Lussier Hot Springs

What to expect

Lussier Hot Springs is closed. BC Parks shut the pathway and pool area under a Regional Director’s Order that took effect at noon (MST) on January 13, 2026, and it remains in force until further notice. Earlier in the season, staff found large boulders dislodged in the upper pool and a retaining wall that had given way, raising the risk of more rockfall. Under the order, anyone in the closure area is trespassing under the Trespass Act. The rest of Whiteswan Lake Park is open.

When it is open, Lussier is a free, undeveloped soak in the East Kootenay. Hot water comes out of the slope beside the Lussier River and collects in an upper pool and lower pools at the river’s edge, held in place by rock and a retaining wall. BC Parks warns that because the springs are natural, they sometimes run cool. People have soaked here for a long time: BC Parks notes that trappers, prospectors and guides used the springs in the 1800s and early 1900s.

There is little in the way of facilities. At the road there is a parking lot with two pit toilets and garbage bins. From there a short trail drops down to the river. Nothing is at the pools themselves.

What is happening with the closure

BC Parks’ advisory, last updated in June 2026, sets out the sequence:

1. Staff found dislodged rocks in the upper pool and a compromised retaining wall, and closed the site.
2. A professional geotechnical engineer reviewed it, confirmed unstable rock features, and recommended keeping it closed while mitigation was worked out.
3. As a temporary measure, material from the damaged wall was moved into the upper pool to help stabilize the slope.
4. BC Parks is now working on a phased reopening plan that would allow limited access once priority safety work is done, and separately on longer-term slope repairs.

The filling of the upper pool upset some regular visitors. A June 2026 commentary on e-KNOW reported that BC Parks was talking with engineers and stakeholders about whether and when the lower pools might reopen, and that the upper pool would stay closed until it can be safely reopened. No dates have been set. Check the advisories on the BC Parks page before you drive out, and respect the fencing and signs.

Getting there

Lussier Hot Springs is in Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park in the Kootenay Ranges of the Rocky Mountains, near the park’s western boundary.

From Highway 93/95, turn east onto the gravel Whiteswan Forest Service Road 4.5 km south of the village of Canal Flats. The springs are at the 17.5 km mark. Whiteswan Lake itself is about 25 km from the highway.

BC Parks asks for extreme caution on this road at all times, and especially on the canyon section between km 15 and km 18, just before the springs. Drive with your headlights on. Mine ore trucks and oversized loaded logging trucks use the route, and you must give way to them. In winter, compact snow and ice can cover the parking area and the trail.

When to go

There is no point going to soak until BC Parks lifts the order. When the springs reopen:

• Weekdays are the better bet if you want space; the park’s five campgrounds put a lot of people within a short drive in summer.
• Winter soaks are possible, but the trail down to the pools gets very slippery. BC Parks recommends traction devices for your boots and advises against going at all when it is icy.
• Check the order first. Even after a partial reopening, parts of the site may stay fenced off.

Rules and etiquette

These are the BC Parks rules for the springs, and park rangers patrol regularly:

• No nudity. Wear a swimsuit.
• No liquor, no dogs, no smoking at the hot springs.
• Use the garbage bins at the parking area and pack out everything else.
• Stay out while it is closed. Entering the closure area breaks the Director’s Order.

Do not move rocks, rebuild walls or dig new pools, especially given the slope problems that caused the closure.

Where to stay nearby

Whiteswan Lake Park has 114 vehicle-accessible campsites at five campgrounds, run by EK Parks Ltd. (250-422-3003):

• Alces Lake (28 sites) at km 21, with sunny lakefront sites
• Packrat Point (16 sites) at km 24, across the road from Whiteswan Lake
• Inlet Creek (16 sites) at km 28, an open area beside the road
• White River (17 sites) near the northeastern park entrance
• Home Basin (37 sites) at the northwest corner of Whiteswan Lake, C$23 per party per night in season, plus a C$20 per stay fee for non-residents of BC

35 sites can be reserved through BC Parks (1-800-689-9025); the rest are first come, first served. Off season, camping is free with no services; all the campgrounds except Inlet Creek are gated, so you walk in. Hand pumps supply groundwater at each campground, but a permanent boil water advisory is in effect. For hotels and restaurants, Canal Flats is the nearest village and Invermere and Fairmont Hot Springs are further north up the Columbia Valley.

Safety notes

• Rockfall: This is the reason for the closure. Unstable boulders above and in the upper pool are a real hazard. Do not climb fences to look.
• Road: Narrow gravel, industrial traffic and a steep canyon section. There is no cell service or public phone in the park, so tell someone your plans.
• Bears: BC Parks reminds visitors that Whiteswan is bear country and asks campers to keep a bare campsite, with nothing that attracts wildlife left out.
• River: The pools sit right beside the Lussier River. Watch children near the edge, especially during spring runoff.

Indigenous history

BC Parks notes that Whiteswan Lake was a seasonal hunting camp of the Ktunaxa (Kootenai) people, whose use of the area goes back at least 5,000 years, and that it is working with Indigenous partners to update its account of the park.