Begin your tour in Cranbrook, which over the years has transitioned from a thriving railway town to the largest city in the Kootenay Rockies, home to the Canadian Rockies International Airport (YXC). Admire 19th-century heritage homes, and visit the Cranbrook History Centre’s award-winning collection of restored railcars and locomotives. Make time for a day-trip to nearby Fort Steele Heritage Town and go back in time to experience “wild west” life in a restored 1860s gold rush town.

Drive north along Highway 95A to Kimberley.

Plan to spend a few days in Kimberley. This alpine resort community is an excellent destination for those who want to commune with nature. The immense Kimberley Nature Park—the biggest municipal park in BC—offers everything from short, easy loop trails to steep technical sections.

Kimberley is located between the Purcell and the Rocky mountains, which means access to spectacular hiking opportunities. Try a hike up to Sunflower Hill for a view of The Steeples and the Rocky Mountain trench, particularly refreshing on a brisk day. Or head to the St. Mary River, considered to be one of North America’s top spots to fly-fish for rainbow, cutthroat, and bull trout. In spring and summer, stop in at Kimberley’s Underground Mining Railway for a little history, to ride the rails, and for a tour of the historic Sullivan Mine.

Continue north on Highway 93/95 to Fairmont Hot Springs.

Fairmont Hot Springs Resort’s year-round, crystal clear hot springs pools beckon with their steamy, mineral-rich waters. The resort also offers 45 scenic holes of golf, access to hiking and biking trails, spa services, and even skiing and snowboarding in the winter.

Continue north to Radium Hot Springs, stopping in Invermere on the Lake to cool off with a swim or a paddle, and to enjoy the serenity of a canoe or kayak trip down the Columbia River.

Radium Hot Springs is located in Kootenay National Park, part of the UNESCO Canadian Rockies Mountain Parks World Heritage Site. Set in dramatic Sinclair Canyon, these natural, odourless springs have been used by humans for centuries. Keep an eye out for bighorn sheep, particularly in November when you’ll see them during rutting season. Think two 70-kg (150-lb) animals running at one another full tilt, horns colliding with a deafening crash in a battle for dominance. Add some historical context with a hike to the Stanley Glacier to see fossils dating back some 500 million years. You can access the site on your own, or book a guided hike.

Continue north on Highway 95 to Golden.

Golden is set on the banks of the Columbia River, North America’s largest wetland, and is home to abundant wildlife. It’s close several national parks, including Yoho National Park, home to wonders ranging from powerful waterfalls to 500 million-year-old fossil beds. Also nearby is Glacier National Park with its lush rainforest of cedar and hemlock. Here, for a few weeks each summer, alpine meadows burst into a sea of flowers.

Mountain biking and whitewater rafting are popular activities in Golden, and a literal and figurative highlight is a meal at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort‘s Eagle’s Eye Restaurant, the country’s highest elevation dining experience at 2,347 m. Keep it elevated with a visit to the Golden Skybridge, featuring Canada’s highest suspension bridges perched 130-m above an expansive canyon overlooking the Columbia Valley. 

Take Highway 1 east toward Revelstoke.

Rogers Pass National Historic Site is one of BC’s great mountain crossings. Visit the Rogers Pass Discovery Centre to learn about the history of the pass and the completion of the railway, and to see natural history displays. Continue east to Revelstoke, stopping for a soak at Canyon Hot Springs. Enjoy two natural mineral hot pools set in the Columbia Mountains between Glacier and Mount Revelstoke national parks.

During the 19th-century mining boom, Columbia River sternwheelers connected the rugged town of Revelstoke to the railway. Today, a walk through the alpine city reveals some 60 restored heritage buildings as well as the Revelstoke Railway Museum. Travel up the “Meadows in the Sky Parkway” in Mount Revelstoke National Park before heading to Revelstoke Mountain Resort to ride the Pipe Mountain Coaster. West of town, stroll past hundreds of hand-crafted folk art figurines at the Enchanted Forest, and visit a reconstructed frontier settlement at Three Valley Gap Heritage Ghost Town.

Drive south on Highway 23 to Halcyon and Nakusp hot springs.

Halcyon Hot Springs Resort features four mineral-rich pools overlooking Upper Arrow Lake and the Monashee Mountains. An ideal spot to relax and reflect. Farther south, in the village of Nakusp, you can stroll along the lakeside Waterfront Walkway before relaxing in the soothing Nakusp Hot Springs, located in the foothills of the Selkirk Mountains.

Continue south to New Denver.

New Denver and Silverton sit on the eastern shore of Slocan Lake, where you’ll find museums, artisan studios, and plenty of outdoor activity options such as the popular Galena Trail, a favourite among hikers and mountain bikers.

In New Denver, visit the Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre, a museum that pays tribute to Japanese Canadians interned here during World War II. Another must is a visit to Sandon, a historic gold rush ghost town once known as the “Monte Carlo of the North.”

Follow Highway 31A to Kaslo.

Kaslo’s natural harbour once bustled with activity as rowboats, steamships, barges carrying ore, and sternwheelers jostled for a place alongside the busy wharf. Today you can tour the S.S. Moyie, the world’s oldest intact passenger sternwheeler. Want to stretch your legs? Don’t miss Hide and Seek, a display of eight large and playful reinforced concrete sculptures installed along the Kaslo River Trail. Depending on your schedule, a foray into nature can include a quick hike to powerful Fletcher Falls, or a chance to pitch a tent and stay awhile.

Continue south along Highway 31 to Ainsworth Hot Springs and the Kootenay Lake Ferry.

Sink into the soothing mineral waters of Ainsworth Hot Springs, with its large lounging pool and a stream-fed cold plunge. Owned by the Ktunaxa Nation, this unique destination features a horseshoe-shaped hot springs cave lined with stalagmites and stalactites.

Twenty five minutes north of Ainsworth, take a guided tour of the Cody Caves, the result of 170 million years of flowing water and dissolving limestone.

Spend a night in nature at Kokanee Creek Provincial Park, home to long, sandy beaches, old-growth cedar and fir trees, and great frontcountry camping. Backcountry enthusiasts should head to Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park, where 1,200-metre-long Kokanee Lake is surrounded by precipitous cliffs and rock slides.

Fifteen minutes south of Ainsworth, take the Kootenay Lake Ferry—the longest free ferry ride in the world—and drive to Crawford Bay. This charming arts community is home to a disproportionately large number of artisans specializing in media ranging from pottery to woven brooms.

Travel south on Highway 3A to Creston.

Creston is home to wineries, breweries,, and a distillery, so sampling should be on your agenda. Another must is a visit to the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area, a refuge for more than 300 bird species. Follow the boardwalk trail to a three-story viewing tower, or take to the rivers, lakes, and marshes in a canoe or kayak.

From here, drive approximately 80 minutes back to your starting point of Cranbrook.

Last updated: January 8, 2026