Kootenay Lake, British Columbia
Nelson
A mountain town of restored brick and wooden heritage buildings on the West Arm of Kootenay Lake, with a lakeside park, an old streetcar, a cave hot spring and a long free ferry nearby.
Photo: Nelson on the West Arm of Kootenay Lake, Shawn from Airdrie, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0
Nelson grew up in the 1890s silver boom. Baker Street and the hillside neighbourhoods keep hundreds of heritage buildings, and the orange bridge spans the West Arm of Kootenay Lake.
Ainsworth Hot Springs, with its horseshoe-shaped cave, is about 45 minutes north, and the Kootenay Lake ferry from Balfour is one of the longest free ferry rides in the world.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Pulpit Rock trail
A steep climb to a lookout over the town and lake.
Kokanee Creek Provincial Park
Beaches, trails and, in late summer, spawning kokanee salmon.
Kootenay Lake ferry
A free car ferry across Kootenay Lake from Balfour to Kootenay Bay.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Baker Street heritage district
Restored 1890s buildings, shops and cafés.
Nelson Streetcar 23
A restored streetcar running along the waterfront in summer.
Touchstones Nelson Museum of Art and History
Art and regional history in a heritage building downtown.
Ainsworth Hot Springs
Hot pools and a horseshoe-shaped cave above Kootenay Lake.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Cottonwood Community Market
A Saturday market in season at Cottonwood Falls.
Whitewater Ski Resort
Known for deep powder in winter, 20 minutes away.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Also bookable, listed above
These are in the lists above, so we don't repeat them here.
- Ainsworth Hot Springs Tickets
- Whitewater Ski Resort Experience
Part of our The Kootenays guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- The hot springs are best in the evening.
- Kokanee Creek's beaches and trails make a second day.
- Baker Street's cafés and restaurants are the night out.
Nearby and worth the drive
A lake village with the SS Moyie sternwheeler.
Kelownaabout 4 h · Guide ↗The Okanagan's lake city.
Ready-made trips with Nelson
4 days · Kelowna → Nelson
Okanagan to the Kootenays
Lake beaches and Myra Canyon's trestles, then Nelson's heritage streets and hot springs.
2 days · Nelson → Kaslo
Kootenay Lake
A mountain town on the West Arm and a heritage village on the north arm, with a sternwheeler and a cave hot spring in between.
Good to know
- Tourism: nelsonkootenaylake.com.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: Nelson on the West Arm of Kootenay Lake, Shawn from Airdrie, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Nelson from Pulpit Rock, Rweactcm, CC0
Photo: The free Kootenay Lake ferry, Kootenay Rockies, Public domain
Photo: Baker Street, Nelson, Don Weixl, Public domain
Photo: Nelson Streetcar 23, SounderBruce, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ainsworth Hot Springs above Kootenay Lake, Hontanar, CC BY-SA 3.0