I have a secret that only locals and a few well-informed tourists know: Idaho is stunning and chock full of enchanting hot springs.
After soaking in the hot springs in Sun Valley a couple of years ago I vowed to return and see more of a snowy Idaho and its numerous springs, of which there are an estimated 100+. I had to know which were the best. After all, I am an enthusiast.
I charted a road trip (check car rental prices here!) with the intention of seeing Idaho’s best hot springs. From the natural to the resort springs, these are the best of the best:
1. The Springs – A Mountain Hot Springs Retreat in Idaho City
I began my trip in Boise, which has a hip downtown area with great food and numerous options to overnight if you need to. From there it’s a stunning drive to Idaho City, which would be my first hot spring of the trip.
This spring is one of only two on this list that is more of a spa rather than a natural, free of charge spring. To have the private tub pictured above, complete with server for drinks and snacks, you’ll need to book ahead of time and pay $45 per hour. You can also access the larger warm pool, steam bath, and jacuzzi for $20 per person for an all-day pass, or if you’re staying at the Inn like I did, $8 per person.
I enjoyed this spring and can see why it’s worth spending a day there ordering food and drinks, with access to a warm changing room with showers and even massages. It’s also easy to access if in snowy conditions, whereas the other springs on this list are more remote.
I came to find on this trip that I prefer the ‘primitive’ or natural springs, not only because they’re free, but it’s just more my style. Still, this is a great spring to break up the drive between Boise and Stanley.
Stay: The Inn is a great value and gives you cheaper access to the springs. I’m not sure how many options there are in Idaho City (‘city’ being a loose term for a town of 500 or so people), and thought the Inn was great.
Eat: Trudy’s Kitchen has a nice offering and again, with very limited options, you can find some healthy food there, and pie!
2. Kirkham Hot Springs
This is in my top three favorite hot springs for variety, heat, and views! I understand that these are ordinarily quite popular but I did have them all to myself for a brief period of time in the winter.
The access road and campgrounds will be closed in the winter, but there’s a pull-off with some parking and you’ll see clear footprints in the snow to the springs. You’ll come to a couple of pools before reaching the Payette River. Stop in these before or after. They don’t have the views but they’re the biggest and I loved them just the same.
Next, walk down some steps to the river and you’ll see the steaming waterfalls. This part is awesome but you haven’t seen it all yet!
It’s your call if you want to put on shoes for the last pool – it’s a sharp and sometimes slippery and jagged walk. I went barefoot because I think shoes are foot prison and found a shallow, super warm pool with the million dollar view as a reward for my efforts.
From Kirkham, continue on the 21 to Stanley. You’ll also pass a roadside pull-off for the Bonneville Hot Springs which I didn’t get a chance to soak in though they came highly recommended. I certainly would have if there had been more time in the day but for some reason on this trip I was sleeping 10-11 hours per night and getting leisurely starts to the day, which was just fine with me!
There’s a $5 entrance fee to Kirkham Hot Springs and you can find more info here.
Stay: There are yurts available to rent through Idaho’s Department of Parks & Recreation. They tend to book up during the summer, so make sure you reserve yours at least three months in advance. Find more info here.
Eat: For homemade local eats, Haven Café is a crowd favorite. They serve breakfast and lunch, with yummy offerings like scratch baked sourdough biscuits and gravy and flame-grilled steaks. Yum!
3. Mountain Village Resort, Stanley
These springs are the only others on this list that aren’t primitive springs, though they’re fed by a natural spring. After seeing photos I had to experience them with those rustic barn doors and seriously stunning views of the Sawtooth Mountains. I genuinely wonder if there’s a town that can rival Stanley in terms of winter wonderland quaintness.
You can visit these springs for free if you stay at the hotel, and you might as well, since it’s cheap and next to one of the best restaurants in town. That said, you’ll have to share with up to 7 other people, which is likely to be the case if you go at sunset or golden hour, which are popular times. It can be fun or annoying depending on who you get in there with you.
