Before arriving in Idaho we didn’t know what to expect from this less-visited state. It seems that all the best things to do are being kept secret, allowing the rest of the United States to know it as the state of “famous potatoes” (seriously, even the number plates have this on them!). The truth is, that the Idaho Hot Springs are some of the most spectacular we’ve seen anywhere in the world!

Throughout Idaho you’ll first see steam, then - inevitably - a natural spring nearby. These hot springs are in the most unexpected places: on the top of mountains, on the sides of cliffs and on the shores of what felt like every river. Magical doesn’t even begin to describe the experience of getting one of these hot springs to yourself.

So here’s everything you need to know about our favourite Idaho hot springs for a deeply relaxing trip to the state of famous potatoes.

1: Goldbug
2: Kirkham
3: Bonneville
4: Pine Flats
5: Boat Box
6: Sunbeam
7: Mountain Village Resort
8: Snively
9: Jerry Johnson
10: Trail Creek

The 10 Best Hot Springs in Idaho

Idaho has hundreds of hot springs and very, very few people can profess to have visited them all but oh how we wish we could! With over a hundred to choose from it would be quite an undertaking! They range from grand resorts to a hidden spot down a long hiking trail. Whichever type of experience you’re looking for, you’ll find it in Idaho.

We’ve put together a list of the unique hot springs we visited and why we loved them.

1 - Goldbug - for the best view

Area: Challis/Highway 93
Heat: Both warm and cool pools
Size: One big pool and several smaller ones

You can’t beat Goldbug for grandeur. These hot springs are situated up a mountain, on the the top of a waterfall. Seriously, this place exists and it doesn’t even cost to get in! How can that be when these hot springs looked like a rapper’s house on Cribs?!

There are a couple of pools to take a soak, the top one is in the shape of a heart and has huge panoramic views. You can move around between the hot inlet and the cooler edges depending on how hot you like it.

There’s a second pool down beneath this one which isn’t obvious if you didn’t know it was there. It’s shallower and cooler, but is fed by two waterfalls! One glimpse and you’ll wonder why this place isn’t raucously busy.

Getting to Goldbug

With great effort comes great reward, and this is certainly true for Goldbug. Finding these hot springs isn’t that easy with Google Maps sending you to the wrong address and even once you’ve parked you’ll embark on a two mile hike. The path is pretty steep at the beginning and end but flat in the middle and does have some rough sections.

However, it is totally worth it. Here’s our full guide for what to expect from Goldbug hot springs.

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2 - Kirkham Hot Springs - for a hot spring shower

Area: Lowman
Heat: Several pools of varying temperature from scalding to cool
Size: Multiple pools

Kirkham is arguably the most famous (and most popular) hot springs in Idaho. This is partly because it is relatively close to Boise, but it’s also because of the waterfall which serves as a shower! In all our travels, we’ve never seen a hot spring shower before!

There are several pools at Kirkham which range from super hot to cool with the hottest being on the cliff side to the coolest on the river as the cold water mixes in with the hot. The vast majority of people head straight to the river and hang around there.

However, there is a small trail which leads to a pool that is set away from all the others, which virtually no one visits. It overlooks the river, mountains and a small waterfall. On a crisp morning, this spot is idyllic.

The big let down with Kirkham is just how busy it can get. Firstly it is right next to a campsite, which means there are crowds all day. If you are camping in Idaho, it’s a smart move as you have a free, natural and warm shower!

A lot of day trippers head there as well, as the hot springs are easy to find and don’t require any hiking. We recommend going early or be prepared to have noisy, boisterous kids splashing around you!

We recommend having shoes that you don’t mind getting wet as it’s likely that you will need to cross pools and sharp rock to reach to an empty spot.

Here is our full guide to what to expect from Kirkham hot springs.

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3 - Bonneville - for peace & tranquility in the forest

Area: Lowman
Heat: Varied between pools from scalding to cool
Size: Several fairly big pools

Just up the road from Kirkham is the much quieter and secluded Bonneville Hot Springs. Whilst this is also near a campsite, it had a lot fewer visitors and the campsite has a very short season.

The springs are stunning and we only saw four other people in the hour we were there and had it to ourselves for the majority of the time. The pools overlook a roaring river surrounded by trees, transporting you far away from the outside world.

