Atlanta Hot Springs

Atlanta Hot Springs is the hometown soak of Atlanta, Idaho: one large rock-and-mortar pool with benches and piped-in hot and cold water, in the Boise National Forest near the old mining town. It is wildly popular with locals — expect company, and expect it to be used hard. One caution is documented right on the listing: red spider mites inhabit this hot spring, so keep clothing and towels off the rocks.

Description

A single large pool, rock- and mortar-reinforced, with benches and both hot and cold water piped in so soakers can temper the 102°F water. The water is clear and the setting is high-visibility — this is a social, roadside soak, not a secluded one. A nearby warm pond sits alongside the main pool.

Seasonal Notes

Most roads into Atlanta close in winter; the one remaining route is rough, and the Middle Fork Boise River Road is notoriously washboarded year-round. In summer, forest roads off State Highway 21 can cut the drive time down to the Middle Fork Road.

Camping

Plenty of National Forest campgrounds and primitive sites surround Atlanta. Free developed sites with water, tables, and an outhouse are available at Powerplant Campground, about a half-mile up the road.

Atlanta Hot Springs in Idaho