Stanley is a popular snowmobiling destination, and you can rent snowmobiles and self-guide or take guided tours. I was there strictly to soak and didn’t partake but word on the street is rentals are around $200/day (9AM-4PM).
Stay: Besides staying at the obvious Mountain Village Resort, there are plenty of other excellent places to stay in Stanley. Redwood Cabins is right on the Salmon River and has cozy cabins fit for any season.
Eat: Mountain Village Restaurant has nice breakfast and some vegan options. There’s also a decent pizza place. The whole town is under 100 residents so you won’t have a ton to choose from, though more is open in the summer.
4. Boat Box Hot Springs
Just 5 minutes out of Stanley you’ll see the famous Boat Box Hot Springs. It’s a metal tub right on the river that’s easy to access from the road and free to use.
This spring wins the award for most unique. It looks like a witch’s cauldron!
That said, there’s only room for a couple of people at a time, maximum four if you really like each other. It’s a popular spring so expect to wait for your turn! The pull-off only has room for 2-3 cars which helps. I waited about 45 minutes for my turn and kindly asked the next car that pulled up to do the same. It’s worth it for the experience but don’t expect to be able to soak for hours undisturbed in Boat Box.
Stay: One of the closest places to Bot Box Hot Springs to stay is Redfish Lake Lodge. This lakeside getaway specializes in rustic adventure hospitality and is a great choice for solo travelers, couples, and families alike.
Eat: Limbert’s Restaurant at Redfish Lake Lodge is consequently one of the best places in town for a hearty meal.
5. Sunbeam Hot Springs
This one is up there with Kirkham as one of my favorites, probably because it’s the only spring on this list that I had totally to myself. The single pool is super warm and it’s right on the river, plus there are several perfectly situated rocks to lounge up against. The water flows through nicely as well so the algae is minimal. When I was there it was a dreamy winter wonderland that, even though it’s right off the road, felt secluded.
There’s the pool to the right that I went to, and a little tub to the left that reminded me of a less photogenic Boat Box. It was impossible for me to leave the natural pool once I got in so I’ll have to leave that tub for another time.
This one is only 10 minutes beyond Boat Box so if it looks crowded on the first pass-by, know that you can hit Sunbeam and return on your way back to Stanley. I stayed in town for 2 nights before venturing onwards in order to have a full day in Stanley.
Stay: Book your accommodation in Sunbeam here:
Eat: There are few restaurants close to the hot springs themselves, but in town you can find Sawtooth Luce’s. This local favorite serves up dishes like a Kobe beef burger, baked goat cheese, and more.
6. Goldbug Hot Springs
This is probably Idaho’s most famous hot springs and also amongst the most popular. This surprised me since it’s a 2-mile hike in and is located in the middle of nowhere, but the views make it obvious why.
I was a bit disappointed when I pulled up and saw 10 other cars in the lot, which I later learned is a slow day! However, there are numerous pools at the top of varying temperatures from perfectly warm to about as hot as it can be without being too hot.
The trail up is easy to follow and not very difficult. It’s only steep in the beginning and at the end and not for very long. I didn’t personally feel that snowshoes were necessary but sure wish I’d brought spikes or Yaktrax as the trail was super icy in some places. It was pretty sketchy, to be honest, so bring some when you go if it’s the winter!
I heard that come March, it’s a lot more likely to share these springs with tons of people. That said, it was a fun atmosphere and clothing is optional at these springs, which ought to make the nudists happy!
Stay: From here you can head north to Salmon to see a couple more springs or stay in a town on the way back out to Twin Falls, which is where I ended my trip. I overnighted in Arco due to darkness and road conditions and can only say options for food are severely limited. However, I just loved the owner of this motel and thought it was fine for the night. The price was right too at $59!
Eat: The closest restaurant to the trailhead for Goldbug Hot Springs is The Dusty Mule Bar & Grill. It has a “local watering hole” vibe and is a good spot to grab a bite after you hike back from the hot springs.
