Ainsworth Hot Springs

Soak in natural hot springs above the shores of Kootenay Lake — one of BC's most scenic mineral spring destinations.

Ainsworth Hot Springs is a small lakeside community on the west shore of Kootenay Lake in the heart of the West Kootenay region, about 17 kilometres north of Kaslo. It is best known for its natural mineral hot springs, which have been drawing visitors for well over a century — first Indigenous peoples who knew the healing waters long before European contact, then miners and settlers during the silver rush era of the 1880s and 1890s, and today a steady stream of travellers who come to soak in the horseshoe-shaped cave pool and take in the extraordinary views over Kootenay Lake. The hot springs themselves are genuinely remarkable. The main pool is set inside a natural horseshoe cave carved into the mountainside, where the mineral-rich water flows at around 40°C and the cave walls drip with steam and mineral deposits. A cold plunge pool sits just outside, and the contrast between the two is a favourite ritual for regulars. The setting — with Kootenay Lake stretching out below and the Purcell Mountains rising on the far shore — is as dramatic as any hot springs in BC. The surrounding area is rich in history. The Kootenay Lake region was one of BC's most productive silver mining districts in the late 1800s, and the ghost towns, old mine workings, and heritage buildings scattered through the hills around Ainsworth tell the story of a boom-and-bust era that shaped the entire West Kootenay. The nearby Cody Caves Provincial Park offers guided tours through a remarkable limestone cave system just a short drive up the mountain. Kootenay Lake itself is one of the largest natural lakes in BC and one of the most beautiful — a long, deep, glacier-fed body of water flanked by the Selkirk and Purcell mountain ranges. The lake is famous for its Gerrard rainbow trout, which are among the largest wild rainbow trout in the world, and the fishing here draws serious anglers from across North America. The free Kootenay Lake Ferry, which runs between Balfour and Kootenay Bay, is the longest free ferry ride in the world and a scenic highlight of any trip through the region.