Halcyon Hotsprings is a beautiful little area near Revelstoke B.C., that I am fortunate enough to have visited! It's about a 40 minute drive and a 20 minute ferry ride away from the popular ski town, which isn't unmanageable, and offers it's own delights through the seasons. It has a rich history which I encourage you to read about while you enjoy all it has to offer!
Winter
Obviously, the area is a compelling visit in the winter. It's distance from the ski hill isn't so far that a person would have to get up crazy early to get there at lift opening time, and although there is some timing involved with which side of the lake the ferry will be on, it isn't difficult to navigate. We left the cabin around 7:10am in order to make it to the lifts right when they were opening, in order to get maximum hill time.
On the ferry, you can choose to stay in your vehicle and wait it out, or you can get out and look at the beautiful view around you. It was pretty cold with the wind blowing off the water, but still worth it to take a few minutes out on deck.
Accomodations
Halcyon is home to a large group of varying sizes of vacation cabins and houses. The four of us were lucky enough to make use of one owned by family, but they are all regularly rented out to vacationers through the winter and summer months! The one we stayed in was a lovely cabin right by the hotsprings, restaurant, and path leading down to the lake.
It was perfectly warm, clean, and equipped with brand new, fast internet so many good times were had between snowboarding days watching Netflix, and playing board games we brought from home.
Activities
Even in the winter, the walks and hikes in the area are lovely, as the temperature in the area typically hovers just below zero. We took a stroll down to the lake and later warmed up at the hotsprings.
The admission price was included in our accomodations, but it may vary depending on where you stay. In the winter, there is a warm pool, a hot pool, both well equipped with enough pool noodles for everyone to float around happily, as well as a cold plunge for those feeling daring. The waters are said to have healing powers, which is definitely appealing after a long day of snowboarding. It is apparently due to the high lithium content of the water which you can read more about here. It is family friendly, but late in the evening there is an adults only quiet time which is perfect for ultimate relaxation, especially when you lay back onto a couple of pool noodles, and let the slow-moving lazy river take you away.
There is also a spa, which we did not take advantage of.
Food
For most of our meals that we didn't eat on the ski hill, we made our own in the cabin kitchen, but we did make it out one night to the Kingfisher restaurant and lounge, a 1 minute walk from our accommodations. I had the Crispy Pork Wontons, and the Roasted Apple and Butternut Squash soup, both of which definitely delivered! Everyone else was equally happy with their food choices, all based on the recommendations of our snowboarder waiter. I have no doubt that anything on the menu would've been amazing. As far as hill food goes, be prepared to pay a higher than average price, which is to be expected on the side of a mountain. However, you may want to stuff a few granola bars in your pockets to take away the need to buy a snack.
Summer
Summer is a great time to head to Halcyon! While the ski hills are obviously closed, wandering around the town of Revelstoke is a great time. Last summer we found some great shops, and brought home unique foods and drinks to consume while playing cribbage on the cabin patio. There is also a train museum which I never saw the inside of, but I heard was pretty interesting!
This time of year, definitely get out and see the view from the ferry as you float past stunning mountain views. It's both beautiful, refreshing, and a great photo op.
The accomodations and foods are relatively similar as wintertime, so if you skipped the winter section above, make sure you go back and check out that information.
Activities
This is what makes the summer shine! The walks and hikes are still there and the options open up a little more when the snow is melted. There are also canoe and kayak rentals to enjoy the lake, and we had a very pleasant time fishing off the docks in the mornings and evenings. The hotsprings (which I talked about in detail above) and spa are also open in the summer, with the addition of a seasonal lower swimming pool. The changerooms are even equipped with a swimsuit spinner which we thought was weirdly hilarious, and also convenient, as we didn't have to trudge back to the cabin in a wet bathing suit.
There are also many exciting activities that we didn't try and you can find a list of them here.
Whatever the season, consider adding Halcyon to your list of destinations. If you're looking for an active, yet relaxing vacation with that perfect rustic vibe, you won't be disappointed.
Tara