7. Sun Valley
From Goldbug, you can backtrack to Sun Valley via Stanley or head to Sun Valley directly from Stanley. If you’re mainly after awesome hot springs you would have already seen better ones elsewhere. This one in Sun Valley has a lot of hot and cold and not too much comfortably in between pools. However, Sun Valley is a fantastic ski and snowmobile destination, not to mention an awesome town with friendly people. Check out the Frenchman’s Bend Hot Springs as well, which I heard mixed reviews about, on your way south.
I happened to visit Idaho during a particularly snowy time of year. This is a blessing and a curse as it’s perfect for hot springs but makes driving difficult and avalanche danger much more pronounced.
Stay: The most famous place to stay in Sun Valley is the Sun Valley Lodge. It’s the highest-rated hotel and even has a list of celebrities who have stayed there!
Eat: Locals love Gretchen’s, which is a casual restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Here you can get an awesome diner-style American breakfast or opt for their famous truffle fries.
If road conditions permitted there are a few more hot springs I would have loved to see:
8. Jerry Johnson Hot Springs
Apparently Idaho’s most famous and popular hot springs, Jerry Johnson is north of Salmon, accessible if you keep going up from Goldbug. It’s a short, 2.6 mile round trip hike to get to the springs which get rave reviews on Yelp. There are three soaking pools and all of them are part of the Clearwater National Forest. The trailhead is right off Highway 12 and has a big sign that says “Clearwater National Forest Trailhead Warm Springs.”
One of the star features of Jerry Johnson Hot Springs is the hot waterfall, which is only accessible from late August to the beginning of spring. During the spring and summer months, this part of the hot springs is submerged and therefore inaccessible. The other springs are great to visit year-round, though.
Stay: Boasting some incredible views of the Sawtooth Mountains, Salmon River Inn is one of the best places to stay in Salmon. Guests even rate it among the best properties for value.
Eat: Famous for its outstanding hospitality, Junkyard Bistro is a favorite amongst locals and visitors alike. They serve delicious no-frills dishes, specializing in sandwitches, soups, and salads.
9. Stanley Hot Springs
Not to be confused with Stanley, Idaho. If you keep going on the 12 you can reach these hot springs, provided you’re willing to do a 9.3-mile round-trip hike. It sounds like an adventure with a worthy terminus to me.
The hike starts at the Wilderness Gate Trailhead, which you can find on Google Maps. Since this can be a tough hike, only give it a shot in the summer months. If there is a lot of rainfall, however, the trail may be inaccessible because of the creek flooding. Overall, the hike there should take around 5 hours.
Stay: The most ideal place to stay is at the Wilderness Gateway Campground, which has campsites and an RV park.
Eat: There are no restaurants near the trailhead to get to Stanley Hot Springs. However, you can find a few great restaurants in the nearby town of Kemiah. Kooskia Café offers homemade treats and eats and is one of the most beloved local joints in town.
10. Rocky Canyon Hot Springs
Back towards Boise in the heart of the Boise National Forest, if you head north on the 55 and take the Banks Lowman Road exit, you’ll be able to reach this hot spring after fording a river. Given this, it’s not the best winter hot spring, but the cascading pools look quite magnificent for a spring or fall trip.
The springs are right off Middlefork Road and are easy to access if the river isn’t too high. This is a great spot to visit if you’re planning on camping during your road trip through Idaho, but might not be worth the detour if you plan on staying in hotels as the nearest one is a 40-minute drive away.
Stay: Rocky Canyon Hot Springs is right in between two campgrounds: Hardscrabble Campground and Rattlesnake Campground.
Eat: There are no restaurants nearby, so consider stocking up on groceries in Garden Valley before you head to the hot springs.
11. Trail Creek Hot Springs
If you head north, you’ll find these hot springs off the NF-22. This is a popular one and is known for perfect temperatures and easy accessibility. Trail Creek Hot Springs is in the Boise National Forest and is quite far from any towns, so keep that in mind if you want to swing by for a quick visit. The nearest campground is only about a 10-minute drive, and the closest hotel is a 17-minute drive.
