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The Hottest Guide to Idaho’s Best Natural Hot Springs

When you’re talking hot springs, Idaho usually isn’t the first place that comes to mind.

In fact, Idaho rarely ever comes to mind for the majority of travelers, unless they’re making jokes about potato farmers. But this largely forgotten state is jam-packed with natural, secluded (and did I mention free?) hot springs. The best, and arguably the most beautiful of which are situated in the Boise National Forest.

Only 1.5 hours North of the City of Boise, the Boise National Forest is the perfect place for a cheap weekend getaway and the hot springs are, by popular vote, the main attraction.


After spending 5 days in the mountains soaking up some warmth, I picked 4 of the best, most photographable, and most relaxing hot springs in the Boise National Forest. These are the hot springs you CANNOT afford to miss when in Idaho. The cleanest, warmest, most secluded, and just overall best. The hot springs that make freezing your butt off in the Idaho mountains 100% worth it.

RELATED: “GOLD STRIKE : NEVADA’S HIDDEN DESERT HOT SPRING”

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#4 Pine Flats Hot Springs

Enjoying the view at Pine Flats Natural Hot Springs


What Makes it my #4?

PROS:

Seclusion: I visited 3 times (in the fall) and there was never a single person there. Plus, it’s far enough from the road and the nearby campsite to make you feel truly isolated.

View: The hot spring is stuck inside a cool-looking rock wall and overlooks the South Fork Payette river, making for a nice place to sit and soak up some views.

CONS:

Depth: The water comes up to about your belly button (when sitting). Not the deepest hot spring.

Size: The pool seats 2 people comfortably. Any more than that and you’ll be sitting quite close.

Temperature: While it’s warm enough to keep you comfortable on a cold, October day, it’s probably the coolest of the hot springs I visited.

Best Time to Visit.

Summer or Fall. Anytime of the day is fine since this spring is pretty low-traffic. It’s also good for pictures almost all day long since it’s hidden away in a heavily shaded canyon.

Getting There.

I was not able to route myself directly to Pine Flats on either of my phone’s maps. However, if you’re heading East towards Kirkham hot springs, keep an eye out on your right for a sign reading “Pine Flats Campground”.  This is a paid campsite (and there is also a $5 day parking fee). You can park your car here, or to save a few bucks, you can park on a nearby turn-out. The path to the hot spring begins at this campground.

INSIDER TIP: There are 3 pools. The lowest is level with the river (and quite cold), the middle is at the end of the main trail, and the highest you have to follow a steep, narrow trail and cross some slippery, wet rocks to reach. The highest pool is the prettiest, but it is WAY too hot to soak in. The middle pool is where you want to be!


Relaxing in Pine Flats Natural Hot Springs



#3 Kirkham Hot Springs

Soaking it up at Kirkham Hot Springs


What Makes it My #3?

PROS:

Setting: This hot spring is by far the best for photos! It has multiple waterfalls, cool rock formations, and it’s right on a river. There is also massive amounts of steam rising from the water, making for the perfect “chill-vibes” Instagram shot.

Waterfalls: The “waterfalls” in the other hot springs are fairly wimpy, but Kirkham has a couple of waterfalls and the biggest one is actually pretty impressive! Not to mention, standing underneath it is like taking a hot, high-pressure shower. But don’t bring your shampoo. Please.

CONS:

Crowds: This hot spring is right off the main road and right next to a fairly popular campground, making it a hot stop for travelers (no pun intended).

Temperatures: It’s difficult to find that “perfect spot” at Kirkham. One second you’re too hot, then you’re shivering again. However, the best, most consistent pool is found by climbing over the rock wall at the back of the main pools.

 

Best Time to Visit.

Summer or Fall. Try to get there early in the morning and you’ll likely have this (typically crowded) hot spring to yourself!

Getting There.

Kirkham is super easy to route to, though I would recommend getting the Maps.Me app (which provides directions offline) as you’ll have zero signal traveling through the mountains. Your GPS will get you there, but in case you somehow get lost, just follow the crazy amounts of steam!


A Natural Hot Springs shower at Kirkham




#2 Rocky Canyon Natural Hot Springs

A view from above at Rocky Canyon Natural Hot Springs


What Makes it My #2?

