One of the things we love most about living in BC is how LGBTQ+ friendly it is, even in its small towns. We always feel comfortable travelling as a same-sex couple, and can recommend Harrison as a safe destination for others. Harrison Hot Springs always feels welcoming when we visit. The local business owners are warm and friendly, and it’s easy to feel right at home. Be sure to include it on your BC travels! 

Has anyone else fallen in love with Harrison Hot Springs? Is it already on your BC bucket list? Let us know in the comments! 

Be sure to read our other articles about Harrison Hot Springs to help you plan your trip:

A Summertime Day Trip to Harrison Hot Springs

A Lesbian Friendly Getaway to Harrison Hot Springs

The post 12 Photos to Convince You to Go to Harrison Hot Springs, BC appeared first on Lez See the World.

When to Visit

Harrison Mills and Harrison Hot Springs are amazing to visit anytime of year, but the summertime is especially wonderful to appreciate everything they have to offer. Plan your visit during the summer months for the best weather, and you’ll be able to enjoy all the fun seasonal activities. We visited in early August and it was perfect for exploring the area!

What to Do

Harrison Mills and Harrison Hot Springs are primarily tourism communities offering plenty to do! Located only 20 minutes apart, both areas have tons of great activities and attractions to enjoy. Below is our list of must-dos for a summertime visit:

Check out the Sandpiper Resort

The most notable attraction in the community of Harrison Mills is the incredible Sandpiper Resort! Home to the Sandpiper Golfcourse and Rowena’s Inn on the River, the resort is worth a visit purely to enjoy the beautiful grounds and the stunning views of the Harrison River. You can stop by for a meal at the Clubhouse Restaurant, or if you are planning an overnight stay, Rowena’s Inn is a perfect choice. The main inn was converted from an old English-style manor, and they’ve added both rustic and luxury cabin accommodations to the grounds. The resort is family-friendly and some rooms/cabins are also pet-friendly. The 160 acre property is absolutely worth a visit, don’t miss it!

Go to the Kilby Historic Site

Just 5 minutes away from the Sandpiper Resort is the Kilby Historic Site, a living museum exploring BC’s history and rural life in the community of Harrison Mills. You can tour the whole site, which includes beautiful gardens, a 1906 general store museum, a heritage post office, gallery, and the Manchester house hotel. It’s the perfect educational attraction where you can learn the history of the area!

Experience the Circle Farm Tour

The Fraser Valley’s Circle Farm Tour offers an opportunity for a self-guided journey of unique attractions in the area. In Harrison you can visit family-owned farms, artisan shops, and so much more! Be sure to stop by the Canadian Pacific Railroad Station, Cabin Fever Junction, Farmhouse Natural Cheeses, Sparkes Corn Barn, Agassiz Farm, and the Lost Marble Cafe & Creamery to name a few! It’s a great way to support the local businesses in Harrison.

Check out The Back Porch Coffee Roastery

Part of the Fraser Valley’s ‘Circle Farm Tour’, The Back Porch Coffee Roastery is a must-do stop. This family-owned establishment includes a coffee roastery, pottery and basketry studio, vegetable gardens, and a shop. Stop by to check out beautiful antiques, pottery, collectibles, hand crafted baskets, as well as housewares and garden decor.

Stop by the Harrison Lavender Farm

Next door to The Back Porch is Harrison Lavender! This was our favourite stop, a beautiful family-owned micro-farm that just opened up in 2020. With 5 different varieties of lavender, a small shop with handmade lavender products, and a stunning opportunity for photos, this spot can’t be missed! Take some time to stroll through the field and admire the plants.

Explore the Village of Harrison Hot Springs

Harrison Hot Springs village sits on the edge of beautiful Harrison Lake. Full of small shops, cafes, and restaurants, the village is the heart of Harrison Hot Springs. Explore the town, look for local crafts and souvenirs to take home, and grab a meal at one of the great establishments on the esplanade. Our favourite stop is Muddy Waters Cafe, a casual bistro with great lunch options! You can also grab a treat at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, or have a drink at the beautiful Harrison Hot Springs Resort. Be sure to read about what local events are happening during your visit as there is always something going on, like the annual Harrison Festival of the Arts.

Walk the Sasquatch Trail

Harrison Hot Springs is Sasquatch country and there’s a fun trail that starts at the town welcome sign, and takes you up to the Sasquatch Museum. Learn about Harrison’s history with the Sasquatch and the local Sts’ailes First Nations that believe in the Sasquatch as an elusive spiritual being. The museum is always a fun place to visit and it’s also located at the Harrison Visitor Centre! If you’re looking for another trail you can also do the 1km Spirit Trail, which is accessible from the edge of the village. For a longer hike, try the trail to Sandy Cove. You’ll get a beautiful view of the lake!

Enjoy Harrison Lake

There are plenty of activities to enjoy on the lake in the summertime like kayaking, canoeing, and boating! You can also swim in the lake and in the lagoon, but keep in mind the glacier fed lake is very cold even in the summertime. There are some local companies offering guided kayak or boat tours, or you can rent paddle boards or boats to take out on your own.

