrison Hot Springs Resort at the southern point of Harrison Lake is truly THE place to stay if you want to take in the pools.
Welcoming guests for the past 125 years, the resort has lodgings including two spacious towers as well as more rustic cottages with spacious guest rooms more suitable for families. HHSR features five different natural, hot-spring-fed mineral pools on its grounds, each with different temperatures, and there’s also an adults-only dedicated space if you don’t want to relax and rejuvenate in the company of kiddos.
But the resort isn’t the only place where you can take a dip in the famed waters. The Public Mineral Hot Pool is centrally located on Hot Springs Road and is available for all visitors, for a small fee. The pool water is pumped in from the springs and cooled to 38°C (100°F).
The source of the hot springs along Harrison Lake (Darcy Matheson)
For those looking for a more natural experience, you can walk 10 minutes or so along the esplanade and go directly to the source of the hot springs, where stones have been built up around lower hot pools.
Nicknamed “Hobo Hot Springs,” a word of warning: the water is much hotter at the source, so you may just want to dip a toe in to experience it. Outside the pumphouse, placards are documenting the history of the region and its importance to local First Nations.
Learn about Sasquatch lore
Sasquatch Museum/Tourism Harrison
Believed to be an anglicized mispronunciation of the Sts’ailes word Sa:sq’ets, meaning “hairy man,” the lore of the Sasquatch is strong in the Harrison region.
The newly opened Sasquatch Museum dives deep into the history of the Sa:sq’ets and Harrison River Valley. Here, you can learn more about how the elusive and spiritual Sa:sq’ets came to a primary caretaker that watches over the land, and became an integral aspect of the spiritual beliefs of the Indigenous population in the region.
Sasquatch Museum/Tourism Harrison
Opened with the support of Sts’ailes, the multimedia and sensory visitor experience features a large exhibit highlighting the region’s wildlife, and also includes a recreated Sts’ailes longhouse, as well as artifacts and carvings.
Visit a farm
Circle Farm Tour/Tourism Harrison
A self-guided tour connecting you to farms and agricultural experiences, the Agassiz-Harrison Circle Farm Tour lets you enjoy locally grown and homemade BC products while learning more about the farm-to-plate journey.
The 26-km ride, which is mostly flat, winds through the stunning Harrison River Valley countryside, all the way from Harrison Hot Springs, along mountainsides, grazing animals and fertile farmlands. The self-guided route lets you choose your own adventure, whether it’s visiting farm stands with fresh berries, trying out new artisan cheeses, or visiting a lavender farm and picking a bouquet to bring home from your journey.
Harrison Lavender/Tourism Harrison
Some must-visits include Farm House Natural Cheeses, where you can watch the cheese-making process firsthand and stock up on cheeses and jams to craft your perfect picnic basket. The small but mighty Harrison Lavender is a great stop for photos, and you can wander through the lavender field and also purchase an array of lavender goods from their barn storefront.
Hit the lake
The largest lake in Southwestern BC, the glacier-fed Harrison Lake offers recreational activities for all ages, including boating, fishing and swimming. You can also rent a boat right off the main dock on the promenade in Harrison Hot Springs.
Harrison Watersports
Not for the faint at heart, Harrison Lake boasts an inflatable water park that is a thrill-seeker’s dream. Featuring swings, slides, teeter-totters, monkey bars, rope swings, hamster balls and a “Wipeout-style” full-blown obstacle course.
Harrison Watersports/Facebook
That’s not all the lake has to offer. You can also rent bumper boats, BBQ boats, and Sea-Doos to make it the ultimate day on the lake.
Hike a new trail
Whippoorwill Point Trail (Vancouvertrails.com)
Venture beyond the boardwalk and explore a new trail that takes you to a sandy hidden beach.
The Whippoorwill Point Trail offers a quiet reprieve from the crowds and is a short 4-km trail that passes through Sandy Cove beach. The secret to reaching this trail is going past the source of the hot springs at the end of the road at a metal fence. The trailhead is steep, heading into the woods and going up the side of the mountain.
Sandy Cove beach on Whippoorwill Point Trail (Vancouvertrails.com)
Hikers will be rewarded with sweeping vistas of Harrison Lake. Sandy Cove is only accessible by trail, so it’s a perfect spot to enjoy a little quiet time or perhaps a picnic packed with goodies from nearby Muddy Waters cafe.
Take a step back in time and boogie
Dancing at The Copper Room (Darcy Matheson)
With live music nightly, and quite a boss-illuminated dance floor, take a step back into history at The Copper Room restaurant.
The elegant dining room is steeped in history and is one of the longest-standing dining and dancing traditions in BC. The grand dining room opened to the public to great fanfare in 1939 and has hosted countless grads and weddings ever since.
The Copper Room at Harrison Hot Springs (HHSR)
But you don’t need an occasion to celebrate to visit. The Copper Room has a full band live most nights with music starting at 7 pm.
You can order from an a la carte menu with fare including Dungeness crab cocktails and porcini-dusted wild BC salmon. If you’re celebrating, try the $80 chef’s tasting menu that celebrates the best and brightest local ingredients from the Fraser Valley and beyond.
And of course, popping a bottle of champagne is recommended with absolutely everything on the menu.
The author of this piece was partially hosted by Harrison Hot Springs Resort.