Harrison Hot Springs Resort

Resort pools versus the public pool

Harrison Hot Springs has two places to soak, and they are easy to confuse.

• Harrison Hot Springs Resort, the big hotel at 100 Esplanade Avenue on the lakefront, has five hot spring pools. Only registered hotel guests can use them, and staff check wristbands.
• The public mineral pool, an indoor pool at the corner of Hot Springs Road and Esplanade Avenue, is where day visitors normally soak. The resort owns and runs it too. Tourism Harrison now calls it the Harrison Mineral Baths.

Both draw on the same springs. The resort holds a provincial water licence (through at least 2037, according to the local paper) that requires it to make hot spring water available to the public every day between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.

The public pool has a long record of closures: during COVID, again in 2022 when lifeguards could not be hired, for repairs in spring 2023, for maintenance in January 2025, and for renovations in 2026. On April 27, 2026 it was still “temporarily closed for renovations until further notice,” and residents and local lodges were complaining to the village council about lost access. While it was closed, the resort let visitors use one of its own pools Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on weekends 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at public pool rates. That arrangement and the public pool’s reopening date may change, so phone 604-796-2244 ext. 5 before you count on a day soak.

What to expect at the resort

The resort sits at the south end of Harrison Lake, a long lake ringed by forested mountains at the eastern end of the Fraser Valley. The outdoor pools sit beside the hotel, a short walk from the beach.

The five pools, as the resort describes them:

• Indoor hot pool: small and round, 100-104°F38-40°C, with a glass waterfall under a 30-foot wooden ceiling.
• Crescent Pool (indoor): medium-sized, about 90-95°F32-35°C.
• Adult pool (outdoor): 18 and over only, with natural rock, plants and a waterfall, roughly 90-98°F32-37°C.
• Family pool (outdoor): about 4,000 sq ft with a gradual sloped entry, ledge seating, wheelchair access and a heated deck, about 92-95°F33-35°C.
• Long pool (outdoor): the coolest, about 83-87°F28-30°C, with loungers and gardens.

The resort’s own page gives slightly different temperatures in its summary and detail sections, which is why the ranges above are approximate.

The water comes from two springs about 300 m northwest of the resort along the lakeshore: a “potash” spring at about 104°F40°C and a “sulphur” spring at roughly 145-150°F62-65°C. It is piped in, filtered, cooled and chlorinated before it reaches the pools, and averages about 1,300 parts per million of dissolved minerals.

History

The Sts’ailes people, who live along the Harrison River, used and revered these springs and called them Qwólts, meaning boiling water. Settlers are said to have found them in 1858, when a boat bound for the gold fields capsized and the crew discovered the water was warm. The springs were promoted as St. Alice’s Well before taking the Harrison name. The resort dates from 1886, after the Canadian Pacific Railway reached Harrison Mills and put the lake within a carriage ride of the mainline. The village was incorporated in 1949.

Getting there

From Vancouver, take Highway 1 (the Trans-Canada) east through the Fraser Valley and leave at the Agassiz and Harrison Hot Springs exit onto Highway 9. Highway 9 crosses the Fraser River to Agassiz and continues north to the village, where it ends at the lake. Highway 7 along the north side of the Fraser through Mission is the slower, rural alternative. The resort is on Esplanade Avenue at the west end of the beachfront, and the public pool is a short walk east.

Pay parking applies at the resort. For hotel guests it is included in the resort fee; register your licence plate at check-in.

When to go

Harrison is a summer beach town as much as a spa town, so July and August weekends are crowded and rooms book up. From October to April the village is quiet, and the hot pools are at their best on a cold, wet coastal day. The resort posts seasonal specials on its website.

Prices and booking

• Resort pools: included for registered guests. The resort fee is C$25 per room per night plus tax, paid at check-in, and covers parking. Rates for rooms vary by date; the resort posts packages such as a fall bed-and-breakfast offer (September 7 to December 17, 2026).
• Early arrival: rooms are ready from 4 p.m., but you can use the pools from 1 p.m.
• Towels and robes: pool towels and robes are in your room. Robes do not come in children’s sizes.
• Public pool: a separate per-visit charge. No 2026 price was published; ask when you call.

Book at 604-796-2244 or 1-888-870-8889. You must be 19 or older to register.

Rules and etiquette

• Wristbands: every registered guest gets one, and you need it to enter the pools.
• Age rules: the outdoor adult pool is 18+ at all times. The family and long pools are adults-only after 10 p.m., and the indoor pools have an adults-only period from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• Quiet zone: the indoor pools are a quiet zone from 8 to 10 a.m. and from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• Dogs are allowed in a limited number of rooms (C$30 per night) and must be leashed on the property.
• Swimsuits are expected in all pools.

Where to stay nearby

The resort itself has lake-view, mountain-view and garden-view rooms across its towers, west wing and heritage building, plus a one-bedroom cottage. The village has several other hotels, motels and cottages along the beachfront; staying at one of them means relying on the public pool. Sasquatch Provincial Park, north of the village, is the nearest provincial park and has campgrounds. Agassiz, a few minutes south, has more services.

Safety notes

• Heat: the indoor hot pool reaches 104°F40°C. Limit soaks, drink water and keep small children in the cooler pools.
• Do not enter the source area. The pooled water by the spring building is not a hot spring pool. Signs ask you to stay out, and in 2025 a natural spot near the source was fenced off by order of the provincial water ministry.
• The lake: Harrison Lake is cold and deep. Watch children by the water.

Nearby stops worth adding

The village has embraced its sasquatch legend, with statues and a small sasquatch museum. Sasquatch Provincial Park has lakes and forest trails a short drive north.