BC Hot Springs Directory

Dewar Creek Hot Springs

Open · sensitive site

A serious wilderness hike to scalding springs and exceptionally sensitive wildlife habitat.

StatusOpen · sensitive site
Soak temp>80°C vents
CostNo fee
Access18 km round-trip hike
Fact check✓ November 2026
The spring

Dewar Creek is a demanding ~18 km round-trip wilderness hike into the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy. BC Parks says surface vents exceed 80°C — hot enough to cause severe burns — and only one small visitor-made pool remains.

This is not a destination to modify or develop for soaking. The mineral licks support elk, goats, deer and moose, while rare plants and a red-listed damselfly depend on the spring habitat. BC Parks removes new pool construction and explicitly points visitors toward more suitable hot-spring soaking locations. Stay on durable routes, do not enter or trample the bog, and treat the visit as a conservation-sensitive backcountry trip.

Dewar Creek Hot Springs in the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy
Photo: got-hunting, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts

LocationPurcell Wilderness Conservancy Provincial Park, NW of Kimberley
Water temperatureSurface vents above 80°C (scalding); only one small pool remains
Access~18 km round-trip hard hike (540 m gain). BC Parks posted a June 2026 advisory that the Westley Creek footbridge at the trailhead was closed by storm damage; that advisory had been removed by November 1, 2026, but we found no announcement confirming the bridge was repaired — check current trail conditions with BC Parks before you go, and don’t ford the creek.
FeesNo fee; wilderness — no facilities
Good to knowFragile mineral-lick and rare-plant habitat; BC Parks removes new pool construction and directs visitors to more suitable soaking locations
Facts verified November 2026

Getting there

Trailhead northwest of Kimberley via St. Mary’s Lake and the Dewar Creek FSR, then a hard ~9 km hike each way. BC Parks reported the Westley Creek footbridge at the trailhead closed by storm damage in June 2026; that advisory has since been removed, but check current trail conditions before you go and don’t ford the creek.

Official source
Check current conditions ↗

Fees, hours and closures change — confirm with the official source before you travel.

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