PROS:

Multiple Pools: You have 4 pools to choose from, all of varying temperatures and all (except maybe the last one, which is 97 degrees) are warm enough to soak in. The pools cascade down the side of of a cliff – it’s basically like a giant hot spring waterfall. Pretty cool!

Size: Since there are 4 different, reasonably sized, pools you could probably a host a party at this hot spring.

Seclusion: Oddly enough, since this hot spring is technically right off the road, it is actually pretty private. There is no signage, and though nothing is blocking it from view, it has incredible camouflaging abilities. The only giveaway is the steam rising from the rock, which is visible from the road depending on the weather.

CONS:

The journey: You have to freeze before you can get warm. In order to get to this hot spring, you have to cross a river. And that river is really, REALLY cold. 32 degrees cold to be exact. You won’t be able to feel your legs and if your rain boots are anything like mine, they won’t be tall enough to keep the water completely out. Totally worth it, though.

Occasional Strangeness: Normally you’ll be alone in this hot spring. And if you’re not alone, you’ll be accompanied by friendly locals looking for a soak. But occasionally, you’ll get a shirtless man and a naked, chalked-up woman doing a photoshoot in the tall grass beneath you. Yeah, strange right? I’m actually not sure if I should be crying or laughing at the awkwardness of the situation.

 

Best Time to Visit.

Summer, Fall or Winter. Try visiting in the morning or evening when the sun is lower in the sky. Mid-day the sun is glaring down on the pools. Not as pretty in pictures or in person.

Getting There.

This secluded and gorgeous hot spring is not traceable via GPS (which is why it remains so secluded). It is located just over 10 miles North of the little, old-timey town of Crouch. If you can spot it, you can soak in it! (Hint: On extremely cold days, the steam rising from the rock is a dead giveaway!)

INSIDER TIP: There are several free, dispersed campsites nearby for campers. Most of them are also RV accessible.


Sipping a warm drink and enjoying the view at Rocky Canyon natural hot springs
Cheers! At Rocky Canyon Hot Springs



#1 Trail Creek Natural Hot Springs

Standing on the bridge to Trail Creek Natural Hot Springs


What Makes it My #1?

PROS:

Depth: Ah, finally! A hot spring you can actually sink up to your shoulders in! Surprisingly, this is actually somewhat of a rarity in natural hot springs.

Temperature Control: This is an amazing feature. This hot spring has hot water coming down from the rock and a tube piping cold water in from the river which you can, GET THIS, turn on and off! Yes, you can control the temperature of this natural hot spring by deciding how much cold water you want to let in, if any at all (but really, you will need some or it’ll get unbearably hot).

Seating: No more sitting on a scratchy, gravely pool bottom! In this hot spring there are large, submerged rocks (that aren’t scratchy) on which you can rest your delicate posterior while still staying nice and toasty. I’m tellin’ ya, this place is ideal!

Seclusion: Again, there is no signage for this hot spring. It’s also surrounded by thick forest and the steam can’t be seen from the road. So in order to find it you must, in the words of Captain Jack Sparrow, “already know where it is”.

CONS:

Dirty Trail: The hot spring itself is clean, but the trail and campsites leading up to it are filthy with underwear (how do you forget that?), beer cans and…erm…human feces. (Seriously, why wouldn’t you at least move OFF of the trail?) It’s actually pretty upsetting since this is such a beautiful little spot. But I get it, where there are hot springs there are drunk idiots.

Possible Nudists?: Yes, this is, as the poorly crafted leather sign says, a clothing optional hot spring. Perhaps you don’t mind soaking it up and staring at some old guys junk, but if you DO mind, just visit during one of the many times the hot spring is empty (usually mornings and early afternoons).

Best Time to Visit.

Summer, Fall and Winter. Try to make it there sometime in the morning. The evenings are usually reserved for the party people.

Getting There.

These cozy natural hot springs are located Northeast of Cascade, Idaho and is about a 25 minute drive up Warm Lake Road. The “parking lot” for the hot springs is basically just a slow vehicle turnout and can be difficult to spot unless people have already arrived – in which case, just look for all the cars!

When you reach the bottom of the trail, if you come across a leather sign nailed to a tree that reads “Hot Springs. Clothing Optional”, you’re in the right place. Watch out for naked bods.

