Halfway River Hot Springs

Halfway is the do-it-yourself soak of the Arrow Lakes. A pipe delivers spring water at about 49°C (120°F) into a cluster of rustic wooden tubs on recycled-wood decks, and you control the temperature yourself by adjusting the flow or adding cold river water or snow. Below the tubs there is also a rock pool beside the Halfway River.

The water is untreated. To get there you drive north from Nakusp on Highway 23, then up a rough forest service road that is poorly maintained and not kind to small cars, and finish with a short, steep trail with stairs down to the springs. A small change hut helps.

Day soaking is free; the recreation site has about 20 vehicle campsites plus tent spots, with a host collecting 20 CAD a night in cash from May through October, a fee introduced after years of site abuse. Pack out every bit of garbage. Swimsuits are officially expected, though at least one guide calls clothing unofficially optional for many visitors.

The honest downside: its popularity has outgrown its size, so summer weekends bring crowded tubs and full camps.