Campgrounds and RV parks near Nakusp, BC

Soaking is the signature activity. Nakusp Hot Springs sits about 15 kilometres from Nakusp up Hot Springs Road, and the pools receive 200,000 litres of fresh, filtered water each day. Two pools are fed by water from natural mineral springs set in the forest a ways from the pools, and trails through old-growth forest connect the pools to the campground along Kuskanax Creek. On the lake, a boat launch at McDonald Creek offers good fishing opportunities for kokanee, bull, and rainbow trout, and there are excellent waterskiing and jet skiing opportunities on Arrow Lakes. Many visitors stroll along the entire length of the 2 kilometre beach to enjoy the sun, sand and water. During the fall, watch carefully for spawning Kokanee salmon in the creek along the McDonald Creek nature trail. In winter, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and tobogganing are available on local trails, with Summit Lake ski area a short drive south.

The RV camping season here is short and concentrated. McDonald Creek offers services during the peak season from May to September, and the Nakusp Hot Springs campground is open May 1 to mid-October. The Nakusp Municipal Campground runs on a similar warm-weather schedule. Outside those windows, most sites and services are closed and gates are locked. Summer is peak. July and August draw the strongest demand as visitors combine hot-springs soaking with lake swimming, and reservable provincial-park sites fill weeks ahead for weekends. Shoulder seasons trade crowds for weather risk: spring is cool and wet, with lingering snow at elevation and muddy shoreline as Arrow Lake reservoir levels are low, and fall brings cold nights and rain that ramps into November. The hot springs themselves run year round with two short maintenance closures. Annual Spring Maintenance closes the facility from April 20 to May 8, reopening May 9, and a similar closure occurs in mid-October. From July 1 to August 18 the small pool is kept at a comfortable and refreshing 29 degrees Celsius to suit hot-weather soaks.

Hookup expectations are limited. McDonald Creek has a shower building with flush toilets, and a coin operated full service sani-station with potable water RV fill, and sites 1 to 18 have either 30 amp or 50 amp electrical service. At Nakusp Hot Springs, thirty sites have power plus some overflow and a tenting area, and the nearest sani-dump is in the village of Nakusp. The municipal campground has central washrooms with heated showers and a sani-dump on site. Connectivity is decent for a mountain valley, and the municipal campground is walking distance to shops and restaurants in town. Sani-station use at McDonald Creek accepts coins and tokens only, so bring change. Wildlife rules are strict. Store food and coolers securely, and pets and domestic animals must be on a leash at all times in the campground and day-use areas. Expect deer, elk in shoulder seasons, and bears throughout the region.