The best soak is the one you can walk back to after dark. This collection gathers Idaho hot springs with camping close by, from forest campgrounds and dispersed sites to resorts with hookups, so you can pitch a tent or park the rig and soak morning and night. Camping details live in each listing; book reservable sites early in summer, and remember that first come sites near popular springs fill fast on weekends.
Stuart Hot Springs is a little-known wilderness soak at the edge of a grassy meadow in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, in the Lochsa Ranger District of North-Central Idaho. It is reachable only at the end of a long, arduous, multiday trip involving multiple river fords — one of the most committing hot springs approaches in the state.
Stanley Hot Springs is a chain of rock- and log-dammed pools in the ancient forest of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, more than 20 miles east of Lowell, Idaho — not to be confused with the town of Stanley in the Sawtooths. The pools sit at the end of a grueling 6-mile hike on a rough trail, and the reward is a deep, wide soaker in one of the wildest settings in North-Central Idaho.
Prospector Hot Springs is one of the least-documented soaks in Idaho: a remote hot spring deep in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, in the Lochsa Ranger District of North-Central Idaho. Almost nothing is published about the pools themselves — reaching them is a hard-to-find, multiday backcountry trip in its own right.
Banbury Hot Springs near Buhl, Idaho, is now owned by Miracle Hot Springs and reopened in 2026, offering a large general pool, individual private pools and lodging.
Indian Springs Resort & RV is a commercial hot springs resort and campground in American Falls, Idaho, centered on “The Nat,” a historic pool with slides and a jumping board, open seasonally from May 9 to September 22. Swim prices run $9.50–$11.50 for ages 12+, and tent, RV, and car camping are open year-round.
Bear River Hot Springs (formerly Riverdale Resort) is a year-round natural mineral hot springs resort five miles north of Preston, Idaho, with four pools including a hot tub and a therapy pool. Lodging includes an 8-room hotel with in-room jetted Jacuzzi tubs, plus cabins, RV sites, and camping at 3696 N 1600 E, Preston.
Maple Grove Hot Springs sits on the Bear River at the north end of Oneida Narrows Reservoir near Thatcher, Idaho, with six natural lithium mineral pools running 100–107°F. Soaking is by reservation in 3-hour sessions — $18 weekday, $22 weekend — and the springs close Wednesdays.
Downata Hot Springs is a family-run resort south of Downey in South-East Idaho, built around a natural hot spring flowing at about 109 degrees. Its 300,000-gallon recreation pool with slides, quieter hot soaking pools, restaurant, spa, and campground make it a full-service stop.
Panther Hot Springs is a primitive hot springs in the Salmon-Challis National Forest near Shoup, Idaho, with small rock-walled dug-out pools and a unique rock sauna at 4,400 feet elevation. The source water can run near boiling, so test the water before entering; pool conditions change with the seasons.
Warm Springs Creek Hot Springs is a barely used wilderness hot spring, the Sitz Bath, in Idaho’s Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, reached by a difficult hike. Access roads are open only from about July to October, spring runoff destroys the lower pools, and the trip is best done as an overnighter with primitive camping nearby.
Shower Bath Hot Springs is a remote wilderness hot springs in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, reached by a trail that follows the Narrows of Warm Springs Creek. Its rock-walled pools vary in size and temperature, and access roads are open only about July to October, leaving a short 2–3 month visiting window each year.
Marten Creek Hot Springs is one of the most remote soaks in Idaho, deep in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness in Idaho County. Reached only by a multiday backpack with multiple river fords, it is best attempted in mid to late summer.
Twin Springs Resort is a rustic, off-grid hot springs resort on the Middle Fork of the Boise River northeast of Boise, established in 1898. Riverfront cabins from $160 per night each have a private hot tub, with a shared sauna for guests.
Bonneville Hot Springs is a natural hot springs in the Boise National Forest, 19 miles southeast of Lowman, Idaho, reached by a 0.25-mile trail along Warm Springs Creek. User-built rock-walled pools and a private soak shack with a cast-iron bathtub sit below the Bonneville Campground.
Fire Crew Hot Springs is a set of user-built, rock-walled soaking pools on the Middle Fork of the Payette River in the Boise National Forest, north of Crouch, Idaho. The road is snow-covered until about late May, and the pools submerge during spring runoff.
Miracle Hot Springs is a hot springs resort near Buhl, Idaho, on Highway 30 south of Hagerman, with multiple large general admission geothermal pools plus many private hot pools with adjustable temperatures. General admission starts at $14, private pools from $10, and VIP pools from $25.
Pine Flats Hot Springs is a string of natural hot pools beside the South Fork of the Payette River near Lowman, Idaho, reached by a 0.25 to 0.75-mile hike from Pine Flats Campground. The pools are usable all winter.
Campground Hot Springs is a roadside soak on the South Fork of the Payette River, across the Banks-Lowman Highway from Hot Springs Campground east of Garden Valley, Idaho. Its main rock-lined pool runs about 110°F, reached by a staircase from the road.
