A seven-and-a-half-hour drive from Vancouver, the village of Nakusp sits in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia — and it's quietly become known for having the cleanest, clearest hot springs in the province. Best of all, the pools run all year, so you can soak under snow in January or as a post-hike treat in July.
The Nakusp Hot Springs are community-owned, and the operation is serious about water quality: roughly 200,000 litres of fresh, filtered mineral water flows into the pools every day. There are two public pools set in forest — a Hot Pool held at 41°C in winter (38°C in summer) and a Warm Pool at 38°C in winter, 36°C in summer.
Pricing is refreshingly reasonable. A single dip runs about $14–$15, while an all-day pass costs $22. If you're visiting between November 1 and March 31, Winter Wednesdays drop the price to $8.50. Opening hours run 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, with a later 9 p.m. close on Fridays and Saturdays.
Want to make it an overnighter? A summer campground beside Kuskanax Creek offers RV sites, tent spots and rustic cedar chalets within walking distance of the pools, at $25–$42 a night. Trails from the springs lead to the new Kuskanax Footbridge, the historic original hot springs site, and — for a full day out — Kimbol Lake. After your soak, Arrow Lakes and the Kuskanax River are right there for kayaking, canoeing, fishing or bird watching.
The village itself deserves some time too. The Waterfront Walkway strings together lake and mountain views with downtown shops, and Nakusp lays claim to one of B.C.'s oldest operating hotels, the Leland Hotel — worth a stop for its restaurant patio even if you're sleeping elsewhere. Come winter, the moderate snowfall around town supports cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, tobogganing and even heli- and cat-skiing.
Nakusp suits travellers who like their wellness with a side of wilderness: road-trippers looping through the Kootenays, couples after a low-key soak-and-cabin weekend, or outdoor types pairing a soak with paddling or skiing. It's an easy add-on to a longer B.C. interior itinerary and a genuine alternative to the busier resort springs further south.
