Invermere (and Area) Winter Activities Weekend Itinerary

If you’re planning a trip to the Columbia Valley this winter, I have the perfect itinerary for you and your family, where you’ll experience the best of Radium Hot Springs, Fairmont Hot Springs and Invermere winter activities.

From ice skating on the world’s largest skating path to soaking in Canada’s biggest hot springs pools and discovering local treats, you’ll want to return to the area as soon as you leave.

We have visited the Columbia Valley a few times so far, in different seasons, and we always have a great time. But there is something unique about visiting Radium, Fairmont, and Invermere in winter.

✍️ Travel Columbia Valley invited us for a winter family weekend in the area, and we’re sharing our detailed winter itinerary and the best things to do in Invermere (and the area) in the winter with you! Note that all opinions and words are our own.

So, let’s explore our three-day winter itinerary in the Columbia Valley. You’ll spend one day in each community.

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Columbia Valley BC map & itinerary recap

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This winter in Invermere, Fairmont Hot Spring and Radium Hot Spring itinerary is filled with fun family winter activities. Here is a recap of the 3-day itinerary:

BONUS – Driving from Calgary to Columbia Valley: Continental Divide, Marble Canyon, Numa Falls
Day 1 – Radium Hot Springs: visitor center, Sinclair Canyon, hot spring pools, downtown
Day 2 – Invermere: Kicking Horse Café, Lake Windermere Whiteway, Invermere Bakery, Hoodoo trail
Day 3 – Fairmont Hot Spring: Fairmont Creek trail, ski area, hot spring pools

Columbia Valley BC map detailed of Radium Hot Spring, Invermere and Fairmont Hot Spring — Columbia Valley BC map detailed of Radium Hot Spring Invermere and Fairmont Hot Spring

Driving from Banff or Calgary to Fairmont Hot Springs and the Columbia Valley?

hiking at marble canyon on the way to the Columbia Valley — Hiking at Marble Canyon on the way to the Columbia Valley

If you’re driving from Calgary, it will take you about 3 hours to get to Radium Hot Spring (if you don’t make any stops). For a smooth ride, make sure you have some road trip activities planned for the kids.

▶️ You might like our Road Trip Activity Book for Kids. It’s more than 70+ pages filled with activities for family road trip drives. 🚘

If you’re exploring the Columbia Valley as a weekend getaway from Calgary, then you’ll want to take your time and spend a full day exploring Kootenay National Park.

Here is what I recommend if you’re traveling to Invermere this winter:

Stop at the Continental Divide: You can stand on the dividing line between the Pacific and Atlantic watersheds.

Hike Marble Canyon: Marble Canyon is an easy hike in Kootenay National, but it’s one of our favorite little hikes.

Admire the Numa Falls: The Numa Falls are located a few kilometers from Marble Canyon and only a few steps away from the parking lot. You can walk on the bridge to admire the frozen waterfalls and even walk a little in the forest.

If you are still looking for other things to do on the way to Radium Hot Springs, check Parks Canada recommendations.

Day 1: Radium Hot Springs

Radium Hot Springs is the first town you’ll see when driving in the Columbia Valley. It’s just after Kootenay National Park (105 km from the Banff intersection at Castle Mountain).

Start your day at the Radium Hot Springs visitor center. There is an interesting display where you can learn more about the area’s Indigenous history, wildlife, and attractions. My kids loved looking at all the different animal furs. They also have a few other kids’ books available to read.

Juniper Sinclair hiking trail

we started at the radium hot spring pool parking lot to hike the Juniper Sinclair Canyon trail 1 — We started at the Radium Hot Springs pool parking lot to hike the Juniper Sinclair Canyon trail

When ready, head back toward the Kootenay National Park gate for a nice family-friendly hike. A few options are available, but I recommend hiking the Juniper Sinclair Canyon trail.

It’s a 2.6 km (one-way) hike.

There are two ways to get to the trail. You can park in the small parking lot just inside the entrance of Kootenay National Park or at the Radium Hot Springs pools’ parking lot. For this itinerary, I recommend parking at the pools’ parking lot.

This hike is rated moderate, but most little kids can do it. During the hike, you’ll have beautiful views of the mountains at the top and waterfalls at the bottom of the canyon.

💡 Note that crampons or micro-spikes are recommended.