Stay: South Fork Salmon River Campground is the closest to the hot springs and only has 11 sites, so book your campsite far in advance. Warm Lake Lodge is a stellar choice if you don’t want to camp, and is right on the lake. They have delightful cabins and campsites as well.
Eat: Similar to Rocky Canyon Hot Springs, there are no restaurants near Trail Creek Hot Springs. Stock up on groceries to bring to your campsite or cabin when you pass through town before heading into the forest.
12. Pine Flats Hot Springs
This hot spring is beneath a waterfall and has a beautiful view of the Payette River. You can find Pine Flats Hot Springs just about an hour and a half outside of Boise. To get there, head north toward McCall en route to Pine Flats Campground. The hot springs are inside the campground, just a .5-mile hike away.
Stay: Pine Flats Campground is the obvious choice, since it’s the closest to the hot springs. If you can’t get a site there, you can try nearby Deadwood Campground as well. If you are visiting in the winter or simply don’t want to camp, you can stay in Lowman at the Southfork Lodge – Riverside Inn.
Eat: There are not any restaurants very close to Pine Flats Hot Springs, so consider stopping at a grocery store before you head there. You can also grab a bite at Southfork Lodge’s restaurant in Lowman.
Map
Road conditions
If you’re going in the winter months like I did, take a car with 4 wheel drive and ideally some chains. As storms come through, the roads between these springs can close or become icy and snowy. The Idaho Transportation Department is a great resource and is constantly updated. Alternatively, dial #511 for road updates.
Signal is hard to come by in these remote areas so check conditions before you start driving.
The lovely moments between spring and clothes
There’s no easy way to transition from nice, warm springs to getting the heck out of your suit as quickly as possible and into dry clothes. It was well below freezing when I was there and was often snowing. For the most part, I had privacy to change (not that I particularly care – most of the natural springs are clothing optional as well) and waited until I was super warm in the springs to make the transition.
To make it easier, bring a nice, dry towel and keep it in a dry bag until the time comes, or maybe even a bathrobe. If you’re in freezing temperatures, keep your hair dry unless you can immediately jump into a warm car, meaning don’t dunk at Goldbug.
Gas and food
I recommend always filling up before you get down to a quarter tank. Most of the towns on this route are under 100 people, and facilities, as well as cell signal, are limited. The same goes for snacks. Go shopping in Boise or Twin Falls, wherever you start, rather than counting on finding healthy snacks along the way. It’s not impossible, it’s just fewer and farther between.
Budget
I loved how cheap this trip turned out to be! In the warmer months, it could be even cheaper if you camp along the way. Gas and lodging were great values in my opinion. It came out to about $100 per person per day including gas, food, and lodging. I can’t even get accommodation for that in California!
While these are the best springs in Idaho, I imagine there are even more in California, Nevada, and Wyoming and my thirst is only whetted. Stay tuned for more posts like this in the future because Pandora’s box has been opened.
What are some of your favorite hot springs? What did I miss?
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Dee Ayan says
Thanks for sharing! I get the feeling that states like Idaho are overlooked by many travelers (myself included). But now, I’m a little bit more inclined to visit the state and the NorthWest in general. I haven’t had a hot springs experience before but the the photos make it look extremely enticing. Maybe at some point in the fall I’ll check this off my bucket list 🙂
Kristin says
They’re soooo relaxing
Theresa says
I would love to do this trip! Never had a reason to go to Idaho until now. The hot springs in Iceland are so popular, but people don’t seem to realize they exist all over the US and Canada.
Kristin says
Yes there are so many at home 🙂
Eden says
I was totally caught off guard by this one. I was literally just looking for ideas for Idaho so I can check it out the week before TBEX. I’m planning to make a road trip out of your itinerary. Thanks so much!
Kristin says
Yay let me know how it goes for you!
Robin says
Could you please be more specific about the hot springs around Sun Valley?
Kristin says
Look up Frenchman’s hot springs.
Monica says
Hey! How many days did this trip take you?
Kristin says
About 5
Nick Schlyer says
This was very helpful. Thank you.
I’m on a 3 week tour of Utah/Idaho/Montana/Wyoming.
