Harrison Mills is a community in the BC Fraser Valley, only 90 minutes outside the city of Vancouver. If you’re looking for a quick getaway from the city, we can’t recommend this place enough! Harrison Mills is home to The Sandpiper Resort and Rowena’s Inn on the River. With stunning views of the Harrison River, the grounds are absolutely beautiful and the accommodations are really unique. The main inn has been converted from an old English-style manor and has a variety of rooms available. They’ve also added both rustic and luxury cabin accommodations to the 160 acre property if you’re looking for something more secluded. We stayed in one of the luxury cabins last summer and it was such a great experience. Keep reading for more details on the accommodations and more info about Harrison Mills, BC.

How to Get There

Harrison Mills is located on the Harrison River, and is about an hour and a half drive from the city of Vancouver. It’s most accessible by car and makes for a great road trip through the Fraser Valley! It’s also just 20 minutes away from Harrison Hot Springs, another great tourism community that is worth a visit. We highly recommend taking your time driving to Harrison Mills to enjoy the entire area!

Rowena’s Inn

Rowena’s Inn on the River is such a unique accommodation. The historic inn is a boutique style bed and breakfast, and the rooms are absolutely beautiful. It will feel like you’re being transported back in time! Rooms in the inn include breakfast, and many of them have views of the Harrison River. There is also a dining room as well as a separate restaurant on the resort property called Clubhouse, along with a golf course and a pool. This is such a gorgeous place and it makes for a really special getaway. You won’t be disappointed!

The Cabins

There are both rustic and luxury style cabins on the property, and both of them are a great choice if you’re looking for something quiet. We stayed in a one bedroom luxury cabin last summer and it was one of our favourite places that we’ve ever stayed. The cabins are gorgeous and there are one, two, and three bedroom options! It would be such a great spot for families and large groups, and there are even pet-friendly units! Amenities in the different cabin layouts differ, but expect to find fully equipped kitchens, air conditioning, spacious patios, wood burning fireplaces, and jacuzzi tubs. Even the “rustic” cabins are beautifully decorated and have plenty of luxury touches. Our stay was in the Heron Cabin, and it was beautiful. We loved sitting out on the deck with a glass of wine and enjoying the views of the river. It’s such a great place to rest and recharge, and a perfect getaway that isn’t too far from the city. 

Harrison Mills

Harrison Mills is a great outdoor destination, and would be a nice spot to visit any time of year. If you want to fully enjoy some nature activities, the summer is a great time to fully appreciate everything the area has to offer! If you venture off the resort property be sure to visit the Kilby Historic Site and do the Circle Farm Tour. There’s also a lavender farm and some great local businesses to check out! For a full list of what to do in Harrison Mills, be sure to read our complete guide here. We really enjoyed our visit and will definitely be back. We felt completely welcomed and comfortable as a same-sex couple, and we can definitely recommend it as a great destination. 

For information on Rowena’s Inn and more about Harrison Mills, you can visit their website here.

Has anyone else been to Harrison Mills in BC? Let us know in the comments! 

Disclosure: This post is in no way sponsored by Tourism Harrison Mills or Rowena’s Inn on the River. Rowena’s Inn did generously host us for a one night stay during our summertime visit, and we are so excited to share this property with our audience. We had an amazing experience at their cabin and we can highly recommend their accommodations!

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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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