Idaho has at least 82 documented hot springs, among the most of any state in this directory and one of the best for wild soaking. 43 are free natural soaks and 39 are paid resorts or managed pools. Kirkham Hot Springs on the South Fork Payette and Goldbug Hot Springs near Salmon are two of the most popular, both free riverside and mountain soaks reached by short trails.
The Sawtooth country around Stanley holds one of the densest groupings, with free roadside and riverside soaks like Sunbeam Hot Springs and the one-tub Boat Box Hot Spring along the Salmon River below the peaks.
The South Fork Payette corridor near Lowman and Idaho City forms a second cluster, where Kirkham Hot Springs, Pine Flats Hot Springs, and Sacajawea Hot Springs sit beside the river on Highway 21. Cascade and McCall to the west add backcountry soaks and the historic Burgdorf Hot Springs.
Southeast Idaho centers on the developed pools at Lava Hot Springs, while the Salmon and Challis area holds famous trail soaks like Goldbug Hot Springs. More remote springs scatter across the central mountains for those planning dedicated trips to the hot springs in Idaho.
Idaho stands out for the sheer number of free wild soaks reachable from mountain highways, more than almost any other state. The same region offers riverside pools on Highway 21, trail soaks in the Salmon River mountains, and a developed town built around its springs at Lava Hot Springs. Most sit at elevation in national forest, so summer and fall bring the easiest access, while winter soaking under snow rewards those willing to drive forest roads carefully.
Highlights are drawn from the hot springs documented in this directory. Others may exist across Idaho's vast central mountain backcountry.
Iconic single-tub soak: Boat Box Hot Spring near Stanley is a one-person steel tub beside the Salmon River, among the most recognized documented soaks in our records, filled by a pipe from the hot source.
Popular riverside pools: Kirkham Hot Springs near Lowman pours over mossy ledges into pools along the South Fork Payette River on Highway 21, a short walk from a Forest Service lot.
Classic trail soak: Goldbug Hot Springs near Salmon rewards a 2-mile uphill hike with terraced pools and creek views, one of the most visited wild soaks in the state.
Developed spring town: Lava Hot Springs in southeast Idaho anchors a town built around geothermal pools, with graduated soaking basins open year-round and no sulfur smell.
Historic backcountry resort: Burgdorf Hot Springs near McCall preserves an 1860s miners' resort with rustic cabins and a large sand-bottom pool reached by a mountain road.
Sawtooth roadside soak: Sunbeam Hot Springs near Stanley offers free rock pools along the Salmon River below the Sawtooth peaks, a short walk from Highway 75.
