For a close-to-home vacation this year we decided to go to Idaho. You might think there is not much to see there but you thought wrong! This state has some of the most amazing natural hot springs as well as some that are owned. Here is a couple that we went to and a few of the other places we went sightseeing.
Frenchmans Bend Natural Hot Springs
Frenchmans Bend was by far our favorite! There are two different hot pools that we could see. They are right in the river and the view from the pools is so pretty, especially in the wintertime when it is snowing.
Getting There
The road getting there was definitely not too bad. I would suggest bringing a car that has four-wheel drive just in case in the Winter months. It was snowing as we were driving there and it was sticking to the road but we made it there just fine. In the summer months, it should be a smooth easy drive!
The address you can use to get there is 1080 Warm Springs Rd, Ketchum, ID 83340. Make sure to have this put into your GPS before you lose service, although it is pretty easy to find and will have the big brown Frenchman's Bend Hot Spring Sign above on the right-hand side of the road.
What To Bring
Water Shoes/Sandals that are good in water - The rocks would definitely hurt your feet without them! Especially when crossing the river to get to the farthest pool.
Towels - Bring a couple to stay warm.
Dry Clothes - You will definitely want to put on something warm after your done, especially in the wintertime!
Phone Dry Bag - For your phone so you can take photos while you are in the pools. Here is one that I like from Amazon, I will link it here.
Snacks & Drinks - It is too long of a drive to only stay a little while, bring some snacks and sit in the pools. Stay awhile!
Hot Spring Rundown
The First Pool
The first one which is the one further downstream is the one that is not as warm, although it is much bigger. Some parts in this pool would burn and other parts were super cold! Below is a photo of the hot pool. It is definitely bigger than the one that is upstream. This one is a little easier to get to than the other one. You just have to climb down a few rocks to get into it.
The Second Pool
The second one was by far our favorite! You do have to cross the river to get there. In the warmer seasons, it wouldn't be too bad but when we went, there was lots of snow and the water was super cold! Be prepared to have numb legs when going to and from. The river is not super-swift though and was pretty easy to cross, I would recommend bringing some water shoes or some sandals that do good in the water to wear across.
This pool was the perfect temperature and was so cool once you warm up from crossing the river. It is so worth it even if it is freezing outside! It has water trickling down the side of the mountain that is hot and if you need it to be a little cooler you can let in some of the water from the river. We spent a good two hours just in this one pool alone. Would highly recommend!
More Photos From The Springs
Owned Hot Pools
There were two hot tubs that we ended up going to. Both owned by the same people.
We really like the natural hot springs better but there are also fun to go to and a whole lot more convenient. I would suggest these once especially if you have kids that are smaller. They are like big bathtubs!
Miracle Hot Springs
Miracle Hot Springs
Miracle Hot Springs was our favorite out of the two. Here they have a couple of smaller soaking pools and then one large pool that is fun for swimming and splashing around. They also have private hot pools that are drained after each use and are enclosed. We didn't try them but would be fun to use for a couples getaway! They also have domes that looked cool to stay in as well as a live alligator on the property.
We like these ones more than Banberry mostly because they have sitting spots along the sides of the pools so that you can just sit and soak but then also have a big pool for the kids to play in.
Here is the address for Miracle Hot Springs: 19073A US-30, Buhl, ID 83316
Open 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday-Saturday and closed Sundays.
Miracle Hot Springs
Banbury Hot Springs
Banbury Hot Spring
Banberry Hot Springs is definitely for the kids. They have one big pool that doesn't have any edge sitting so if you like to swim this is the one to go to! It is also a little cheaper to get into compared to Miracle.
In the Summer this looks to be a really fun place and they have camping areas and you can rent kayaks. We are thinking of making another trip to take advantage of it!
Here is the address for Banbury Hot Springs: 1128 Banbury Rd, Buhl, ID 83316
Open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday & 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Friday-Saturday
Banbury Hot Springs
Overview
Overall we loved all of the hot springs in Idaho and are hoping to adventure for more soon, we will keep you updated.
We also went and did some other sightseeing while here and I will include where we went to see those in another post.
Thanks for reading and be sure to subscribe to our email list to be notified when we post on the blog!
Comments