Nakusp Hot Springs, located just outside the community of Nakusp, is a wonderful place to relax, kick back, and enjoy the soothing mineral waters of the naturally heated mineral springs. Although the Nakusp Hot Springs might lack some of the drama of the horseshoe-shaped tunnel at Ainsworth Hot Springs, they nonetheless provide an equally vivid hot-spring experience. The setting here is a narrow canyon through which the Kuskanax River runs.
Surrounded by dense forest, the circular municipal outdoor pool is divided in two. The larger portion is deep enough for swimming, and its temperature is maintained at a comfortable 37 Deg C. A small section is kept much hotter, at 41 Deg C. You’ll find that a difference of even a degree of two in water temperature affects the amount of time your body can tolerate the heat. Sit in the hottest section for a while, then find a patch of snow in which to make a snow angel. There’s no cold plunge pool here, just the air, which is equally effective in winter.
The hot water at Nakusp Hot Springs comes out of the earth about 1.5 km from the hot springs building, and is piped down through a 4-inch insulated pipe, which you can see as you take a stroll up there. The temperature at the source is 54.4 Deg C / 130 Deg F and certainly too hot for a dip. The water is filtered before it enters the pools, and turns over 3 times in the large (less hot) pool, and 8 times in the smaller (hot) Pool.
Open year round, Nakusp Hot Springs offers something for everyone: hiking, cross-country skiing or snow shoeing in the old growth forest surrounding the hot springs. The Nakusp Hot Springs is also a favourite spot for camping, offering campsites with electrical hookups along the Kuskanax Creek. There can be no better time to enjoy a massage than after spending the day relaxing in the hot spring pools. Overnight accommodation is offered in A-frame Cedar chalets.
Location
The community of Nakusp is located on the eastern shore of Upper Arrow Lake in the West Kootenays, at the junction of Highway 6 and Highway 23, 29 miles (46 km) northwest of New Denver and approximately 60 miles (96 km) south of Revelstoke.
Contact Information
Nakusp Hot Springs
Box 280
91 – 1st Street NW
Nakusp, BC
VOG 1RO
Phone: 250-265-4528
Nearby Regions & Towns
