Lake Windemere
Lake Windermere is a very popular vacationing spot, especially for residents of Calgary, which is a 3-hour car drive to the Rocky Mountains, turn south on Highway95 in Radium Hot Springs. The western side of the lake which fronts the Purcell Mountains has a railroad running along its shore, and as a result, housing and recreational development is minimal there. The eastern side of the lake has a more extensive flatland between the lake and the Rocky Mountains and has experienced considerable development including motels, hotels, lodges, accommodations, cottages, camping grounds, recreational beaches, golf courses and various tourist attractions.
Nestled in the scenic Columbia Valley with the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Purcell Mountains to the west, Lake Windermere is actually a very large widening in the Columbia River.
It’s one of the largest and warmest lakes in the region and has an average depth of only 4,50 meters.
Lake Windermere is very heavily used for motor-boating, sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, fishing and other recreational activities. On summer days there are often up to 200 power boats on the lake at the same time!
Windermere Lake was once known as Lower Columbia Lake, and will be seen as such on older maps of the area.
Art…Heritage…Charm…Friendliness… These are Windermere words. Warm sunny days and crisp Rocky Mountain evenings. Ruffles on the lake and sunset on the Purcell Mountains
Laze the day away under a maple tree at the Windermere Beach. Pack up a picnic and let the kids loose in the playground, shake out your towel and come for a dip – the Windermere Beach focuses on fun! Just a leisurely walk from the Town Center.
The region is popular with hikers and home to the Columbia River Wetlands, which is North America’s largest intact wetland and a designated site under the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands.
The Invermere Airport houses the non-profit Canadian Rockies Soaring Club which welcomes dozens of student pilots and private owners in the summer months and provides glider rides to the general public. The local area is also a popular destination for other non-motorized forms of flying including hang-gliding and paragliding with a launch site at nearby Mount Swansea.