The Village of Nakusp (/nəˈkʌsp/)[3] is located south of the mouth of Kuskanax Creek, on the Upper Arrow Lake in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia.

Lying between the Selkirk and Monashee ranges, the village is known for its nearby hot springs and picturesque mountain lakeside setting.

In 1811, Finan McDonald, a member of David Thompson's party, was the first reported European explorer on the Arrow Lakes.

[17] According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Nakusp included:[18] In the early 1890s, most passengers and freight would travel by steamboat connecting either south with the US landings, or north with the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) main line at Revelstoke.

[22] In 1892, a post office, general store and sawmill opened,[4] but building lots were not for sale in the townsite subdivision, developed by A.E.

The main building houses the 12-metre (40 ft) diameter hot springs pools on the banks of the Kuskanax Creek, next to a serviced campsite.

Premier Dave Barrett, who opened the resort officially in 1974,[32] allegedly called it the Taj Mahal at the end of the Burma Road.

[30] The resort was built for $700,000 and paid for by the federal and provincial governments in the form of grants for the benefit of the municipality, which owns it.

Not everyone in Nakusp was pleased with the development, and continued to hike a half mile to the site of original hot springs, until one night when the old pool was "mysteriously dynamited.

The area also provides many opportunities for recreation, including the Summit Lake Ski Hill, a short drive out of town towards New Denver.

Nakusp Airport (TC LID: CAQ5), with an asphalt runway 909 metres (2,983 ft) in length, is northwest of the village on the hot springs road.

The town experiences pleasantly warm summer days coupled with cool nights and moderately cold, snowy winters with annual snowfall averaging 66 inches (168 cm).