Sloquet Hot Springs Trip 2023

(Last updated in October 2024)

I've had these hot springs on my list for a very long time and this month on May 22 2023 was finally the week I got to visit them. If you would like to know how it went with our three year old and tips on how to get there and other helpful knowledge then keep on reading.

To begin this adventure I first and foremost will say how much of a privilege it is to be able to visit these springs as the area is on the traditional territory of Xa'stsa or Douglas First Nation. The fact they have made these springs accessible to anyone is a gift, please respect it and Leave No Trace. This is a backcountry camping area with zero flush toilets, no running water or any other facilities nearby. Please pack out what you pack in.

Sloquet Hot Springs is tucked 100 km away south east of Pemberton and Whistler in British Columbia along the IN-SHUCK-CH FSR. Make sure you have proper navigation to help guide you to prevent from getting lost. (Backroad Mapbook) I will provide the track I used here on GIA, I highly recommend paying for this app yearly as it will provide the map for offline use while not in service. ($63 yearly) You will not have service out here and quite frankly that is the best part. Thanks to my bestfriend Allyssa for allowing me to follow her track from when she went.

Track from Gia

There are a few ways to get here on the IN-SHUCK-CH being an east and west side on Lillooet Lake. We stayed on the east side on the IN-SHUCK-CH as the west side was closed from 40KM-70KM due to a crane coming in to fix something. The reason I knew this was because I am on a Facebook group called In-shuck-ch Road Updates, please add yourself to this as it'll help update you on this FSR. Had I not been in this group I would have never known there was a closure. Please keep in mind this is an active logging road and a fairly busy FSR due to small towns being in the area. People come flying down this road and we saw quite a number of old to new vehicles that ended up in ditches or off banks of cliffs near the Lillooet River. Drive respectfully and slow, the lesser chance of getting a flat tire as well. The east side is very well maintained and graded, any vehicle could make it from this side. The only section that gets a bit hairy is at the end once your heading up to the campground, but with good driving you could do it. The campground host TJ said he's seen cars such as Maseratis and a Greyhound bus to give you an idea. Not saying you should do that, being prepared with the right tools is crucial to having success in breaking down.

The second way up is through Harrison Lake, this is a much longer and rougher road and 4X4 is required however they did recently fix this FSR due to washouts back when that Atmosphere river took over in 21'. Again make sure to have some maps, I also recommend you joining the Sloquet Hot Springs Facebook page as soakers keep you updated on how the roads are and other helpful information.

Harrison Way

Getting off the ferry from Horseshoe Bay, we stopped in Whistler to break up the first bit of driving and I grabbed a coffee and croissant at a place called Forecast Coffee, they had really good iced lattes. Then we grabbed lunch and a beer at Whistler Brewing Company, super good pizza and Hazy Pale Ales. Then set off to drive 89KM to the Sloquet Hotsprings Campground. There is a sign saying 86KM right at the start of the In-Shuck-CH FSR however we set the odometer to 0 and once we got there it was around 89KM. We caught the 8:45 AM from departure bay and didn't get to Sloquet with stops etc until around 4 pm I want to say. Keep in mind we went in May, this can either be a great time to visit a hot spring or a time where the river will be so high it washes all the pools out. When I went to visit Nakusp last year in 2022, we went the same time after may long and once we left the week after it was completely flooded. Be mindful of that, hot springs are typically best visited during November to February but due to the insane amount of snow that just doesn't sound like my type of adventure.

We opted to go after May long because - I've read even though these hot springs are a commitment to go to, they get extremely busy and I thought by going after May long that we might get lucky and that's exactly what we got - lucky. We basically had the springs to ourselves when we arrived, everyone had left. There was maybe 2-3 vehicles left at the campground.

Once we were done driving (which actually was pretty scenic, I didn't mind being a passenger for the drive) we set up camp and set off to finally see these springs in real life after months of me showing Cody and telling Graeson we were going here!!

