Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park

Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park is a protected area in northeastern British Columbia preserving natural thermal pools within boreal forest. Multiple spring-fed pools lie along raised wooden walkways winding through marshy terrain and dense vegetation.

The area was opened up during World War II by the US military, which built the initial wooden walkways and first changing facilities. British Columbia took over the site in 1957 and converted it into an official protected area.

The springs take their name from the river, which itself comes from the language of local Kaska Dena communities referring to this stretch of territory. Today, visitors follow wooden walkways built starting in the 1940s and later expanded into permanent access to reach the warm water.

Visitors reach the pools via raised wooden walkways accessible to wheelchairs and winding through the wet areas around the springs. From May through October, campsites become available, and access hours shift with the season.

The largest pool, called Alpha, maintains temperatures between 42 and 52 degrees Celsius (108 to 126 degrees Fahrenheit) year-round, creating a humid microclimate where over a dozen orchid species thrive. These conditions make this one of the most northerly habitats for such plants in North America.