Kumsheen Rafting Resort

Founded in 1973, when its first guides took on the rapids of the Thompson River, Kumsheen Rafting Resort has run whitewater trips through the same stretch of water for five decades. The resort sits on a 15-acre bluff above the river, near Lytton in the BC Interior, in one of the driest and warmest corners of the country. Rafting remains the core business: day trips and two-day packages cover the Thompson, the Fraser through Hell's Gate, the Nicola, and the Devil's Gorge run, in both motorized and paddle rafts. Guides double as river historians, pointing out canyon walls that date back 150 million years. Back on land, the resort works more like a small compound than a single lodge. Guests choose between canvas cabins, Anishinabe-style teepees strung with candlelight, or RV and tent sites on a maintained campground. A three-tier pool and hot tub area looks over White Canyon, with a bar on the top level. There is a coffee bar at reception and a restaurant on site. Weekends in July and August bring live music to the poolside gazebo. Trains run along the riverside tracks at night; earplugs are available at reception for anyone bothered by the sound.