Fairmont Indian baths
June 28, 2009 by CVNews
Filed under Columbia Valley, Photos, Recreation, Wallpaper
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On a little knoll about a minute’s hike up from the Fairmont Hot Springs parking lot, lies a real treasure. Sitting on a plateau of tufa rock coloured orange, brown, green and blue by the streams of spring water that leap out of the rocks above, is a very old stone bathhouse.
Fairmont Indian baths are natural hot spring pools that were popular among early settlers of the valley. It is not known why they were called ‘Indian’ baths. At the time that explorer David Thompson described them in his journal, there was no building.
“There is much petrified wood. From many places a white siliceous water was trickling ……. it is a strange fact that the hot spas, so common in Europe, in the great extent of my travels have never been seen by me nor do the Indians know of any.”
Interior of old stone bath building (Photo by CV News)
Later a stone building was constructed, which now stands on the property of Fairmont Resort, on a path that leads from the parking lot to the resort’s trail system. A stone structure consisting of three small rooms with neither doors nor glass in the windows comprises the house. The walls, more than a foot thick. are stuccoed and the floor and shallow bath tubs are made of concrete. Hot, clear, odourless spring water drips into the tubs, keeping the temperature an average of 104 to 108 degrees F.
In the old days simple shelters were constructed around the pools for privacy and protection from the weather. People used to travel long distances in the valley by horse and buggy to enjoy these pools.
In winter, the pools were protected by tree branches, partly to give privacy to the users and also to protect them from the weather. (Photo courtesy Windermere Valley Museum)
On a plateau above the bathhouse there are several shallow tubs carved out of the tufa rock. Breathtaking vistas of the Columbia River Valley greet the eye of the bather.
There is no cost to this ’spa treatment’ and the public is free to use it twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. A most unusual experience.
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We recently discovered the “Fairmont Indian ” baths after being directed there by fellow visitors while looking for the Fairmont Creek hot pool. These baths were either empty or partly filled with murky water that was cool to the touch. Needless to say we looked but did not bathe. Still it is interesting to find out about the site and th enjoy the view.
As an aside last week’s Pioneer newspaper had a picture of bathers in the Fairmont Creek hot pool but when we contacted the Radium Hot Spring’s visitor centre we were informed the Fairmont Creek hot pool is closed to the public. We never did find out where this pool is located.
Luckily the Fairmont and Radium hot pools are easier to find and to enjoy.
Don and Christina Jones
Hmmm… that’s weird. That photo was taken on June 20, 2009 and the baths were full, very hot and clean. I took my shoes off and stood in there myself so I could say I had been there.
I don’t imagine I’d actually lie down in there but I could see how people could easily come from miles around just for the therapy. Still, it’s a piece of the local history and another great stop for the visitors to our beautiful valley!
Update: We went up today (Saturday, July 11, 2009) and took another photo showing the actual bath view (shown above) that details the inflow, bath, and outflow. The water is clear and clean. It’s possible that at different times of the year the water may be cloudy, cool or not flowing at full capacity.
I promised my son I would take him to the hot pool with the waterfall as he was intriged by the photo in your paper. Now I am not able to find directions to the hot pool. Please provide directions to the Fairmont Creek Hot Pool — picture shown in the July 3rd issue on page 8 of the Play’n'Stay section.
Thank you.
The baths were pretty neat. There are three rooms, the middle one was full of hot, clear water. The other two had less water flowing and were a bit warm and a little murky.
The hot pools and waterfall are accessed by a path in the valley behind the Fairmont Resort Hot Springs. There is a bridge past the main pool entrance that leads to a campground. Directly to your right as you leave the bridge is a trail leading down to the valley. The first water stream coming down is actually from the pool. If you follow the trail downstream a short ways you will come to the waterfall and hot pools. They were “warm” but not as hot as the baths!
Okay, so today I investigated the “natural waterfall” and the hot pools. It too is just runoff water from the hot pools.