Pine Flats Hot Springs

Pine Flats Hot Springs is a string of natural hot pools beside the South Fork of the Payette River in the Boise National Forest, reached by a short hike from Pine Flats Campground, just a few miles from Lowman. It is one of the most accessible riverside soaks on the Lowman corridor — and one of the few that stays usable all winter.

Pine Flats Hot Springs Pictures

The trail runs 0.25 to 0.75 mile, depending on which pool is the goal. The pools are rock- and tarp-walled with gravel and tarp bottoms, conditions vary greatly from pool to pool and season to season, and it pays to scout all of them before settling in. The springs are usable all winter: when the road into the campground is closed, visitors can usually park at the campground entrance and walk in. When snow or ice is on the roadway, a 4×4 is recommended — the roads in and around the campground can be sheer ice.

The pools have their own local names — the Cliff Pool, tucked against the rocks, and the Round the Bend Pool are the best known — and a wooden source box marks where the hot water is collected. In winter the scene changes completely: ice chunks drift in the South Fork, steam rises off the pools in the cold air, and the hike in becomes a snowy walk along the frozen river. Posted warning signs at the trailhead are worth a read before heading down, and temperatures vary enough from pool to pool that testing each one before climbing in is standard practice.

Pine Flats Hot Springs Soak Stats

• Season: All
• Access Type: Hike, 0.25–0.75 mile from Pine Flats Campground
• Public Land: Boise National Forest
• Elevation: 3,700 ft
• GPS: 44.062, -115.685
• Water Temperature: Varies per pool
• Nearest Town: Lowman
• Camping: Pine Flats Campground (seasonally closed); other National Forest campgrounds are available nearby

Pine Flats Hot Springs Video

Pine Flats Hot Springs Map

More hot springs in South-Central Idaho →