HOT SPRING MUST-HAVES

Click images for details

 


UPDATE (09/20/18): I visited these natural hot springs again recently (during a weekend getaway trip) and made a solemn vow to myself that if the place was trashed any more than usual, I’d remove any, even subtle, hints about its location as well as the location of the other hot springs listed here. I have to say, I was super stoked to see that it was much, MUCH cleaner than it was during my last visit! Which only leads me to believe that all of you (my awesome, nature-loving readers) are keeping it clean and respecting this beautiful, natural place. Faith in humanity = semi-restored. You guys are the best! Keep on hot springing.

Sitting and relaxing at Trail Creek Hot Springs
The cold spout at Trail Creek Natural Hot Springs

Have a favorite hot spring of your own? Or an awkward, “clothing optional” story to tell? Drop it like it’s hawwt in the comments section below!

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43 comments

  1. I definitely did not know about these…though I have heard some great things about Idaho. Love finding new places to explore in my own country:)

    1. Same! It’s so fun finding cool new spots close to home. 🙂

  2. Wow! I had no clue there were hotsprings in Idaho … now I really want to pay them a visit!

    1. I was actually right there with you until recently. So glad I found out about them though! Trail Creek is probably the coolest hot spring I’ve ever been to 🙂

  3. You certainly did your research! These look amazing and I bet they feel great with the cool autumn weather! I’d be likely to try and find those that are more secluded.

    1. Yes!!! Lol it actually took a while to find out where all of these were. Well worth it though 😉

  4. I think Boise is going to be a good quick getaway for me soon so thank you for these suggestions! Loved how you listed the pros and cons so clearly! ❤️

    1. Aw thanks so much! I hope you get the chance to go – to both the hot springs and the city. Boise is the bomb and probably the friendliest place I’ve been so far 🙂

  5. These look amazing! There’s literally nothing better than sitting outside in a beautiful setting. Will be checking these out!

    1. I completely agree! Absolutely love relaxing in front of a good view 🙂

  6. I would love to visit here! This place looks so amazing and peaceful. Living in a hot-spring city makes me love this more!

  7. Love the details in your Pro and Con lists. Hope the locals won’t get too mad at you for sharing their secret hot springs locations 🙂

    1. Thank you so much!
      And lol, I certainly hope not! I ran into a few locals and they seemed too friendly for that but ya never know ;P

  8. Hi Kristin, I live in northern Idaho, does the north offer such beauty with natrual hot springs like southern Idaho?

    1. Hi Russ! Unfortunately I haven’t explored much of Northern Idaho yet, but I’m hoping to this year (since I won’t be able to do as much traveling outside of my home state as last year).
      I’ve driven through the north on my way to Canada – beautiful scenery! There’s supposed to be a very lengthy hot springs trail that stretches through Idaho and passes hundreds of hot springs. If I can ever get it mapped (one of my life goals right now), I’ll be sure to put it up!

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  13. Good day! I could have sworn I’ve been to this website before but after reading through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Nonetheless, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back often!

  14. A friend from California is coming to visit me in October of 2018. I am curious, when crossing the river to reach the Rocky Canyon warm springs, do you recommend wearing any type of shoes and/or boot? Please let me know :).

    1. Hi Luis! The river is pretty rocky so I would recommend wearing some type of shoe (preferably with good grip because the rocks are kinda slippery). I tried wearing rain boots to keep the cold water out, but they weren’t even close to being tall enough unfortunately so I had to just power through it lol. Next time I’d likely just wear my Keen water sandals. Hope this helps and that you have a blast with your friend!

  15. Thanks so much for all the pros and cons! Such a great blog 🙂
    Have you ever been to the Mile 16 hotsprings? If not, HIGHLY recommend. A short hike is required, but the view is beautiful. We went in June ’18. It was raining when we arrived, and the trail was a bit slick. But with some water shoes, its an easy trek.

    1. You know I actually tried (and failed miserably) at finding that one! Lol. It seemed like it should have been easy to track down but I clearly did something wrong because I was looking for it for quite some time. ;P

    2. I LOVE trail creek! One of my favorites. But it has become crowded. As more and more people find out about it.
      There is ALOT more you need to discover. You may need t ok expand or change this list.
      For instance, heading north from Kirkham about 20ish miles, stop at Bonneville campground. And hike to Bonneville hot springs!
      I once spent every weekend of an entire summer, doing nothing but finding hot springs in southwest Idaho. Most amazing time ever!
      And believe me, you haven’t even scratched the surface of Idaho’s geothermal playground!

