British Columbia · Developed pools
Harrison Hot Springs
The Harrison spring system supports a long-established resort beside Harrison Lake. Its mineral pools offer several different bathing settings, while the village and lake make this a destination with plenty beyond the water. Official pool photographs are linked in this profile.
Historical source coordinate; not a trailhead. Accuracy and datum have not been independently verified. Historical water readings describe source samples, not safe soaking temperatures.
Two source springs, not one
Harrison's reputation rests on two separate sources at the south end of Harrison Lake rather than a single pool. The cooler of the two, known as the Potash spring, is reported at around 40 °C. The hotter Sulphur spring is reported at roughly 65 °C, which is well above any safe soaking temperature and is the reason the water reaching the resort is cooled before it is used.
The mineral load is what distinguishes Harrison from most Canadian springs. Published figures put dissolved mineral solids at roughly 1,300 parts per million, among the highest recorded at a Canadian mineral spring. Claims that this relieves specific medical conditions are traditional rather than clinically established, and are best treated as part of the site's history rather than as health advice.
Qwolts: thousands of years of use
The springs were used and revered long before European arrival by the Sts'ailes (Chehalis) people of the Harrison River and the St'at'imc people around the lake. Their name for the water, Qwolts, is commonly translated as "boiling medicine water".
Written records begin in 1858, when prospectors travelling to the Fraser gold rush encountered the springs. A resort community formed from 1886, when the Canadian Pacific Railway put the lakeside springs within a short carriage ride of the transcontinental line.
Where you can actually soak
The resort operates a set of indoor and outdoor mineral pools, and normal access is for registered guests; package terms vary, so confirm directly before planning a trip around a soak. A separate public pool operated in the village has historically offered cooled spring water to non-guests.
The natural source area itself is not a maintained public bathing pool. Informal pools near the source have been altered and disrupted in recent years, including a 2024 incident reported by CBC in which natural pools were filled with boulders and the provincial ministry opened an investigation. Treat any informal pool as unsanctioned and potentially dangerously hot.
Opening hours & season
Indoor pools: daily 8 am–1 am next day. Outdoor pools: daily 8 am–11 pm.
Resort access rules apply. Indoor pools and outdoor family/long pools become adults-only at 10 pm; the dedicated adult pool is adults-only throughout.
All times are local to the spring. Checked 2026-10-01; this is not a live opening-status display. Closure notices override regular hours.
Our take
A good match for an overnight resort escape with restaurants and lakefront walks nearby. Less suitable for someone expecting to find a freely accessible natural pool on the beach.
Editorial assessment based on published information. No firsthand visit or customer score is implied.
Before you go
Sources & record notes
Geoscience BC’s 2016 compilation · 7 historical sampling records · Source name: Harrison. References recorded in the dataset: Souther 1973; N.S-B.G 1974; Souther 1976; Grasby 2000; Geoscience BC 2016-07.
Source notes: Sulphur; Potash; 56a; 56b; (2007 sample) Polaris Infrastructure kind permission
Sources used for this guide
- Harrison Hot Springs Resort — pools and hours
- Wikipedia — Harrison Hot Springs (source springs, Qwolts, village history)
- CBC News — natural pools filled with boulders, ministry investigating (2024)
- britishcolumbia.com — Harrison Hot Springs overview
Written from the published sources above. Operator hours, access rules and closures change; the official link is authoritative.