Nakusp is a small village on Upper Arrow Lake in British Columbia's West Kootenay region. It is not a big mountain resort, and that is part of its appeal. The lakefront is quiet, the roads arrive by long valley drives and ferries, and the surrounding Selkirk forest gives the place a slightly end-of-the-road feel.
The reason to stop is the water. The Nakusp Hot Springs sit in the forest north of town, with warm mineral pools that work in any season. Nearby, a short trail crosses Kuskanax Creek and continues toward the creek, falls, and Kimbol Lake.
In town, the Waterfront Walkway is the easy pleasure: gardens, benches, lake views, and the slow rhythm of a small Arrow Lakes community. Nakusp is best treated as a relaxed one-day stop between Revelstoke, Nelson, and the Slocan Valley, or as a base if you want hot springs without a resort-town scene.