Halfway River Hot Springs

What to expect

Halfway River Hot Springs is the wild alternative to the resorts on the Arrow Lakes. Hot water seeps out of the bank of the Halfway River in a forested valley in the Selkirk Mountains and collects in a string of natural pools along the river. There are no staff at the pools, no admission and no concrete.

The pools fall into a few groups, as the site host’s website describes them:

• Main pools: three pools at the bottom of the main trail, next to a cedar change shelter with two rooms.
• River pools: small to medium pools on the riverbank about 50 yards from the main area. Each runs at a different temperature, and the cold river is right there for a plunge.
• Gorge pools: a handful of pools at the mouth of a rock-walled gorge, just above the Halfway River falls. The top one is the hottest.
• Waterfall pools: below the gorge, hit and miss depending on river level.

No official source publishes pool temperatures, and they change with the season and the river. Some pools near the source can be too hot to sit in, while river-edge pools cool off when the river is high. Test each one with your hand.

The site is a provincial Recreation Sites and Trails BC campground (site REC2279), maintained to provincial standards by a contracted operator. There are outhouses at the campground and the springs, picnic tables and the change shelter, but no garbage collection and no drinking water.

Getting there

• From Nakusp: drive about 26 km (16 miles) north on Highway 23. Just before the bridge over the Halfway River, turn right onto the Halfway River Forest Service Road.
• From Revelstoke and the Galena Bay ferry: drive about 22 km (14 miles) south from Galena Bay, past Halcyon Hot Springs Resort. Cross the Halfway River bridge and take the first left onto the FSR.

Follow the FSR for about 11.5 km (7 miles) to a signed fork. The left branch drops into the newer campground with a little day-use parking. The right branch goes to the upper parking lot, which is the best place to park for day use and the closest to the main pools.

The province lists the road as two-wheel-drive access. In practice it is gravel with many potholes and washboard sections, and it is an active resource road, so expect logging trucks. Drive slowly and pull over for industrial traffic.

From the upper lot, a short, steep trail drops through the forest to the main pools, roughly 360 m (0.2 miles) on OpenStreetMap. Some steep sections can be slick in the wet. Reaching the gorge pools adds about seven minutes on a rough path along a steep hillside above the river.

When to go

May to October is the main season. The road is passable, the site host is on duty and the outhouses are cleaned. Campsites cannot be reserved, so on summer weekends arrive early if you want one.

Winter is when many regulars prefer it, with snow on the cedars and steam on the river. But the FSR is usually impassable from late November until as late as April, and people have been stranded by sudden changes. The host advises parking at the bottom of the road and hiking, snowshoeing or snowmobiling in. That is about 11.5 km each way, so treat it as a full winter trip and carry gear for a night out. Do not drive up the snowed road; tire ruts also ruin it for skiers and sledders.

Wildfire: in August 2026 a 60-hectare lightning fire burned in the Halfway River valley about 4 km south of the springs (BC Wildfire Service incident N51593). It was declared out on September 3, 2026. Check BC Wildfire Service and the Recreation Sites and Trails BC closures list before a summer trip.

Rules and etiquette

The site falls under the provincial Forest Recreation Regulation:

• Fees: day use is free. Camping is C$20 a night on the provincial listing, collected in cash by the operator from May 1 to October 31. The host’s site lists C$15, and tips for the host are welcome.
• First come, first served. No reservations. You cannot hold a site for someone else or leave gear unattended.
• Stay limit: 14 consecutive days.
• Quiet time: 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Keep generators and music down at all times.
• Pack it out. There are no garbage bins anywhere on site.
• Campfires: only in the rings provided, no bigger than 0.5 m by 0.5 m, with 8 litres of water and a tool on hand. Follow any BC fire ban.
• Pets must be quiet and under control.
• Speed limit inside the recreation site is 20 km/h.
• Leave soap, shampoo and glass out of the pools. They are small and drain slowly.

No official source states a clothing rule for the pools. Expect a mix and bring a swimsuit.

Where to stay nearby

• Halfway River Hotsprings recreation site has about 20 drive-in campsites and more walk-in tent sites, with overflow space on busy weekends.
• Halcyon Hot Springs Resort, on Highway 23 a few kilometres north of the turnoff, has chalets, cabins and suites, plus developed pools.
• Halcyon Heights RV Park, just north of Halcyon, has serviced RV sites in summer.
• Nakusp, about 37 km (23 miles) back to town, has motels, groceries and fuel.

Safety notes

• The gorge: stay out of the river near the gorge pools. A slip can carry you through the gorge and over the falls below, and the host says this has happened before.
• Hot spots: water near the source can scald. Test before you get in, and keep your head above water.
• Poison ivy: the slopes around the pools are covered with it in summer. Stay on the trail and wash skin and clothes afterwards.
• Bears: this is bear country. Store food and scented items in your vehicle or a bear-resistant container.
• Bugs: horse flies can be bad in midsummer. Bring repellent.
• No signal: there is no cell service at the site. Tell someone your plan, carry a satellite messenger in winter, and know that the nearest help is in Nakusp.
• Footing: wear grippy shoes on the trail and water shoes for the river pools.