British Columbia · Developed pools
Radium Hot Springs
Sinclair Canyon gives Radium a dramatic rock-walled setting. The developed complex offers a hot soaking pool and a separate cool swimming pool, with clear mineral water and the practical facilities of a major Parks Canada attraction.
Historical source coordinate; not a trailhead. Accuracy and datum have not been independently verified. Historical water readings describe source samples, not safe soaking temperatures.
Odourless water in a fault-walled canyon
Radium sits in Sinclair Canyon at the southern boundary of Kootenay National Park, where the highway threads between steep walls of the Redwall Fault. The pools are fed from four sources in the canyon of Sinclair Creek beneath the facility.
The water's defining quality is what it lacks: it is odourless and colourless, unlike the sulphur-scented springs found elsewhere in the Rockies. Published analyses list sulphate, calcium, bicarbonate, silica and magnesium as the dominant minerals. The name comes from historic traces of radium in the water, not from any present-day treatment claim.
A hot pool and a cool pool
Parks Canada operates two pools year-round: a hot pool for soaking and a cooler, larger pool suited to actual swimming. That pairing is unusual among Canadian springs and is much of why Radium works for families rather than only for soakers.
The Aquacourt building has real standing in park history — its construction was the first major building project undertaken in the western national parks after the Second World War. Parks Canada completed a significant round of infrastructure work at the site in 2024.
Ktunaxa and Secwépemc connection, and the first written visits
The springs were known and used by the Ktunaxa and Secwépemc peoples, for whom they are sacred places of healing and rejuvenation; that use continues today and is not merely historical.
The first recorded European visit was in 1841 by Sir George Simpson, governor of the Hudson's Bay Company. The trader and explorer James Sinclair followed within weeks, and the canyon carries his name.
Opening hours & season
Hot pool: Mon–Fri 11:30 am–9 pm; Sat–Sun 10:30 am–9 pm. Last entry 8:30 pm.
Fall schedule September 1–October 12, 2026. October 4 closure overrides hours. From October 13 to May 2027, hot-pool hours stay the same; cool pool opens Friday 6–9 pm and weekends 10:30 am–9 pm only.
All times are local to the spring. Checked 2026-10-01; this is not a live opening-status display. Closure notices override regular hours.
Our take
A compelling choice for families and road-trippers who want scenery with straightforward facilities. Its appeal is the canyon setting and roomy pool experience, rather than a secluded natural basin.
Editorial assessment based on published information. No firsthand visit or customer score is implied.
Before you go
Sources & record notes
Geoscience BC’s 2016 compilation · 3 historical sampling records · Source name: Radium. References recorded in the dataset: Mazor 1983; Allen 2006.
Source notes: van Everdingen 1969, 1972 – RA1; RA 1-2
Sources used for this guide
- Parks Canada — Radium Hot Springs (Kootenay National Park)
- Parks Canada news — infrastructure improvements completed (October 2024)
- National Parks Traveler — soaking in the history of Radium Hot Springs
- Kootenay Rockies — Kootenay hot springs overview
Written from the published sources above. Operator hours, access rules and closures change; the official link is authoritative.