Silver Creek Plunge

Silver Creek Plunge is a remote mountain hot springs resort in the Boise National Forest north of Crouch, built around a large geothermal pool on Silver Creek. Overnight cabins, A-frames, and campsites, a small store and snack bar, and deep-forest quiet make it a favorite base camp for the Garden Valley backcountry.

The centerpiece is a roughly 186,000-gallon swimming pool fed by natural hot spring water that emerges at 100–104°F and keeps the pool near 100°F, refreshed by a flow of about 540 gallons per minute. An original mine shaft entrance is still visible at the edge of the pool, a reminder of the resort’s mining-era roots. Lodging ranges from six A-frames built in the late 1950s (sleep 4, with gas stove, cold running water, fire pit, and picnic table) to six Family Cabins that began life as the Darling Motel in Caldwell before being moved here in the 1980s (two rooms, sleep 6, propane stove and heater, refrigerator, private outhouse), plus larger Deluxe cabins sleeping up to 8. Tent sites are first-come, first-served with no reservation needed. In winter the road closes to regular vehicles and access is snowmobile-only.

Silver Creek Plunge Rates and Hours

• Pool Hours: Daily 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM. Closed Wednesdays for cleaning until early evening (around 7:00 PM)
• Day Swim: Under 24 months free; ages 2–12 $12; ages 13–59 $15; seniors 60+ $12
• Evening Swim (last 2 hours): $10
• 3-Day Pass (per day): Adults $10; children and seniors $8
• A-Frames: $99 per night (sleep 4)
• Family Cabins: $139 per night (sleep 6)
• Check-in 3:00 PM; check-out 11:00 AM
• Cabin reservations by phone: (208) 739-3400
• Address: 2345 Silver Creek Rd, Garden Valley, ID 83622

Silver Creek Plunge Driving Directions

From Crouch, follow the Middle Fork Road north roughly 22 miles to Silver Creek Plunge. The road usually opens around mid-April; expect mud and four-wheel-drive conditions in spring, and snowmobile-only access in winter. In winter, that snowmobile-only stretch is the only way in, so winter visits take considerably more planning than a summer drive.

GPS: 44.330, -115.802

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