Kraus Hotsprings

What to expect

Kraus Hotsprings is not a destination you drive to and tick off. It is a stop on the South Nahanni River (Nahʔą Dehé), one of Canada’s best-known wilderness rivers, in Nahanni National Park Reserve in the southwest corner of the Northwest Territories. Parks Canada lists it among its hot spring experiences with a blunt note: you can only get there by paddle.

The springs sit on the river-right bank just below First Canyon, after the last real rapid at Lafferty’s Riffle, where the walls drop away and the river spreads into the foothills. Paddlers find the spot by the smell of sulphur and the steam on a cool morning. Hot water trickles out of the bank and collects in shallow pools that visitors dig out of the gravel. One recent trip report describes a single hand-dug pool just big enough for a group of eight.

Part of the appeal is the contrast. The South Nahanni runs cold and fast a few steps away, so people alternate between the warm seep and the river. Parks Canada describes this hot and cold routine as the point of the place. Expect to come out smelling of sulphur; a dip in the river takes most of it off.

This was the homestead of Gus and Mary Kraus, who lived on the river here for decades. Grassy clearings run from the old cabin site down to the shore, and the surrounding vegetation is lush by northern standards, with berry bushes in season.

We have not found a published water temperature, and the pools change with river levels and with how much digging the last group did. Treat any figure you hear as a rough guide.

Getting there

There are no public roads in Nahanni National Park Reserve. Parks Canada says nearly every visitor arrives by chartered floatplane, from Fort Simpson (Łįįdłįį Kų́e) or Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories, Muncho Lake in British Columbia, or Watson Lake in the Yukon. Use a charter company with a valid park business licence.

From the landing site you paddle or raft downstream. Parks Canada gives these typical trip lengths to the end of the river:

• Virginia Falls (Náįlįcho): 7 to 10 days
• Rabbitkettle Lake (Gahnįhthah Mie): 10 to 14 days
• Island Lakes: 14 to 18 days
• The Mooseponds (Nááts’įhch’oh Tué): about 21 days

Kraus comes near the end. On one commercial 7-day rafting trip from Virginia Falls to Nahanni Butte (about 155 miles, or roughly 250 km), the soak happens on day 6, after Lafferty’s Riffle and before the braided channels of The Splits. Trips finish at Nahanni Butte, where a charter plane takes people back to Fort Simpson.

The river below Virginia Falls has Class II and III rapids depending on water levels, including Figure Eight Rapid at Hell’s Gate and George’s Riffle. This is not a trip for beginners without a licensed guide.

When to go

Parks Canada gives the paddling season as June to September and says to watch each season’s water levels and forecasts. Peak use is July 1 to August 15.

Timing matters at Kraus specifically. Camping at the springs closes on August 1 every year under the Superintendent’s Orders. If you want to spend a night here, plan to reach it in July. Later trips can still stop for a soak during the day and camp further downstream.

Rules and etiquette

Nahanni runs on a reservation and registration system, set out in Superintendent’s Orders issued on June 24, 2025:

• Reserve in advance. Every overnight trip needs a Northern Backcountry Excursion Overnight Trip Reservation Form, confirmed before you travel. Only 24 people (12 private, 12 commercial) may arrive at Virginia Falls each day, so book early.
• Pay the fee. C$37 per person per day or C$259 per year for northern backcountry excursions and camping. The fee secures your reservation. Cancel before March 31 for a 50% refund.
• Register. Contact the park office in person, by phone or by email within 24 hours of entering the park. Staff will brief you on closures, recent bear activity and fire bans.
• Group size is limited to 12 people.
• No soap or grey water in lakes or hot springs, anywhere in the park.
• No camping at Kraus from August 1.
• Youth groups without their parents need a Custodial Permit, arranged through a licensed outfitter at least four weeks ahead.

Keep the pools as you found them. Fill in or level anything your group dug before you leave, and pack out all garbage.

Where to stay nearby

On the river you camp. Parks Canada limits camping in busy spots: two nights at most at Virginia Falls, and there are capacity limits at Rabbitkettle Lake, Glacier Lake and Fairy Meadows. Downstream, the Gate (Pulpit Rock) and Lafferty Creek are popular camps where you must be able to pack out human waste; digging holes for it is banned there.

Before and after the trip, Fort Simpson is the base, with the park office and the charter flights. Rafting outfitters often expect you to arrange your own last night there. Nahanni Butte, a small Dene community at the confluence with the Liard River, is where most trips take out.

Safety notes

• Remoteness: You are days from help and a flight from the nearest road. Carry a satellite phone or messenger and build weather days into your plan.
• Cold water: The South Nahanni is fast and cold. Going straight from a hot pool into the river is part of the routine, but stay in the eddies and keep out of the current.
• Hot water: Test each pool by hand. Seeps can be uneven, with hotter spots where water enters.
• Bears: Parks Canada shares recent bear activity at registration. Keep food and scented items secured, and do not leave coolers or dishes out at camp.
• Water: Do not drink hot spring water, and treat river water before drinking.