Some places don’t feel like destinations so much as they feel like secrets you are not quite sure you are supposed to find. Clear Creek Hot Springs is exactly that kind of place.
Located well past Harrison Hot Springs, last week I had the opportunity to visit this very special spot, and it was unbelievable. And not just because of the destination itself – the drive to get there was an adventure on its own. I am incredibly grateful that we had an experienced driver with us who had made the journey many times before and knew the route well, because it would be very easy to get lost along the way.
We made a couple of stops before reaching the hot springs – one for breakfast and another to pick salmonberries, which look a bit like raspberries but are larger, hairier, and a vibrant red-orange colour.
As we continued our journey, we eventually stopped on the side of the road, and I couldn’t help but notice that if our friend hadn’t known exactly where to stop, we would have driven right past the springs without ever knowing they were there. That’s how well hidden they are. There are no obvious signs, no crowds, and nothing to announce their presence – just a little piece of paradise quietly tucked away in the forest over looking at massive mountains.
Nothing there has been polished, curated, or softened for visitors, apart from three tubs that have been installed to capture the hot spring water and a simple wooden cabin nearby where visitors can change. It feels untouched in a way that is increasingly rare – no signs of commercialization, no major infrastructure trying to “improve” it, just nature doing what it has always done. Each tub receives naturally flowing water at a different temperature, creating a unique experience depending on where you choose to soak. One of the three tubs though appears to have seen better days and is partially broken, which somehow only adds to the naturalness and wilderness of the place.
Once there, everything shifts.
The tension from the drive disappears almost instantly as you slip into the hot water. Time slows down. Conversations become quieter. There is something about sitting in those pools, surrounded by forest and mountains, that makes everything else feel far away in the best possible way.
We opened a few beers, settled in, and simply let the place do what it does best – reset you. Later, the BBQ came out, and it somehow felt completely natural to be cooking, laughing, and sharing food in such a remote and peaceful setting. No rush, no noise, no distractions. Just heat, water, forest, mountains, and good company.
What makes the experience even more special is knowing that this place hasn’t really changed for over 18 years. My cousin and her partner were there in 2008 and she could attest (and even have photo proof) that it looked exactly the same now.
In a world where everything seems to get developed, branded, and turned into an “experience”, this place has stayed stubbornly itself. And let’s just say that was incredibly refreshing……perhaps not the best word to use in a hot springs article LOL, but it fits nonetheless!
If you ever get the chance to go, like I did, take the day off and jump into that 4×4. Trust me when I say that I feel incredibly privileged to have experienced this little hidden paradise, and it’s an adventure I won’t soon forget.
