First up on the hot springs tour is Crazy Creek near Revelstoke. We arrived on a Sat. and being a weekend the resort was busy with day visitors, so we checked in and decided to wait until evening to have a dip when the day guests would have left.
The resort has a great mix of camp sites and quite a few cabin rentals, along with the four pools (which cost extra). Across the highway is Crazy Creek Waterfall and Suspension bridge (sadly, it is commercialized and there is a fee to see the falls) – we opted not to go as the resort has walking trails that were adequate for walking Cedar. After setting up camp we checked out the trails and discovered part of the trail is “a section of the original Trans Canada Hwy”. Crazy Creek Resort was once a Mill town and Railtown called Taft, established in the late 1800’s. Throughout the property there are remnants of this historic site to explore – ruins of the old sawmill, general store, and hotel can be found.
We left Cedar in the van to venture to the pools with our camping partners on this trip Debbie and Don. With a range of pools from hot to cold it was lovely to relax and soak after the days drive. The cold plunge was icy and refreshing.
In the morning we were up and on the road early with plans to meet our camping buddies at the next Hot Springs. On our route for the day we had planned a stop within an hours drive for our morning walk. Blanket Creek Provincial Park proved to be a great spot to stop and certainly a place we will revisit if in the area. This park was originally a farm and now is one of a system of four provincial parks on the Arrow Lake Reservoir. With its warm man-made swimming lagoon, adventure playground, historic homestead site and scenic Sutherland Falls, this park offers enjoyment for the entire family. There is even a ‘dog beach’ for the family pooch which we hit up first to Cedar’s delight. We walked the trails through the campground then through a forest to an old farming area known as the old “Domke homestead.”
After checking out the impressive falls, where we were able to get close enough to feel a good spray, we continued on our way.
We passed by some more of the campgrounds along Arrow Lake and all looked promising for future camping. Hwy 23 ends at Shelter Bay where you have to board a BC ferry to cross the lake and continue the journey. The ferry is considered part of the Hwy so there is no charge and it is one of many inland ferries in the province. The highway is in great shape and follows the Upper Arrow lake, which is part of the Columbia River system, the entire way to Nakusp making for a very scenic drive. Once in town, there is a 12 km. winding dirt road to the hot springs and the road is well maintained.
Nakusp Hot springs, like many hot springs, has an interesting history. It was over the years sought after by individuals wanting to stake claim to the mineral rights and cut off public access. Each time the people of Nakusp fought against this and eventually were rewarded with their very own spa – the only Municipally run hot springs in BC. It is remote, with no internet data and even spotty phone service, therefore it never gets over crowded. The spa offers cabins, a campground, and several walking trails of varying distances.
Having booked for two nights, we had a quick soak the first evening, not wanting to leave Cedar for long. The pools are a little more rustic here and certainly quiet.
The next afternoon we hiked a trail to the historic original hot springs, which follows the fast flowing Kuskanax river where we discovered a short trail leading to spectacular waterfalls. There is also a beautiful, newly built, wooden footbridge a short distance from the spa that goes over the river and offers great views of the cascades below. Later our friends dog sat for us while we enjoyed another soak.
We enjoyed the quiet and natural setting of Nakusp where we were able to have a evening sitting around the fire and playing games. Although the campground facilities are outdated, the spa is available during the day if showers are needed.