Invermere

The Columbia Valley's summer playground — warm lakes, mountain views, and the best of the Rocky Mountain Trench.

Invermere is the hub of the Columbia Valley in the East Kootenay, a town of about 3,500 people that serves as the gateway to one of BC's most spectacular and underrated recreational regions. Sitting in the Rocky Mountain Trench between the Rockies to the east and the Purcell Mountains to the west, Invermere enjoys a warm, dry climate that makes it one of the sunniest communities in the BC interior. Lake Windermere, just south of Invermere, is the warmest lake in BC — a broad, shallow lake that heats up to swimming temperatures by early summer and stays warm well into September. The lake is a major draw for water sports enthusiasts, with boating, waterskiing, windsurfing, paddleboarding, and swimming all popular throughout the summer. The Invermere waterfront has a pleasant beach and park area that is the social heart of the community in summer. Panorama Mountain Resort, 18 kilometres west of Invermere, is one of the top ski areas in BC. The resort has a vertical drop of 1,300 metres — one of the largest in the province — and receives excellent powder snow from the Purcell Mountains. In summer, the resort offers mountain biking, hiking, and a range of outdoor activities. The Columbia River Wetlands, which stretch north from Invermere through the Rocky Mountain Trench, are one of the most important wetland ecosystems in North America. The wetlands provide critical habitat for hundreds of bird species, and the area is a world-class birdwatching destination. Radium Hot Springs, just 15 kilometres south, provides a natural hot springs experience in a spectacular canyon setting.