Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort

What to expect

Ainsworth Hot Springs is a small hotel and pool complex on the west shore of Kootenay Lake, in the hamlet of the same name. The setting is the draw: the outdoor pool deck looks east across the lake to the Purcell Mountains, and behind the building the hot water runs through a cave dug into the hillside.

The cave is what sets Ainsworth apart from other Kootenay hot springs. It is a horseshoe-shaped tunnel about 150 feet (46 m) long, with mineral deposits on the walls and ceiling and waist-deep water underfoot. You wade in one end, through the steam and dim light, and out the other. The resort puts the cave water at an average of 108°F42°C, with a range of roughly 104-110°F40-43°C. It is hot and humid in there, so most people go through slowly, step out, then go back.

Outside, the main pool is a broad, cooler lounging pool, listed at about 97-100°F36-38°C. A small cold plunge sits near the cave entrance. Going from the cave to the cold plunge and back is the standard routine here.

This is a developed facility, not a wild spring. The resort adds chlorine as Interior Health requires and tests the cave and pools several times a day. It says the cave water turns over more than six times a day and the main pool more than four times.

The pools

• Horseshoe cave: about 150 feet (46 m) long, 18,000 gallons, 104-110°F40-43°C.
• Main pool: 27,000 gallons, about 97-100°F36-38°C, with views over Kootenay Lake.
• Cold plunge: 500 gallons of cold water; the temperature changes with the season.

The spring water enters the system at 117°F47°C and cools before it reaches you.

Getting there

Ainsworth sits on Highway 31 between Balfour and Kaslo, about 18 km (11 miles) north of Balfour and 19 km (12 miles) south of Kaslo. The resort’s address is 3609 Highway 31 (Balfour-Kaslo-Galena Bay Highway).

• From Nelson: Drive northeast on Highway 3A along the West Arm of Kootenay Lake to Balfour, then continue north on Highway 31 to Ainsworth.
• From Creston and the east side of the lake: Drive north on Highway 3A to Kootenay Bay and take the Kootenay Lake ferry across to Balfour, then go north on Highway 31.
• From Kaslo or Nakusp: Head south on Highway 31.

The road is paved all the way, and the resort has its own parking. In winter, check DriveBC for Highway 31 and the ferry schedule before you set out.

Prices and booking

Single-entry prices on the resort’s pools page in October 2026 (the page carries no date):

• Adults (18-64): C$18
• Seniors (65+): C$17
• Ages 13-17: C$14
• Ages 3-12: C$12
• Children 2 and under: free
• Family (two adults or seniors plus two children): C$50

The resort uses salmon life stages for its age groups (alevin, fry, smolt, spawner), so do not be confused by the price board. There is no separate day pass listed. Call ahead for large groups. A loyalty card gives an eleventh visit free after ten paid ones.

What is included: storage lockers are free with entry. Towels cost C$5 plus a C$5 deposit. There is no swimsuit rental, but the gift shop sells suits. Private, family and special-needs change rooms are available.

Hours: public pools run Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (last entry 6 p.m.) and Monday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (last entry 2 p.m.). No Tuesday hours are listed. Hotel guests get longer pool hours, from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on open days and until check-out.

Booking: no reservations for the pools. Rooms book through the resort website, and the Ktunaxa Grill needs reservations for evening meals. The Spirit Water Spa takes bookings Wednesday to Sunday.

History

The Ktunaxa people used these springs long before any settlement, including for soaking after battle and for ailments such as arthritis, according to the resort’s history page. The town grew from a silver, lead and zinc mining camp called Hot Springs Camp, and George Ainsworth of Portland, Oregon, applied for a pre-emption of the townsite in 1882.

A pool and the cave were completed in the early 1930s, when a swim cost 10 cents and the pool was open around the clock. The mining company sold the property in 1962, and it passed through family ownership for the next five decades. The pool and cave were renovated in 1983 and the current hotel went up in 1987. In 2015 the Lower Kootenay Band of Creston, a Ktunaxa Nation community, bought the resort and the land around it.

When to go

The pools are open all year on the days listed above. Winter is the favourite season locally: the contrast between cold lake air and the hot cave is the point, and Highway 31 is quiet. Summer brings more road-trippers heading for Kaslo, the Valhallas and the lake, so weekend afternoons are the busiest times.

Arrive at 10 a.m. on a weekday if you want the cave nearly to yourself. Remember the 6 p.m. last entry for day visitors from Wednesday to Sunday.

Rules and etiquette

• Swimsuits are worn throughout. There is no rental, so bring your own or buy one in the gift shop.
• Water only on the deck. Sealed plastic bottles are allowed; water is sold at the front desk.
• No noodles or pool toys. Personal flotation devices are allowed for children.
• Move through the cave. It is narrow in places, so do not stop in the middle when others are wading behind you.
• Shower first and keep voices down in the cave, where sound carries.

The resort does not publish age limits or a pet policy on its pools page. Ask when you arrive if you are travelling with young children or a dog.

Where to stay nearby

The resort has its own hotel, with rooms and the Yaqan Nukiy suites, and hotel guests get extended pool access. The hotel takes bookings Wednesday to Sunday nights.

Kaslo, 19 km (12 miles) north, is a small lakeside town with inns, motels and camping. Nelson, south via Balfour, has the widest choice of hotels and restaurants in the area.

Safety notes

• Heat in the cave: the water and steam together make the cave feel hotter than its temperature suggests. Keep visits short, step out to cool down, and drink water.
• Footing: the cave floor and pool decks are wet and uneven. Walk, do not hurry.
• Health: talk to a doctor before soaking if you are pregnant or have heart or blood pressure problems.
• Winter driving: Highway 31 is a two-lane lakeside road with rock cuts. Use proper winter tires in the cold months and check DriveBC.

Nearby stops worth adding

Cody Caves Provincial Park, up a gravel road just north of Ainsworth, protects a limestone cave system that you can visit on guided tours in the warmer months. Kaslo has the SS Moyie, a restored sternwheeler on the waterfront. If you are touring Kootenay hot springs, Halcyon and Nakusp are to the northwest, and Canyon Hot Springs and Crazy Creek are further north near Revelstoke.