I absolutely love hot springs, maybe I'm obsessed. I just love feeling connected to Mother Nature and seeing how cool it is - that this is natural ` derived from earth. How someone found this spot from a geothermic map once. Nature is cool and we are so lucky to get to experience it. TJ the camp host said there is 13 pools in total and 6 of them were intact still. The river has washed some away or made them into cold pools. The source in which where the waterfall is, is the hottest of them all - having a temperature of 120 degrees (HAWT) we were notified to stay clear of soaking in that one for obvious reasons.

Now being that I've gone to quite a few hot springs, I consider myself a hot-spring snob when it comes to my judgment of them and seeing these ones led up to my expectations. They were hot (just the way I like them) clean for the most part. Please note these are wild hot springs and if they were tested for fecal matter odds are they probably would be shut down. Please don't poo or pee in the hot springs and use the outhouses, you think this would be common sense however sadly there is a sign even saying this. You can tell they keep them clean by having shovels to keep pools deep and clean up any garbage that is left behind as it was pretty much spotless. There is a little change area they have built and place to hang towels etc which is super helpful to keep items dry if it rains. I will post these rules down below to follow.

There is even a rope someone has put around a tree so when you get too hot you can easily jump in while staying safe in the raging river, there was a pool near the river that was cold too that we sometimes went in or Graeson played in to cool down. The walk down from the campground to the hot springs is short making this a five minute or more hike down depending on your fitness level, the hike back up had even me huffing and puffing, so give yourself time heading back up. There was a fallen tree they have made little cut outs on to climb down in one part, and that was the only sketchy part of getting down to the springs - otherwise very easy. There is another way you can go which is a much easier route but it's longer, somewhat overgrown and is located right near the camp host where the info sign board is. This trail is maybe ten minutes or more and is much flatter of a hike in and out. The only part that is uphill is having to hike back up to the campsite after, if you are only using the springs for the day this is the best way to go in my opinion. This way brings you right near the river and you will have to cross the hot creek which makes it kind of awkward however - especially if people are in the pools during the time you get there.

Day use cost per person is $10 and a group of 6 camping is $20, you will pay before you enter. Bring cash as there is no machine out here. Each campground is equipped with a picnic table and fire ring, at the time there was a fire ban in effect in which we didn't see the sign right away and ended up having one and TJ letting us know they weren't allowed during this time. Totally fair and understandable, we had a propane fire which was allowed.The campgrounds are first come first serve, there are around 20 campsites and I believe a few off-site camping areas. They can squeeze in a lot of people in here - TJ was saying. The site is open year round for people to enjoy.

I will say there really isn't much to do around here other than to go into the hot springs, it's one of the reasons we cut our time here short. We planned three nights and ended up only staying for two. I would recommend only two here, that is enough to really enjoy them anything more I feel we were getting a tad bored, especially with our son. There is the campground to walk around but it's just a campground, nothing else to see. There is a town that TJ was saying which is 10K from the campground called Tipella where you can get gas and there is a convenient store too. We had plenty of food and gas however so that was not needed. Mark one of the camp hosts also is a heavy duty mechanic and has helped quite a few people out during vehicle issues.

Graeson was super excited to sleep in the tent for the first time this year, I made sure to keep telling him about this trip to get him comfortable that he would be in a tent sleeping. I even brought twinkly lights which he really loved. I was not sure how Graeson would like the hot springs if he could stay in them or how it was going to go. I even prepped his bath tub water to get him adjusted to it being a little hotter and said this is what the hot springs will be like. We even went to the pool and got him in the hot tub, lol commitment. However it worked because we couldn't get him out of it. We made sure to keep him hydrated and to cool down in the cooler pool quite a bit as well during our times in the pools. We made sure he had all of his little toys to play with as well. The longest we would stay is around an hour and a half each time. Technically you shouldn't be in hot water longer than ten minutes but this was also in a timeframe of getting out, going in the cold river, taking photos etc.

That first night Graeson went down super easily, tired boy from all that driving and hot springing. I want to add this is work with a child, there is no running water like I said, you have to pack garbage bags - there is nothing fancy about back country camping. Honestly it's my way of camping - OFF the grid. I want to teach Graeson how to survive out here, and how to be self-sufficient.

