Day 12 – To Laird Hot Springs

Laird Hot Springs Provincial Park in British Columbia is one of the must stop points along the Alaskan Highway. It’s not that one must stop, rather it’s a enjoyable spot. The hot springs were discovered while the US servicemen were building the highway during the war. They even built a boardwalk to reach the spot. The park consists of a campground and a hot spring. In planning a drive to Alaska there are planners and those who wing it. It’s July long weekend, with Canada Day on July 1 so there are both the highway travelers and the more local families vying for campsites. We arrive and find the campground full, but there is overflow camping across the road. We set up our campsite in the overflow lot, change and head off to enjoy the warm soaking.

It’s maybe a quarter mile walk to the start of the boardwalk leading to the hot spring and another quarter mile to arrive. There it’s a rustic bathhouse with changing rooms and wooden steps into a slowly flowing stream. Head upstream and the water gets HOT while downstream it slowly cools. The bottom is covered with small round stones. We spend a couple of hours relaxing then it’s back to the camper for supper.  

There’s a knock at our door and it’s our new friend we met yesterfay, Sebastien. We chat for a few hours then he bids up a good night.