Loftus Hot Springs

Loftus Hot Springs is a pair of user-built rock pools along the Middle Fork Boise River Road — famous, heavily used, and with a rough recent history: the pools were destroyed by vandals in 2011 and rebuilt by local soak seekers, in reduced form, later that year. The upper pool (102°F, mortar-reinforced) and lower pool (100°F) sit right off the washboard road between Boise and Atlanta, and usage here is extreme — this is a known party spot for hunters and ATVers, kegs and all. Two cautions from the listing itself: watch for broken glass in the pools, and poison ivy grows around them.

Red spider mites have been reported at this hot spring, so keep clothing and towels off the rocks and ground around the pools.

The Pools

Two sturdy rock pools with sandy bottoms; the top pool is reinforced with mortar and fed by a hot waterfall from above. Current condition is a shadow of the pre-2011 pools — the ledge above the upper pool was largely broken off during the destruction — so verify conditions before making the drive.

Seasonal Notes

Summer and fall are the soaking seasons. Winter access uses the only route that stays open and it can be genuinely dangerous: check road conditions with the Forest Service before committing to a winter trip.

Camping

A handful of campsites sit near the springs, with plenty of National Forest campgrounds and primitive sites nearby. Expect company: this area draws wild partiers at times.

Loftus Hot Springs Soak Stats

• Season: Summer, fall
• Access Type: Roadside
• Public Land: Boise National Forest
• Elevation: 3,600 ft
• GPS: 43.724, -115.604
• Water Temperature: Upper pool 102°F, lower pool 100°F
• Water Clarity: Clear to semi-clear
• Visibility: High
• Odor(s): n/a
• Nearest Town: Atlanta area
• Wildlife: Deer, elk, cougar
• Usage Level: Extreme