The next day, the forecast called for rain and it was sprinkling the entire day. Making most of our gear wet over time. We don't have a canopy or a tunnel cover so we made use of bins. Not ideal but it worked. We made lunch in the rain without a little canopy thing even. (what the hell are those called) Some might say well that doesn't sound fun but it's all part of it. We made simple meals like instant oatmeal, cooked chicken breasts with bagged salad, burgers and brought paper plates. Things we could easily toss into a garbage bag once we were done. I even wiped down dishes with just paper towel, this is just less work out here. Definitely not glamping, roughing it for the most part with a child is how we did it and we enjoyed ourselves. We played games like frisbee and brought a bat for Graeson to hit a ball with, sat around the fire and ate food. Bonded like crazy and laughed a lot.

I really wanted to experience the hot springs at night time as I've heard with all the candles and little tea lights is quite a magical thing to see. So I brought some candles and made sure we went down later around 8pm. Once it got dark I lit every candle I could that would go as it was still sprinkling a tad. Worth it for sure, and best part we were all alone for the entire evening. This felt surreal having these really well known springs that are usually always populated with people - to ourselves. I think that really was the highlight, not that I don't love meeting new people but really just being there with my family was nice.

Heading back to the campground in the dark was kind of sketchy especially with Graeson but we had a lot of flashlights that it wasn't to bad and as far as wildlife - you are in their territory with bears, cougars and all of that. That doesn't worry me, we had bear spray but never saw any. TJ said it's kind of uncommon to see them there - NOT saying leave your garbage out because you never want to leave anything out that will attract wildlife. You would probably see more bears in Whistler in the Village then you would all the way out here. In fact we actually did see one crossing near whistler village on our way back. Funny how that works, you see one in broad daylight in a populated ski resort but not in the middle of nowhere.

Being that we decided to pack up and go home the next day, I knew I wanted to catch the springs one last time in the early morning at an attempt to watch the sunrise. I set my alarm for 5AM and set off just by myself this time, while Cody and Graeson caught some Z's. This was a time for me to reflect and connect with myself out here. The walk down alone was nice and calming. The day was bright and I was hopeful at catching the sun coming up. Being that it was cloudy I scored some pink/orange hues but not quite the sunrise I was hoping for but hey I got lucky in a sense in other areas, we can't have it all.

I soaked here for over an hour by myself, with nobody else around. I decided to put on my birthday suit and be one with nature. Feel the ground beneath me, inhale and exhale. Think about life, celebrating being alive and healthy and for those in my life. To think of nothing as well - what a gift from someone who constantly has ten thousand things on her mind. I brought my jet-boil and made myself a coffee here, no complaints for this view.

We packed up as a team which made this entire trip go smoothly, having a partner who helps me in all areas of the work, I guess years of nagging will eventually get an outcome. Don't be afraid to be a boss bitch ladies, results happen. I feel like I fell more in love with Cody all over again during this trip, it was nice to not have our phones on and connect with ourselves and our son. I really felt we needed that, we don't get a lot of time together lately so it was really nice to have that.

I hope this inspires you to get out there and to the parents who are reading this with young kids, I hope it inspires you to expose your children to the elements. Watching Graeson play and connect with nature himself was the most rewarding thing. His funny little laughs, him looking at the river for a few seconds with me always wondering "I wonder what he is thinking of right now" it's the best feeling as a parent to know your child is happy. I really feel lucky Graeson loves the outdoors so far, and I don't want to be that parent but I feel like I want to brag a little on how well he was for us. He was so well behaved I swear he is better out here than at home. (same buddy) We never had any meltdowns, he cried just like any other times at home for bedtime etc but for the most part he was super chill. Lucked out there too I guess. He did really well with the long drives, was also not sure of how that was going to look, maybe he is just getting used to this lifestyle. If we exposure our children and make it so they don't know any different - they will adapt. That's how I look at it. We are going to have good and bad days wether we are at home or in the forest - may as well be out doing what we love when he has his moments. I'm a better parent out here, I have more patience and overall I'm just a happier person. Never be afraid to try something new, it's how we grow - is from our experiences.

As I always say enjoy, thank you for taking the time to read, it was a long one but felt I had so much to say. Happy trails and happy soaking until next time.

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