T'sek Hot Springs (Skookumchuck Hot Springs)

Current status

Check before you go, because the answer may be no. Since 2020 the T’sek website has opened with “Temporarily closed”, a notice that the site will be closed “until further notice” to reduce the risk of coronavirus, and the words “Do not trespass”. Archived copies show the same notice every year from 2020 to 2024, and it was still there in October 2026. We found no announcement that the site has reopened to outside visitors, and some references say the springs are now managed for community use only.

The rest of the website still lists rates, hours and campsite rules, which is why many trip planners still treat T’sek as open. Do not rely on that. The only contact the operator gives is its Facebook page, Tsekinfo. Send a message, get a reply, and respect it. The land is held by Canada in trust for the In-SHUCK-ch Nation. It is not a public recreation site.

What to expect

T’sek sits on the east side of the Lower Lillooet River, in the Coast Mountains between Lillooet Lake and the north end of Harrison Lake. According to the operator, a hot spring and a cold spring come out of the bedrock side by side just above the tubs. The hot water is piped to the tubs with no chemicals added. The cold water comes from a glacier-fed creek.

There are 12 tubs in all: four with straight hot water, one cold tub, and seven where you can adjust the mix of hot and cold. The operator does not publish water temperatures. The operator is blunt about the style: off the grid, rustic, with wildlife including bears, and “not a spa”.

When the campground runs, there are about 30 sites spread through the forest near the tubs, with fire rings. There is a long-standing boil water advisory, so boil any tap water or bring your own.

Who runs it

T’sek is the most important spiritual site in the lower Lillooet River valley for the In-SHUCK-ch people, part of the St’at’imc. In-SHUCK-ch oral history tells of a couple transformed into the hot and cold springs so they could serve their people forever, and the springs have been used for ceremony and for physical and spiritual wellness for generations. The name is pronounced “chick” and likely comes from a word meaning dripping water.

After the gold rush wagon road came through in the 1860s, the land passed through private hands, ending with the Trethewey family, who ran it as a public campground. The Government of Canada bought the lot to hold in trust for the In-SHUCK-ch Nation (the Douglas, Skatin and Samahquam First Nations), and it is intended to become treaty settlement land. BC adopted Tsek as the official name in 2007 at the Nation’s request. The Skatin community is about 35 km from the head of Harrison Lake, just southeast of the springs.

Getting there

The operator’s directions start in Whistler, at Village Gate Boulevard:

1. Drive north on Highway 99 to Pemberton (about 32 km) and continue straight through town.
2. At about 39 km, turn right toward Lillooet and follow the road past Mount Currie to Lillooet Lake.
3. At about 49 km, at the south end of the lake, turn right onto the In-SHUCK-ch Forest Service Road.
4. The road follows the lake shore. At about 79 km, keep left at the fork and watch for the hot springs sign.
5. The T’sek entrance is on the right at about 96.5 km, just past the 44 km marker on the forest road.

The forest road is a gravel resource road shared with industrial traffic. The stretch along Lillooet Lake was widened in 2015, but the road beyond the lake is rougher, narrow in places, winding and potholed. The province listed a debris flow mitigation project at Catiline Creek, km 7.5, from October 2025 through winter 2026. Check the Sea to Sky Natural Resource District road page (604-898-2100) for current notices and radio protocols, and drive with headlights on.

Rules and etiquette

The operator’s policies, for when the site is open:

• Honour and respect the Nation’s culture, land and traditions. People who break the rules are removed without a refund.
• No glass and no alcohol at the tubs.
• Stay out of the source pool and rinse your feet before getting in a tub.
• No dogs and no food at the tubs. Keep music down.
• Camp only in marked sites, for no more than 14 consecutive days. Quiet hours are 10 p.m. to 9 a.m.
• Fires only in the rings, never in a fire ban. Do not cut trees or gather firewood.
• No shooting or firearms. Drive 10 km/h in the campground.
• Pack out everything you bring in.

The site may close for ceremonies; the operator posts those on Facebook.

Where to stay nearby

There is no lodging at T’sek. For other camping in the area, check Recreation Sites and Trails BC (sitesandtrailsbc.ca) for sites and current fees. Pemberton, about 65 km (40 miles) back up the road, is the nearest town with motels, fuel and groceries. Whistler is about 97 km (60 miles) away.

If T’sek is closed, keep in mind that nearby Keyhole Hot Springs and Meager Creek are also closed, according to the province. Harrison Hot Springs Resort, at the south end of Harrison Lake, is reached by highway from the Fraser Valley rather than by this road.

Safety notes

• Remoteness: there is no cell service for most of the drive. Fill up in Pemberton and carry food, water and a spare tire.
• Logging road: expect loaded trucks, dust in summer and ice or snow in winter. Yield to industrial traffic.
• Bears: the operator warns of bears. Store food and garbage securely.
• Drinking water: a boil water advisory has been in place. Bring your own.
• Wildfire: check the BC Wildfire Service for fire bans and area restrictions in the Pemberton and Lillooet River area before you go.