Lesbian Friendly

We feel incredibly fortunate to be able to say that our home province of BC is very accepting of the LGBTQ+ community. The Greater Vancouver Area and the Fraser Valley is a safe and inclusive place for LGBTQ+ travellers, and you will feel very welcome in Harrison Mills and Harrison Hot Springs! We always feel comfortable being out and open during our local adventures. Everywhere we’ve visited in Harrison felt very welcoming and we’ve never had any issues as a same-sex couple. It can definitely go on your list of lesbian friendly travel destinations!

Have any of you visited Harrison Mills or Harrison Hot Springs, BC? Let us know in the comments!

Disclosure: This post is in collaboration with Tourism Harrison Mills and Tourism Harrison! We are so excited to work with them to share their beautiful destinations with our audience. Tourism Harrison Mills generously hosted us for an overnight stay, and Tourism Harrison hosted us for an afternoon of summer activities. We had a great experience and recommend both destinations as amazing summertime day trips from Vancouver!

The post A Summertime Day Trip to Harrison Mills & Harrison Hot Springs, BC appeared first on Lez See the World.

When To Visit

We chose to visit Harrison in late November because we wanted to enjoy Lights by the Lake, their holiday festival! They have beautiful light displays along the waterfront as well as an outdoor skating rink, and the festival runs all season from November 23rd to January 12th. Of course all times of year are lovely to visit, and there are different events happening each season. No matter the weather there is always something to do, and the hot springs are incredible even (and maybe especially) in the cold! If you plan a visit to Harrison during the warmer months you can do boat tours, hiking, watersports, and so much more. We’re hoping to go back in the summertime!

Where to Stay

While there are a variety of accommodations in Harrison including small hotels, motels, b&bs, and cottages, the main property is the Harrison Hot Springs Resort. The beautiful lakefront resort offers four on-site restaurants, a full-service spa, and five hot spring mineral pools. We stayed in the West Tower with a Lakeview room and it was absolutely perfect. Waking up to sights of the lake and mountains each morning made our visit so special. We had an incredible time cozying up by the fireplace downstairs, and relaxing in the hot spring pools. If you’re planning a visit to Harrison and are looking for a luxury experience, be sure to check out all of the different packages at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort. This month they have some great holiday specials!

Depending on your budget and what type of experience you’re looking for, there are plenty of other great options for accommodations in Harrison. We cannot speak to any of them personally, but have heard great things about the Harrison Beach Hotel and the Harrison Lake Hotel. There are also plenty of vacation rentals available, as well as local campgrounds! Whatever your style is, you’ll surely find something that suits you.

Where to Eat & Drink

The village of Harrison is very quaint and adorable! There are lots of cafes and restaurants along the main street, and plenty of places to eat. If you’re looking for more upscale dining, be sure to check out the restaurants at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort. The Lakeside Cafe offers beautiful views and a family friendly atmosphere, while the Islands Bar is a perfect spot for drinks and lounge style dining. Miss Margaret’s Cafe is great for a grab-and-go breakfast, and for dinner and dancing be sure to check out the Copper Room! In the village our favourite lunch spot was Muddy Waters Cafe. They do great sandwiches and burgers and can accommodate vegetarian and vegan diets. We also had a really nice meal at Milos Greek Taverna, and they had no problem putting together something vegan for us. While you’re exploring the town, be sure to stop by Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for a treat (they have dairy-free and vegan friendly chocolate), and there are several spots to grab ice cream if it’s warm enough!

Lesbian Friendly

Canada is known as one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly countries in the world, and Vancouver and the Fraser Valley are most definitely welcoming to lesbian travellers. (Click here to read our full article all about how lesbian friendly Canada is!) One of the reasons we love travelling in our home country is because we feel so free to be ourselves. It’s a very safe place to travel as two women in a same-sex relationship, and we’ve had such positive experiences. Our trip to Harrison reminded us that even the small communities in Canada can be so warm and welcoming. We spent our visit being openly affectionate, cuddling in the resort pools, and exploring the village hand in hand without a second thought. The resort was incredibly accommodating and went out of their way to help us celebrate our anniversary! We also spent some time talking to the local shop owners, and all of them were very kind to us. They confirmed that Harrison is a welcoming community to all travellers, and someone even commented that the resort had recently hosted a same-sex wedding. All in all, we can definitely recommend Harrison Hot Springs as a lesbian friendly destination!

Has anyone else visited Harrison Hot Springs? Let us know in the comments!

Disclosure: This post is in no way sponsored by Tourism Harrison or the Harrison Hot Springs Resort. We travelled to Harrison at our own cost and had a wonderful stay! We did reach out to Tourism Harrison to let them know we would be writing about the destination, and they welcomed us warmly and offered us some small gifts. We also reached out to the Harrison Hot Springs Resort to let them know we would be sharing our travel experience with our audience, and they generously upgraded our room and offered us complimentary breakfast during our stay. We highly recommend this destination as well as the resort, as the community is so incredibly kind and welcoming. We truly enjoyed our time there and will most definitely be returning.

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