There are several pools which range from a scolding hot to tepid, depending on how far from the source you are. We chose one that filled from the hot springs and the river, giving a nice temperature.

To get to Bonneville you’ll need to park at the campsite and hike for about 10 minutes. It’s all on one path, and you’ll see the steam from the hot springs from a distance.

We recommend bringing shoes that you don’t mind getting wet as the stones and gravel are quite sharp!

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4 - Pine Flats - for a cliff edge experience

Area: Lowman
Heat: Warm
Size: Several small pools

Pine Flats is also in the Lowman Area and is a little trickier to find than the others, again you can’t go by Google Maps. The best way to find them is to set your maps for Pine Flats campground not the springs themselves and hike for 10 minutes on a fairly flat and easy path.

Situated on a rocky cliff that drops into the river, there are several small pools but they fill up quite quickly.

The pools overlook the river and the valley, making for more idyllic views. The main difficulty here was that it was next to a busy campground again, which meant that it was hard to get a spot in a pool in the middle of the day (you could go early and it would be easier).

The amount of people also meant that the chances of getting a private pool was minuscule! You have to scramble a little to get to many of the pools either up a rough, steep path, or you’ll have to walk through a fast flowing river to reach more pools if the ones you come to initially are full. Test the river depth and speed before trying it as it was doable on our visit but we’re not sure how the river varies with the seasons.

If it’s quiet, you’ll have an amazing experience and enjoy the beautiful view or make peace with the fact it will be busy and make some friends!

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5 - The Boat Box - for a truly unique tub

Area: Stanley/Highway 75
Temperature: Create your own
Size: 1-2 people only

In a world where you sometimes feel that community and selflessness is hard to come by, places like Boat Box hot springs restore your faith in humanity. Right next to the road (but completely shielded from it), someone has constructed a beautiful hot spring tub for anyone to use free of charge. They’ve also provided pipes from the hot spring and a tub to take cold water from the river to create your own perfect temperature. How nice is that?

The view is pretty spectacular too as you overlook the Salmon River that flows through a narrow valley lined with trees.

Visiting Boat Box was one of those warming (pun intended) experiences, it made you feel good about the world and how people still do kind gestures for each other without the thought of reward.

*Boat Box hot springs on a frosty morning*

With this in mind, be respectful with Boat Box. After all this is a public space and there for the local community to use. This means being mindful of others who want to use it (there can be waits) and not taking the tub for too long if there is a queue. In our guide linked above we tell you how we got it to ourselves for over an hour!

If you visit Boat Box and didn’t get your hot spring fix, then head down the road to Sunbeam.

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6 - Sunbeam - for a soak in the river

Area: Stanley/Highway 75
Temperature: Varies depending on the pool from scalding to cool
Size: Big

Just a short journey from Boat Box, Sunbeam hot springs is an innovative idea. The pools here have been created by filtering the water from the hot spring into the river and damming them up using rocks.

This is pretty clever as the water from the springs is way too hot, so mixing it in with the river water makes it far more comfortable.

The pools range from really hot to much colder as you get deeper into the river. As there are multiple pools and two sections, you should have plenty of space. There is also a small tub where you can create your own temperature.

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7 - Mountain Village Resort - for epic views of Stanley

Area: Stanley
Heat: Hot!
Size: Up to 8 people

Stanley Idaho is a village that looks like an alpine painting. With a population of 69 and a handful of wooden buildings that overlook the epic Sawtooth Mountains, staying here is a memorable experience. We stayed three nights and wished it could have been longer! We’ll definitely be back one day.

You can top off a great trip to Stanley by visiting the Village Resort hot springs. This is the most manicured hot spring, situated in a barn with a tub dug into the floor. The view is stunning as it has two doors which swing open and look over the river, the village and the mountains. We were lucky to visit when the mountains were covered in snow. Add in golden light at sunset and you have a perfect scene.

However, the water here is seriously hot and there’s no option of adding cold water. You simply have to get out and let the air cool you down. If you don’t like really hot water this probably isn’t the one for you. We would have loved it if we’d visited in really cold weather or at night but it was too hot in the afternoon! It’s also got a gravel bottom in case you are expecting an actual tub!

