Spring soaking in Idaho is a study in timing. Snowmelt fills the pools and the rivers run high and cold, which can make riverbank springs perfect or push them underwater for a few weeks. This collection gathers the springs tagged for spring visits, when the crowds are thin and the hills are turning green. Check river levels and road openings before you go, because spring access changes week to week.
Sharkey Hot Springs is a BLM-managed soaking site just off Highway 93 near Baker, south of Salmon, Idaho, with two deep concrete pools, changing rooms, and picnic facilities. Visitors aged 16 and older need a Sharkey Hot Springs Pass from Recreation.gov.
Jerry Johnson Hot Springs is one of Idaho’s most popular natural hot springs, in the Clearwater National Forest along Highway 12 in North-Central Idaho. Three sources feed rock-walled pools at the end of a short hike; nude soaking is the norm and the site is day-use only, 6 AM to 8 PM.
Snake Pit Hot Springs is a small, primitive natural hot spring on the edge of Stanley, Idaho, near Valley Creek. Its single silty-bottomed pool is free to soak in, with no facilities, in the shadow of the Sawtooth Mountains.
Zims Hot Springs is a Nez Perce Tribe-operated hot springs a few miles outside New Meadows, Idaho, with outdoor mineral pools fed by an artesian well — a small pool at 100–105°F and a large pool at 90–100°F. Day use is $13 for adults, $8 for children, and $10 for seniors, with RV parking and camping on site.
Boiling Springs Hot Springs sits beside the historic Boiling Springs Guard Station at the end of a forest road north of Crouch, Idaho, in the Boise National Forest. Its rock-walled pools are fed by one of the most powerful geothermal sources in the Garden Valley backcountry.
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.
Silver Creek Plunge is a remote mountain hot springs resort in the Boise National Forest north of Crouch, Idaho, built around a large geothermal pool kept near 100°F. Cabins, A-frames and campsites make it a Garden Valley base camp; day swim is $15 for adults.
Gold Fork Hot Springs is a commercial hot springs near Donnelly, Idaho, with 6 natural mineral pools — including a soft white-sand-bottom pool — fed by alkaline, lithium-rich water. Admission is $15 per person (cash only, 2-hour maximum stay); open year-round, closed Tuesdays.
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.
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.
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.
