Post #9: Idaho Hot Springs

Steam rolled across the glassy, green surface of the pool. Scalding water streamed through a pipe running below the road, trickling off the wooden rim of the old tub. Behind me, the Salmon River babbled as it cascaded down mini-waterfalls. My breath immediately formed a cloud upon contacting the freezing air—a sharp contrast to the 110ºF water emerging from the hot spring.

Boat Box Hot Springs in Stanley, Idaho was the first I explored. The spring gets its name from the old wooden box which used to hold the hot water—visited by the locals for years before it ever became a tourist destination. Unfortunately, the original box was washed away during a flood many years ago. Now, the springs flow from a pipe under the road before accumulating in a weathered metal-and-wood tub (secured by many cables and a concrete slab—no risk of this one washing away any time soon!).

Thankfully for me—a self-proclaimed hot-water-phobe—there was a bucket that could be used to dump cold river water into the tub, effectively bringing it down several degrees. A couple from New York on their honeymoon was nice enough to show me the bucket and offer to take a photo of me in the Boat Box. The talkative pair chatted from one of the other pools, these formed by the rearrangement of rocks to block the spring water from entering the river for a time. After spending about ten minutes in the 'box', I decided I was far too warm and instead opted for a brief dip in the—absolutely freezing cold, mind you—river (rolling in snow or jumping in frozen-over bodies of water is somewhat of a tradition in my family). To say the couple was shocked would be an understatement, but the looks on their faces made the plunge even more worth it!

After leaving Boat Box, I spent the rest of the day searching out hot springs along the Salmon River—none as good as the first—before heading back to the hotel to plan my next day’s hot spring adventures on the drive to Washington state. After a few google searches, I found that Kirkham Hot Springs (supposedly Idaho’s most well-known hot spring) would be directly along my drive through the Sawtooth wilderness.

Upon arriving at the location, I could immediately see why Kirkham is such a popular spot. Nestled right near the point where the road begins sloping back downhill—after what seemed like hours of driving mostly straight up a mountain—the hot springs spread far across a steep hill covered with rocks. The springs emerged near the parking area, but rolled down a series of small cliffs before spreading out across numerous pools. Sitting beside the gushing blue-green Payette River, I could choose between several natural pools—from the steaming-hot strictly spring-filled pools to the colder ones mixing with the river. One pool even had a hot waterfall, though I wasn’t about to put my head under that steaming water!

While sitting in a lone pool uphill from the rest, I looked closer at the opposite bank of the river only to realize that three mule deer were staring right back at me! We observed each other for a while before they resumed their foraging, signaling it was time for me to move on. As I hiked out, steam rose above the network of waterfalls, people, and stones. The river swept along on its downhill journey while the deer continued minding their own business—ignoring the strange people splashing in the water far below.