Fairmont Hot Springs, a full-service resort community located between Columbia Lake and Windermere, offers breathtaking scenery with the Rockies serving as the backdrop.

Named after a Philadelphia, Pa. suburb (Fairmont), white settlement began in the area in 1888, with the naturally heated mineral springs the draw. It was an important destination point for travellers making their way between Fort Steele and Golden because of what it offered.

By 1898 stagecoach travellers would make their way to the pools to enjoy the therapeutic values for the body and mind and a series of rustic operations catered to them. But it wasn’t until the late 1950s that Fairmont began to garner much greater attention. In 1957, Lloyd and Earl Wilder and other local businessmen purchased a large amount of land and set to work on their ambitious development plans. Lloyd Wilder’s partners subsequently sold out and he became sole owner of the development which has remained in the family.

The focal points of the five-star resort are the lodge and fine dining opportunities, as well as the adjacent hot pool facility. The resort operates a spacious R.V. park in the summer and a fun family ski hill in the winter.

Take the hike along the creek and check out the falls and lower springs pool. Careful, it’s slippery by the water. You should also check out the original site of the hot pools, just above the lodge. Trail rides and mini-golf are also available at the resort.

Just downhill is Mountainside Golf Course, a Fairmont Resort property, with its 18-hole sloping fairways and raised greens. Mountainside also features a pro shop and dining facilities. Across the highway from Mountainside and the resort is the Riverside Golf Resort with its well outfitted pro-shop, superb dining opportunities and friendly atmosphere of an old English-style pub, not to mention its award winning 18-hole course.

The headwaters of the Columbia River meander through the 18-hole award winning course, which also offers practice facilities for your driving and putting. The mall offers groceries, video rentals and other shopping opportunities. Adjacent to the mall is Wildside Gift Shop. Jeffer’s Esso at the north end of town is a great highway stop.

Lodging options in Fairmont are numerous, whether you’re looking for a motel room or campground site. There are a number of dining options from pizza to prime rib and plenty of friendly folks to make your stay enjoyable and diverse. Along with the lodge and Fairmont Vacation Villas, Fairmont also offers accommodations at Spruce Grove Resort at the south end of town.

Distance to Invermere: 20 minutes south