Kirkham Hot Springs

RAD!! This place is beautiful - pick any temperature you want - need to cool off in the river? Jump off the rocks and float down to the little eddy. Want piping hot? Follow the high path to the left all the way down river and enjoy a beautiful view of the Payette with the hottest pool they have. Want to fish? Bring your Power Bait and catch a curious trout checking out the warm water trickling off the rocks. This is a great place for kids, though be careful with the river current and walking down the rocks - water shoes would come in handy. Not a ton of shade either, or places to sit, but still a beautiful and unique stop. This was our kids’ favorite place in all of a 4+ week road trip through ID.

This is an excellent place to experience hot springs in their natural and undeveloped state. That being the case, don't expect any amenities or large pools. The hot springs come off the mountain more like a stream/small waterfalls with very shallow/small pools at the bottom. Large enough to sit in, not really to lay down. Water will come up to about your ankles in most spots. Standing in the waterfalls was the highlight. It feels like a high pressure warm water massage. The hot springs are down a short but steep mountainside right along the river. There's one fairly accessible spot near the top, but it still requires getting across a paved footpath. Overall not very accessible to those with limited mobility.

About a 2 hour drive from Boise, and absolutely worth every minute. The drive is scenic and beautiful, and the destination, even more so. We saw deer and multiple herds of elk grazing along the mountain side on both the way there and back. Although the windy mountain roads definitely frighten me, the hot spring at the end is worth (literally) climbing mountains for. It’s a short hike down but very close the highway. The rocks are both scarp and slippery, so keep an eye on your footing. There’s few facilities, so be sure to bring a backpack with your own toiletries and snacks. You could easily spend hours here. Not sure if I’d bring the kids, just because of the steepness of the (granted very short) hike, but lots of people had kids with them. Definitely recommend, I’ve been to hot springs all over the USA and this one is absolutely one worth checking out.