Radium Hot Springs pools

Having fun in the hot pools at Radium Hot Springs

When you are done hiking, grab your swim gear and head to the hot spring pools. Parks Canada manages the Radium Hot Springs pools, similar to the ones in Banff National Park.

I personally prefer those (to the one in Banff). The pool is bigger and is built along the mountain rock wall. While it’s still a “pool,” it feels more natural.

Radium hot springs pool price:

To access the Radium hot springs pool, it costs:

$17.50 per adult
$15.25 per kid
$56.75 per family

Downtown Radium Hot Springs

The murals outside Screamers Ice Cream shop in downtown Radium Hot Springs

After a couple of hours soaking in the hot springs, it’s time to head back to downtown Radium Hot Springs and enjoy some of the local stores and restaurants. Here are the stops I recommend:

Grab a pizza at Wildside Pizzeria
Enjoy a scoop of ice cream at Screamers Ice Cream Café (Don’t miss all the beautiful murals that are painted inside and outside the building)
Find some old-school candy at Olde Tyme Candy Shoppe Radium
Order a latte at Big Horn Cafe

Finally, the kids can enjoy the playground, a few steps away from the main street.

All the shops are within walking distance (from the visitor center and playground). You can simply park and enjoy downtown Radium Hot Spring for the entire afternoon.

Enjoy the evening at your lodging.

Where to stay when visiting Radium Hot Spring, Fairmont Hot Spring and Invermere in the winter?

We stayed at the Fairmont Creek Vacations Rental and it was perfect for our family

There are many great accommodation options in the Columbia Valley. For our winter trip, we stayed in one of the beautiful vacation rentals at Fairmont Creek Vacation Rentals in Fairmont Hot Springs. We stayed in the 3-bedroom Marble Canyon Unit 401 and I highly recommend staying there when traveling as a family.

It was a beautiful 3-bedroom vacation rental, just a few minutes away from the Fairmont Hot Spring Resort ski area and hot spring pools. We had:

a fully equipped kitchen,
3 bedrooms
many games for family bonding, including a foosball table, a pool table and many puzzles and board games
an outdoor patio with a BBQ

Day 2: Invermere

Start your day at the Kicking Horse Café, where they make the famous Kicking Horse coffee (I must admit… I always thought it was from Golden BC, but no, it’s brewed in Invermere).

Kicking Horse Café in Invermere. No it's not from Golden... — Kicking Horse Café in Invermere No its not from Golden like I thought

You can grab a coffee to go, but I recommend staying in and ordering the latte flight experience or the hot chocolate flight experience for the kids.

When ready, head to Lake Windermere for a unique winter activity in Invermere.

Lake Windermere Whiteway

Lake Windermere has the world’s longest ice skating path: Lake Windermere Whiteway. It’s a 30+ km long multi-use path where you can ice skate, cross-country ski, walk, and even fat bike.

This was one of the kids’ favorite winter activities in Invermere and the Columbia Valley. There are different access to the ice skating path, but the most common and easiest is to park at Kinsmen Beach and start from there.

Using the path costs $5.00 per person, based on an honor system. A payment box is located at the entrance of the ice path.

You can enjoy the frozen lake and the ice skating path for hours. If it gets too chilly, warm up by one of the firepits at the start of the path.

A kids’ playground at Kinsen Beach and a trail around the nearby Dorothy Lake (more like a pond).

Downtown Invermere

When you’ve ice-skated enough, it’s time to wander around downtown Invermere. There are lots of parking spaces on the main street. I recommend grabbing a late lunch at the Invermere Bakery.

🎿 Have an extra day in Invermere? Consider a ski day at Panorama Mountain Resorts, one of the best ski resorts in the Canadian Rockies for families.

Hoodoo Trail in Fairmont Hot Spring

I took this picture of the hoodoos from highway 93 in fairmont hot springs. — I took this picture of the hoodoos from Highway 93 in Fairmont hot springs

Take the back road (Westside Road) to the Hoodoo Trail from downtown Invermere. It’s one of the best easy hikes around Invermere and the Columbia River Valley.

The Hoodoo Trail is a 3.2-km out-and-back moderate trail where you’ll see the hoodoos. It’s similar to the badlands you can see in Drumheller.

💡 Warning: The trail is fairly wide, but several spots have sharp drops. Please practice caution and keep small children close.

