No, you can simply walk around the lake

Hi, I stayed at Hatago Nagomi which there’s no private onsen(hot spring) in room but public (for hotel guests) both indoor and outdoor. It’s small & cozy hotel with very nice service & superb location right in front of the lake.

There are two train stations in Nikki, JR Nikki and Tobu Nikki. These two stations are very close, just 2 minutes walking. You can buy travel bus tickets from both stations. The bus will stop at both stations. Don’t worry. Just ask the guy in the ticket office. He/she will tell you everything. Study the bus ticket closely. There are numbers representing bus stops. Even if you don’t know Japanese, you can still check the bus number of the next stop. You can also find the bus schedule at the bus stop back to Nikki.The bus travel time from Nikko to Chuzenji Lake is around 45 minutes, very very punctual. From Chuzenji Lake to Nikki, another 45 minutes. As I remember, there is a train from Tobu Nikki station to Shinjuku of Tokyo every 30 minutes.

Parks are free but you will likely want to buy a multi day bus pass.

There are many onsens nearby, you can find one for example at the end of a bus line. Sorry i dont remember which i visited couple of month ago but they can help at the bus station at Nikko. I recommend search for the one that fits best to your taste and budget. Dont miss the boat trip on the lake, well worth!