      1. Oh definitely! I’ve got plenty more Idaho hot springs on my list, and actually am planning on updating this post or creating a new one this year 🙂
        I agree, Trailcreek is awesome but it’s usually occupied unless you get there super early. And weekends are always busy unfortunately :/ still an awesome place to soak though!
        Thanks for the tips, by the way! I’ll have to check out Bonneville for sure!

        1. The hot springs get more and more crowded every time someone does a blog like this. It’s too bad people can’t enjoy them and keep it to their self.

          1. Hi James! I definitely understand your thoughts on this subject but I don’t think the popularity is necessarily all bad. I actually considered taking this blog down when it started amping up in daily views, but when I returned to visit the hot springs I found them to be in better condition than they were before their popularity grew. I think most travelers are very aware of LNT guidelines and of how important it is to care for our lands. As far as getting the place to yourself, that’s another story. But I have been able to get a private soak in these locations, even now, during the off-season and/or in the early mornings.

  16. My #2 hobby is natural hot Springs. I have a few I can share and more than a few I’m still hunting down. I don’t think I’ve heard of the #1 posted here but pretty sure I’m going to hunt it down tonight or tomorrow morning. Thanks

    1. Awesome! I feel like the hunt for them makes it all the more exciting honestly. There’s still quite a few in my area that I’m searching for, too!
      Hope you enjoy my #1 as much as I did!

  17. I have lived in Idaho my entire life and have traveled all across the state in search of all the natural beauties it has to offer. Spending most of my time in the Treasure Valley, I have come to locate over 20 natural hot springs within a 2-hour drive of Boise. Some require a short hike and some are not as easy to reach. Although, some have been commercialized, most are frequented by other explorers bit some are nice little gems to soak away a day of backwoods hiking. There is a map available from the US Forest Service that shows the locations of MOST of Idaho’s natural hot springs and believe it or not, there are well over 50 that can easily be located. Have fun exploring and as always, keep our state pristine and beautiful!

    1. That’s so awesome! It really is amazing how many hot springs we have here. So far I’ve been very impressed with how respectful (most) people have been of the land. It’s really nice to see! I’ll need to check out that map though, for sure. Thanks for the tip! 🙂

  18. Don’t understand why anyone would want to pack wet clothing to a remote, natural hot spring. It’s natural. Clothing is actually worse since it pollutes the water.

  19. If You can go check out the hotsprings near challis and Stanley. It’s actually located between the 2 placeson the side of the freeway by a little place called sunbeam. It isn’t the deepest but it is pretty and there’s signs telling you about when it was first found and used and whom develop there’s. So there’s an opportunity for history lesson as well as a soak. And it flows right into the salmon river.

    1. That sounds amazing! Thanks for the tip 🙂 I live in Idaho so I’ll definitely be checking that out

  20. It sucks being a local and finding your sacred zones posted online for all the world to see. Part of the reason we all live in Idaho is so we can have our beautiful places to retreat to. This is my lifestyle. Meanwhile, you’re choosing to exploit these places for web trafficking numbers. It’s not cool.

    1. Hi Olivia,
      I appreciate and understand your opinion. I frequent these locations a lot and I was planning on removing this post if the hot springs seemed trashed or overcrowded since posting this blog. I actually have found it to be quite the opposite (as far as trash goes). There was MUCH less trash than my pre-blog post visit. And as far as crowds, I have not noticed a significant difference. Perhaps you’ve had a different experience and I’m sorry to hear that..
      I’ve just found that most travelers tend to be fans of LNT guidelines and often pick up after others as well. I also believe public places should be enjoyed and appreciated by all. Getting to see and experience different places is how I learned the importance of respecting and taking care of the environment – which I think is an important lesson for all of us, especially if we mean to preserve these areas.

  21. After posts like this, no matter what you say to back your theories, these are flooded with people bringing their trash (beer bottles, cans, wine bottles, baby diapers) etc. I have seen it too many times. KEEP IT TO YOURSELVES

  22. Idaho is my home state and this is a great list! There is only 1 I haven’t been to and now that is on my list! Thank you!

    1. Thanks Becky! That means so much! Idaho is such a beautiful state – so many amazing places to “escape” to on a long weekend 🙂

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