Idaho Hot Springs Tour

Burgdorf Hot Springs

Burgdorf Hot Springs is a rustic resort nestled in the mountains of central Idaho, just north of McCall. Visiting Burgdorf Hot Springs is like stepping back in time and it is something every Idahoan should experience.

You can rent old wood cabins out here, but don’t expect five-star accommodations. In fact, don’t even expect electricity. In the midst of the historic cabins, you’ll find a community hot spring large enough for a full football team, reserves and all.

During the winter months, Burgdorf can only be accessed by snowmobile.

More info at: http://www.burgdorfhotsprings.com/

Trail Creek Hot Springs

From Cascade, turn right on Warm Lake Road and reset your car’s odometer. 18.8 miles later, pull off into the large turn-out on the right side of the road. Hike down to find two immaculate, carefully crafted pools above a storybook creek. It’s obvious these springs have seen a lot of love. There’s a network of pipes that strategically mix hot and cold water to provide an optimal soaking experience. We’ve hit these in the winter as well as the summer and can confirm that both seasons are worthy of a stop.

Godbug Hot Springs

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.

Frenchman's Bend & Warfield Hot Springs

Frenchman’s Bend Hot Springs and Warfield Hot Springs are the same. Though some maps refer to them as Warfield Hot Springs, the Forest Service refers to them as Frenchman’s Bend Hot Springs. Water flows from three springs – one spring is on the road side of Warm Springs Creek and for the other two Warm Springs Creek needs to be waded to access them. Water temperature is variable. They are 11 miles west of Ketchum – the last 7 miles is a dirt road that is icy slick in the winter and muddy and rutted in the spring and fall. The road tends to flood in the spring and is closed during spring run-off from the middle of March to the end of June. Parking is limited to only about 5 or 6 cars. The hot springs are primitive and there are no facilities.

Mountain Village Lodge

Make sure to reserve a spot in the morning for a sunrise spring. The spring sits about a quarter mile from the lodge in an old barn next to the river and you can open the barn doors to view the Sawtooth Mountains in all their glory. Bring a cup of joe down with you for a flawless morning.

Boat Box Hot Springs

From the “T” in Stanley, head north up Highway 75 for about three and a half miles. You’ll pass through Lower Stanley and by a few campgrounds before you reach the small pull-off on the right side of the road. The pull-off can only fit about two or three cars and is easy to miss so be on the lookout for steam rising from the river area. This particular spring flows into what appears to be an old mining cauldron. There’s room for only three or four soakers, and that’s a COZY fit. The water running down the pipes and into the unit is scalding. There’s usually a white bucket next to the cauldron that can be used to transport cold river water into it. The view of the Salmon River coupled with the easy access of the spring puts this one towards the top of my all-time list.

Rocky Canyon Hot Springs

This three-tiered spring requires a river crossing during the summer months when it’s safe to wade across at low levels. It sits right above the Middle Fork of the Payette River and is maybe the closest spring to Boise on this list. Take South Middle Fork Road for 12 miles from downtown Crouch. The road will turn to gravel after about 8 miles and a small pull-off on the left side will signal the parking area after the remaining 4. Look for steam across the river and pools on the hillside. There are some unique spots to camp along the road side of the river. On your way back through Crouch, be sure to stop at Two Rivers for a tasty bite.

Kirkham Hot Springs

Kirkham Hot Springs is perhaps Idaho’s most famous geothermal pool. Located 5 miles north of Lowman on Highway 21, visitors should be ready to socialize while they soak. Kirkham is also a popular campground so this is sure to be a bustling area during the summer months. Although busy, it’s famous for a reason: numerous pools of varying temperature await you at the bottom of a wooden staircase. Warm water falls over the cliffside into a pool below that literally feels like a hot shower.