Situated in the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, Invermere is the perfect home base for exploring the vast wilderness of Western Canada. The town sits along the northwest shore of Lake Windermere and is within striking distance of Alberta’s famed Banff National Park and British Columbia’s Kootenay National Park, making it a hotspot for outdoor adventure, be it boating, fishing for trout, or hiking through alpine meadows. Wildlife is on display in a big way here, with the Columbia Wetlands providing habitat to a diverse range of animals, including more than 260 species of birds, as well as elk, moose, and grizzly bears.

Invermere’s small downtown has all the amenities you’ll need to support your wilderness retreats. It’s also a great spot to learn about the region’s history at its handful of small museums.

Invermere is just a 1.5-hour drive from the Canadian Rockies International Airport (YXC) in Cranbrook, which receives connecting flights from Calgary and Vancouver. Two car rental agencies are onsite at the airport, making it easy to drive to your Invermere vacation rentals. You’ll likely want a car to explore the national parks and surrounding wilderness; bike rentals are available in town in the summer. You can also make the three-hour drive to Invermere from the much larger Calgary International Airport (YYC). The gloriously scenic route passes through Banff and Kootenay National Park.

Invermere has four distinct seasons. Temperatures are at their warmest in summer, which peaks in July and August. It cools down at night here, even in the summer, so it’s rare for prolonged heat waves to overtake the town. During the summer, people flock to vacation homes along Lake Windermere. The Invermere Music Festival takes place every summer, offering two days of live music on six stages at Kinsmen Beach, with family-friendly activities and an international food village.

Every winter, you can expect the Invermere region to be coated in snow. People come from all over Canada to take part in the winter recreation, including the Lake Windermere Whiteway, the world’s longest skating trail. The lake is transformed into 30 kilometres of trails and skating rinks that are surrounded by snow-covered forests and white-peaked mountains.

Columbia River

In summer, you can float down the Columbia River from Invermere to Radium to soak up the sun while passing through the town’s famed wetlands. This self-guided river tour takes three to four hours to complete on an inflatable tube. Stop anywhere along the shoreline to enjoy a picnic before returning to the water to finish your trip. Eagles and ospreys are often perched on the treetops, while blue herons hunt along the riverbanks.

James Chabot Provincial Park

On the northern end of Windermere Lake is the 14-hectare James Chabot Provincial Park. There’s no shortage of views here. To the west, you’ll find the Purcell Mountains while the Canadian Rockies stand to the east. A sandy lakeshore beach with ideal swimming conditions attracts travellers in the summer, and it’s also a good launch site for kayaks and canoes.

Windermere Valley Museum

Learn about the history of the Invermere region as you meander through this collection of preserved heritage buildings. The main museum is the town’s former railway station, which has been repurposed into the visitors’ entrance. The site also includes a schoolhouse that was built in 1906, a notary building, and a collection of cabins. Exhibits and artifacts show what life was like in the Columbia Valley 100 years ago.