I will stop at some of these springs for sure.
Idaho seems like a real gem.
N
Kristin says
It is!
Brandy Wilson says
Thanks for the awesome post! Excited to do this trip. What month did you go? I was wanting to go end of February but didn’t know how the weather would be driving then.
Kristin says
It was February. I was constantly checking the road conditions and probably wouldn’t have been comfortable driving myself since I’m not used to snow, but each year is different too in terms of snowfall.
David Anish says
Thanks for posting your top Idaho hot springs. I was in Sun Valley last year and the views were inspiring. I would like to plan a week trip to Idaho to not only see the wildlife and hot springs but also to visit gold, silver mines. Do you have any suggestions, locations, hired hands that could share that experience?
Kristin says
Hmm that’s not something I’ve looked into but I bet visitidaho.com has info.
Shelly Conlon says
Hey thank you for this beautiful and happy video. It’s inspired me to find these hot springs. I hope if you haven’t already, do Oregon next. A million thank you’s and may you have more of these wonderful journeys!
Kristin says
I love Oregon too! Always open to suggestions 🙂
shirley says
Great trip.
How did you get such wonderful pictures of yourself? How did you set it up?
many thanks
Kristin says
This is how I take selfies that don’t look like selfies: https://www.bemytravelmuse.com/how-to-take-best-travel-selfies/
Patch says
Welcome to Idaho the Gem state. You found several of our Gems. I am glad you had a great experience and it sounds like you use LNT principles, Thank you. Great video, you should try the summer hot spring cycle route,next time. Not as romantic, but lots of fun cycling from hot springs to hot springs. I look forward to more videos like this.
Kristin says
Sounds like a fun trip! I did the hot springs in the winter, which was awesome.
Idaho native says
“I was a bit disappointed when I pulled up and saw 10 other cars in the lot” yeah, the locals get to experience this disappointment all. the. time. thanks to articles like this just so you can make a few bucks. Maybe, in the future, you can consider what impact your blog actually has on people before you publish it. Glad you liked Idaho but I hate that you and so many other travel bloggers publish and geotag these places with zero regard to the crowds and trash they bring.
Kristin says
These are in state parks, I’m not uncovering any secrets here. It feels to me like you need an outlet for your frustration with increasing crowds but the population has increased a ton as well every year, and people bring friends, and each other to these places, and word spreads that way too.
nature is for everyone. As a local in Lake Tahoe and before that in Newport Beach California, I am used to living in touristy places and never have I ever felt I owned them or should get more access to them than other people. I encourage leaving no trace on this site and if it’s going to get shared – which it is whether it’s me or someone else – it might as well be done responsibly.
Nature lover says
Totally agree! There’s a reason that places like Venice are limiting tourism. It’s blogs like this that ruin these places. Our Idaho hot springs have been literally demolished because of crowds, trash, and human/pet waste, so while the author can be dismissive of your concerns, it’s the exposure that destroys what we love. Look up what happened to Skinny Dipper hot springs if you don’t believe me.
jay says
thanks for the great suggestions. did you have any trouble finding a place to stay in Salmon or Stanley?
Kristin says
I stayed in the Mountain Village Resort both times in Stanley without issues to be able to access their spring. I didn’t stay in Salmon. Not a lot out there.
Adam says
This was a nice article, but most of these places are trashed because people constantly leave their garbage at them. If you choose to go there you will find not only beer cans and cigarette butts, you will also find dirty baby diapers and broken glass.
It should be mentioned that if people can’t clean up after themselves and take care of these hidden gems the state of Idaho will shut them down and then nobody will be able to enjoy them.
Galen Harris says
I have 2 favorite hot springs!
The first is Green Canyon. Between Rexburg and Driggs. This is a developed Natural Hot Springs. It has a swimming pool! Prices are very reasonable with camping options!
My second is Barney’s between Howe and may, it is undeveloped complete with a large population of tropical fish. Bring some bread! Hard to find but right on the road!
Kristin says
Awesome thanks for sharing!