SOUTHWESTERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 338

Harrison Hot Springs
Of British Columbia's 60 natural hot springs, the closest to Vancouver is Harrison Hot
Springs, on the north side of the Fraser Valley, 125 kilometers (78 miles) east of downtown.
Known as the Spa of Canada, the springs lie on the sandy southern shores of the Lower
Mainland's largest body of water, Harrison Lake. Since the opening of the province's
first resort in 1886, the springs have spurred much surrounding development. Coast Salish
were the first to take advantage of the soothing water. Then, in the late 1850s, gold miners
stumbled upon the springs. Because of a historical agreement, only the Harrison Hot
Springs Resort has water rights, but the hotel operates Harrison Hot Springs Public Pool
(corner of Harrison Hot Springs Rd. and Esplanade Ave., 604/796-2244, 8am-9pm daily
in summer, 9am-9pm daily the rest of the year, adult $9, senior and child $6.75). Scalding
74°C (165°F) mineral water is pumped from its source, cooled to a soothing 38°C (100°F),
and then pumped into the pool. The lake provides many recreation opportunities, with good
swimming, sailing, canoeing, and fishing for rainbow trout.
Lakeside Harrison Hot Springs Resort (100 Esplanade, 604/796-2244 or 800/
663-2266, www.harrisonresort.com , $180-325 s or d) is the town's most elegant accom-
modation, and it offers guests use of a large indoor and outdoor complex of mineral pools,
complete with grassed areas, lots of outdoor furniture, and a café. Other facilities include
boat and canoe rentals, sailing lessons, and a restaurant and lounge bar. Most of the 337
rooms have private balconies, many with spectacular views across the lake. Within walk-
ing distance of the public hot pool and lake is Glencoe Motel (259 Hot Springs Rd., 604/
796-2574, www.glencoemotel.com , $129-149 s or d). The least expensive overnight option
is to camp at one of three campgrounds along the road into town or through town in lakeside
Sasquatch Provincial Park (April-mid-Oct., $18-21)
HOPE AND VICINITY
Locals say “all roads lead to Hope”—and they're right. On a finger of land at the confluence
of the Fraser and Coquihalla Rivers, 158 kilometers (98 miles) east of Vancouver, Hope
(pop. 6,400) really is a hub. The Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 7 from Vancouver,
the Coquihalla Highway to Kamloops, and Highway 3 from the Okanagan all meet at Hope.
Don't be put off by first impressions of the town itself. Surrounded by magnificent moun-
tains and rivers, with a couple of great wilderness areas only a short drive away and an
abundance of recreational opportunities, Hope is a great place to spend some time.