Our absolute favorite hot springs to date… Kirkham Hot Springs in Idaho!
The temperature is lovely.. the cascading waterfalls of hot springs and natural pools are gorgeous, and they are so big, there’s room for loads and loads of people! Kirkham Hot Spring Idaho is one not to be missed!
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Getting to Kirkham Hot Springs Idaho
After leaving the Boise National Forest, we made our way up the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway towards, Stanley, Idaho. Someone that we ran into had told us we have to stop at the hot springs in Lowman (a small town on our way)… But honestly, we were ready to just get on the road and cover some distance to Grand Tetons.
Passing the town of Lowman, we kinda just chalked it off as if we weren’t going to go to the hot springs. However, our minds quickly changed when we came across the viewpoint of Kirkham Hot Springs.
{Traveler’s Tip… Kirkham Hot Springs is right on highway 21, and really can’t be missed. An easy search on Google will take you right to the Kirkham Hot Springs Idaho day use area.}
Where to Stay Near Kirkham Hot Springs Idaho
It was getting late, and we wanted to be sure to find a spot to camp for the night — something we’ve learned is essential to finding before dark to make the nights easier with Georgie — so we made our way a few miles past the hot springs to a place I had pinned on maps.me to stay for the night. We had found the campsite on freecampsites.net, but wanted to be sure we could access it in the van and that it wasn’t overcrowded with hunters.
The site was perfect. It was a huge open area with loads of camping spots, easy access with our low clearance vehicle, and only one other group of people there. After checking the site and confirming it would be good for us, we made our way back to Kirkham Hot Springs.
{Traveler’s Tip… If you’re up for free dispersed camping, there is loads of it in this area, and actually in Idaho in general. Just make sure that you follow a few simple wild camping rules, and stay only where there are signs allowing dispersed camping. If you’re not up for camping, check out places to stay in Lowman or Idaho City.}
A Nighttime Soak at Kirkham Hot Springs
Holy smokes.. this hot spring is so cool!! We were there with only a handful of other cars, but only saw one other group of people. There are so many pools to soak in here, and they’re all fantastic in temperature!
We were like kids playing in the water here. There was a pounding waterfall of hot spring water to sit and basically get a massage from — that one we just couldn’t get enough of. Nothing could wipe the childlike joy off our faces standing beneath this hot waterfall!
Finally making our way past the waterfall and we found a super hot pool to soak in. There were so many pools scattered throughout the hillside, varying in temperature, but, we made sure to find one super hot to get nice and warm before heading back to camp. This place is a dream. I’m sitting here in 40-degree temps just wishing I was back in the pools warming up!
Round Two at Kirkham // AM. At The Hot Springs
We woke up in the morning to the van completely frozen over. There was nothing we could do but wait for the sun to come out and defrost ourselves and the van. We literally camped in the very last spot to get the sun in the morning. Waiting for the sun, we walked around, letting Georgie get out and really explore while we made breakfast and had our coffee.
By the time we left the campground and arrived at the hot spring, the parking area was completely packed. We went right up past it to the viewpoint overlooking the pools, and it confirmed what we were dreading.. way too many people (for us) there even with the ample amounts of pools. I supposed that’s what to expect with it being just over an hour away from Boise.
While we were disappointed to see the springs so full — we were quickly distracted upon talking to another guy taking pictures from the viewpoint. He told us about the Sawtooth Wilderness. A place just up the road that he said was just like the Dolomites in Italy. With the Dolomites being one of our favorite places on the globe, we were happy to skip the morning dip and head straight to the Sawtooth Wilderness.
That’s where our next update will be from…the Sawtooth Wilderness, all our dreams come true.
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