Su Casa Authentic Mexican Kitchen

End your day with a delicious authentic Mexican dinner at Su Casa. The restaurant is off the main Highway 93-S, a little after Fairmont Hot Spring. It’s right in front of the hoodoos. From the Hoodoo Trail, turn right on Highway 93-S, and you’ll see the restaurant.

It’s a great place to have another nice view of the hoodoos and the food.

Day 3: Fairmont Hot Springs

Start your morning with a quick walk on the Fairmont Creek trail. You can access the trail right from your rental at Fairmont Creek. This short and easy trail follows the creek and will bring you to the warm waterfall. It’s a beautiful walk, and the creek is unique.

Then, return to your lodging and pack for a ski day at Fairmont Hot Springs Ski Hill.

Fairmont Hot Springs Ski Hill

Fairmont Hot Springs ski area was the perfect ski resort for my boys to learn skiing

Get ready for a ski day at the Fairmont Hot Spring ski area. This small resort has only 14 runs, but it’s perfect for families, especially those with little kids.

We loved our day there. My boys are learning to ski, and they are not experienced. They have done Bunny Hills many times and are a bit over it, but the Canadian Rocky slopes can be intimidating.

Finding the Fairmont Hot Spring ski hill was amazing. They have a T-bar lift, and you can access 2 runs from the top. Those runs are a bit smaller than those at the top of the main chairlift, but they are big enough to challenge the kids.

We spent the entire day skiing (with a little poutine and hot cacao break).

After a full day of skiing, it’s time to relax in the warm pools of Fairmont Hot Springs Resort.

My sons had so much fun in the hot pools at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort

Your Fairmont Hot Sprink ski lift tickets give you complimentary access to the hot springs pools. It’s the perfect place to end the day and a winter weekend in the Columbia Valley.

Where to stay in Invermere, Fairmont Hot Springs or Radium Hot Springs?

The distances between the three towns are not super big, so it doesn’t matter where you end up staying. We have visited the area a few times so far, and we’ve stayed in different places:

The most comfortable place: Fairmont Creek Vacation Rentals
The best ski-in, ski-out accommodation: The Approach at Panorama Mountain Resort
The best family resorts: Fairmont Hot Spring Resort

Your Winter Road Trip Packing List ❄️ ❄️

Warm Blankets: Pack one blanket per family member, preferably wool or fleece, for warmth and dryness. Rumpl blankets are good blankets to keep in your car all year long.
Flashlights (or headlamps) & Emergency Flares: Include flashlights with spare batteries and emergency flares for safety.
Jumper Cables: Carry battery booster/jumper cables or a portable jump starter for dead car batteries.
Tow Rope: Useful for getting unstuck from snow.
Shovels & Snow Ice Scraper: Essential for clearing snow and ice from your vehicle.
De-icer Windshield Fluid: Prevents ice buildup on the windshield.
Winter Clothes and Gear: Pack a warm coat, an outer layer, a hat, and gloves and boots.
Multi-Tool with Knife: Useful for unexpected situations requiring tools.
Emergency Food: Keep dried, long-lasting food items like cereal bars, dried fruit, nuts, and seeds.
Portable Power Station: Ensures you have power for mobile phones and other devices.
First Aid Kit: Carry a comprehensive emergency kit, including foil blankets.
Hot Packs: Hand warmers for keeping warm during outdoor activities.
Portable Battery Packs: Essential for keeping mobile phones charged.
Road Trip Toys and Games: Pack puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, transformer sets, figurines, and road trip activity books.

Final Thoughts: Invermere and area in the winter

Let’s wrap up our winter adventure in Radium, Fairmont Hot Springs, and Invermere. We planned a fun three-day trip that included the best winter activities for families. You’ll skate on the world’s longest ice path at Lake Windermere, relax in the big hot springs pools at Radium and Fairmont, go on easy hikes, and check out cool spots in town.

Remember, these places in the Columbia Valley are great for both fun and chill times, making them perfect for a family trip in winter. Take many pictures, from the beautiful views on your hikes to the fun times with hot drinks and snacks.

So, are you ready? Pack up, get your winter clothes, and head to Radium, Fairmont Hot Springs, and Invermere for an amazing family vacation. Let’s make some awesome memories together!