Invermere & Columbia Valley

A lakeside town in the Columbia Valley on the western slopes of the Rockies, close to Lake Windermere, Radium Hot Springs and Kootenay National Park, with skiing and skating in winter.

Invermere lies in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, in the Columbia Valley between the Rocky Mountains and the Purcell Mountains. It is the valley's central town, about 3 hours' drive from Calgary and about 1.5 hours from Banff. The valley sits at roughly 800–1,000 m above sea level, with a drier, warmer climate than the eastern slopes of the Rockies: sunny summers and little wind in winter. The main areas to explore fall into three parts: Lake Windermere around town, for swimming and paddling in summer and an approximately 30 km natural ice trail in winter; the village of Radium Hot Springs about 18 km north, the southern gateway to Kootenay National Park, with hot spring pools, Sinclair Canyon and overwintering bighorn sheep—head north on Highway 93 to reach Olive Lake, the Kootenay Valley Viewpoint, Numa Falls and the Paint Pots; and to the south, Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, the Dutch Creek Hoodoos, Columbia Lake at the source of the Columbia River, and, farther into the backcountry, the Lussier Hot Springs. To the west in the Purcell Mountains, Panorama Mountain Resort has one of the biggest vertical drops of any ski area in Canada. The best seasons are Jun–Sep for lake activities and hiking and Dec–Mar for skiing and ice sports; fall is also beautiful when the larches turn gold. Getting around is mainly by car; the nearest airports are Cranbrook (about 1.5 hours) and Calgary. Allow 2–4 days. A park pass is required to stop in Kootenay National Park; wildlife is abundant in the mountains, so slow down when driving at night; in winter, snow tires are required, and keep an eye on Highway 93 road conditions.

Top sights

Where to eat

Itineraries