THE KOOTENAYS - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 447

Hot Springs Resort (250/345-6311 or 800/663-4979, www.fairmontresort.com ) , compris-
ing a sprawling residential and resort complex, three golf courses, a small ski resort, a strip
of shops and restaurants, and an airstrip. Despite all the commercialism, the hot springs
(5225 Fairmont Resort Rd., 8am-10pm daily, adult $14, child $10) are still the main at-
traction. Their appeal is simple: Unlike most other springs, the hot water bubbling up from
underground here contains calcium, not sulfur with its attendant smell. The pools are a ma-
gical experience, especially in the evening. Lazily swim or float around in the large warm
pool, dive into the cool pool, or soak away your cares in the hottest pool.
Fairmont Hot Springs Resort
A lodge and a campground provide accommodations for all budgets. Lodge rooms are
$179-325 s or d (includes pool admission), with the more expensive having a kitchen.
Campers have a choice of over 240 sites ($30-60), all just a few minute's stroll from the hot
pools. The campground has full hookups and showers, but no fire pits, and the sites are not
particularly private. Just south of the resort is Spruce Grove Resort (Hwy. 3, 250/345-6561
or 888/629-4004, www.sprucegroveresort.com , Apr.-early Oct., $31-49), where campsites
are spread through a tree-shaded area and along a quiet eddy in the Columbia River. Amen-
ities for children include an outdoor pool and playground.