Read Time:2 Minute, 57 Second
While some people like to ditch the freezing temperatures and jet off to somewhere warm & tropical for the holidays, some like to fully embrace the white Christmas from your childhood dreams. Not that sitting on a beach in Mexico in December doesn’t sound AMAZING, but there is something so special about drinking hot chocolate and watching a Christmas movie while the snow is falling right outside your window. This hot springs resort in British Columbia is one of the most beautiful winter vacations I have ever been on and it is so underrated here in the Pacific Northwest. Located just 193 miles Northeast of Spokane, Washington or 312 miles Northwest of Missoula, Montana is Fairmont Hot Springs Resort.
If you are travelling from a major city with a large airport, then you may be able to find a roundtrip flight into Fairmont Hot Springs small airport for around $350, and that is if you are lucky. The next closest major airports are in Cranbrook (50 miles) or Calgary (96 miles), which will get you cheaper airfare but then you have to take into account rental car fees and gas. If you live in Washington, Idaho, or Montana, then the best way to get here is packing up your car and hitting the road, with snow tires on of course. It took us about 6 hours to arrive in Fairmont from Spokane last Christmas, and that includes time spent stopping at the border and getting lunch in Cranbrook, which is the next closest town after crossing the Eastport-Kingsgate Border entrance in northern Idaho.
Fairmont Hot Springs is known as “Canada’s largest natural mineral hot springs” and the tranquil pools contain over 1.2 million gallons of fresh mineral water that is naturally heated from the Earth. The resort also offers spa services, skiing & snowboarding, golf, atv tours, snowmobiling, and a variety of restaurants. Nightly rates begin at $150, and go up according to room size and number of guests. Because I was travelling with a family of 6 people we opted to stay in a cabin-like condo through airbnb that was right down the road from the hot springs. This airbnb offered us much more space than a traditional hotel room as it had 2 floors and a full size kitchen. Right outside the condominiums was several beautiful hiking trails, waterfalls, sledding hills, & hot spring swimming holes. On Christmas morning we drove an additional 45 minutes north to Panorama Ski Resort to hit the slopes on some of Canada’s most beautiful mountains. The only downside to this high-end ski resort, is that it was SO COLD!! There were times where it was -6 degrees Fahrenheit which made it almost unbearable. If you are planning on going skiing or snowboarding at all in the Fairmont are make sure to wear lots and lots of layers and bring several hand warmers. There’s no better way to end a cold day of skiing or snowshoeing than soaking in 102 degree mineral water, which is open until 9:00 pm. Guests at the resort have unlimited access to the hot spring pools, and a day pass for non-guests is only $12. Due to covid, they were restricting sales of day passes so make sure you call ahead of time if you will not be staying at the resort. Overall, I would definitely return to Fairmont Hot Springs, Canada and I hope these photos give you a taste of just how much of a winter wonderland it truly is.
Happy
100 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
2
0