Fall is the connoisseur’s season for Idaho hot springs: crisp air, golden hillsides, cold rivers and far fewer people at the popular pools. This collection gathers the springs tagged for fall soaking, when steam rises hardest off the water and the backcountry turns gold. Nights turn cold fast and conditions change with the first storms, so check access before you commit to a long drive.
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.
Kirkham Hot Springs is a popular Forest Service hot springs on the South Fork of the Payette River near Lowman, Idaho, known for its shallow rock pools and hot waterfalls. Day use is free; the site is open 7 AM–9 PM with no overnight camping.
Rocky Canyon Hot Springs is a series of tiered, user-built pools on the far bank of the Middle Fork of the Payette River, north of Crouch, Idaho. Reaching them requires a cold ford of the river; the pools are best after 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.
Little Anderson Hot Springs, near Garden Valley, Idaho, was once a stellar, locally kept soak in the Boise National Forest. Today the pool and primitive sites are heavily damaged by ATV use and trash; visit with low expectations.
Roystone Hot Springs is a reservation-only hot springs, RV park, and event center in Sweet, Idaho, about 45 minutes from the Treasure Valley. Every soak is private to the reserving group; the pool runs 93–98°F and the jetted hot tub about 104°F.
The Springs is a hot springs resort on Highway 21 near Idaho City, Idaho, with a 40′ x 80′ geothermal pool, a 104° hot tub, a steam room, massage services, and private tubs. Soak sessions run $30 for adults and $27 for children; reservations are required.