The village resort springs are the only ones on this list that you have to pay for (unless you stay at their motel), and the more people you bring, the better. It costs $27 (including tax) for up to four people for an hour. You can book at the resort and select your time slot, other people might join you but that didn’t happen to us.

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8 - Snively Hot Springs - for amazing red rock views

Area: Oregon…..but it’s just over the border!
Heat: Warm
Size: Big

We’ll admit up front: this one’s in Oregon. But only just! It’s so close to the border with Idaho, it might as well be included in this list!

Snively is a pretty special place: a red rock valley with hot springs in the river. It is peaceful, rural and unlike any hot spring we’ve ever seen.

The pools are dammed up with rocks and are in the river, allowing you to move around to find that perfect temperature. They are only a one minute walk from the car park, so you won’t have to hike up a mountain to get to there. Despite the easy access it was incredibly quiet with just one other person there despite the fact we visited on a weekend in the middle of the day.

The only drawback is that some people haven’t been very respectful of the pools, leaving trash around the place. Don’t be one of those people, pack out your trash.

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The ones that got away

We met some really friendly locals who recommended us some more hot springs that we didn't get the chance to visit this time round but we’re already planning our next trip! They were all a lot further from both Stanley and Boise than we were able to get to this time but if you’re up for a road trip they came very highly recommended.

Jerry Johnson hot springs

Jerry Johnson got rave reviews from the people we met and it’s top of our list for next visit. It is five and a half hours from Stanley and even more from Boise on the border with Montana so it does require quite a hefty detour from the other hot springs on this list, by all accounts it would be worth it. Jerry Johnson has three sets of hot springs you can reach on a two mile return hiking trail.

The pools vary in temperature with the first of the springs which are fed by the waterfall being the hottest. The springs are best visited in fall and winter as some of the smaller pools can become washed out in spring following snow melt. Clothing is optional.

There are many other hot springs in this area to make your journey more worthwhile.

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Trail Creek hot springs

Trail Creek is said to be one of the best of all the Idaho hot springs and we had planned to visit but got the location mixed up and found out it was much further away from Stanley than we thought. The forest and mountain setting of the two pools look absolutely incredible particularly if you are lucky enough to visit during snowfall. The pools are just 0.1 miles from the car park so expect them to be busy unless you go early.

Trail Creek hot springs are marked as Samuel’s Hot Springs on Google Maps and are 3 hours from Stanley and 2 hours from Boise.

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Essential info about the Idaho Hot Springs

Treating the hot springs with respect

We strongly believe in treating public areas with care and respect, ensuring they are left in the best condition possible.

As with all natural areas you should leave the hot springs exactly as you found them. We were disappointed to see some littler at many of the springs. Pack out everything you bring in.

Don’t let dogs into the pools. Respect other people, many of the springs are tiny so let everyone have the chance to experience them - don’t stay for hours in one pool if it’s busy.

Clothing is optional at most of these hot springs so be mindful if taking photos in the area.

Idaho Hot Springs Map

You can check out all the locations of the best Idaho Hot Springs on the map below, or click on this link to access the locations on Google Maps.

A great place to stay - Stanley

We loved the small village of Stanley! With a population of 69, the local residents are often outnumbered by tourists who visit in most seasons. The village is in an idyllic setting with the Sawtooth Mountains overlooking the wooden buildings with the Payette River nearby. As well as many hot springs there are also loads of stunning lakes, the most famous of which, Redfish, is just outside the village. In the winter time it becomes simply magical with heavy snowfall blanketing the area in white.

The downside is very limited food options which become even more limited (down to one) in the offseason.

Stanley High Country Inn

Booking.com

We chose to stay at the Stanley High Country Inn and it was the best place we stayed in Idaho! This homey inn is small, cosy and has really nice touches such as a lounge area with free popcorn and a fireplace to warm you during the cold nights! The rooms are immaculate, beautifully furnished and some come with Sawtooth Mountain views.

Seriously, this is a great place to stay! We had booked to stay one night but ended up extending our trip so I could stay for my birthday.

Check reviews & prices on:

Booking.com

Tripadvisor

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