Pine Flats Hot Springs
- Free
- 1 hr 52 min from Boise
- 0.25 mi hike
Riverside soaking pools below a hot waterfall on a cliff above the South Fork Payette River, reached by a quarter-mile nature trail from the Forest Service's Pine Flats Campground west of Lowman. The campground runs end of May to end of September. In winter the gate is closed and visitors walk the road.
Campground partly closed as of Oct 2026: water pump locked, no toilet service; gate closes once snow falls
- Price
- Free
- Nearest town
- Lowman
- From Boise
- 1 hr 52 min
- Hike (one way)
- 0.25 mi
Plan your visit
Hours & season
| Season |
|
|---|
Tickets & booking
| Price |
|
|---|---|
| Access | Free public access |
On site
| Lodging | No |
|---|---|
| Camping nearby | Yes |
| Land manager | USFS |
Not stated by the land manager: swimwear, ages, dogs.
Soak responsibly
- Pack out everything, including food scraps and toilet paper. Use WAG bags where required.
- No soap, shampoo or sunscreen in the pools; rinse away from the water.
- Check permits and closures with USFS before you go.
- Keep groups small and give others space. Respect posted dog and camping rules.
Water temperature
This venue doesn't publish pool temperatures.
Mineral profile
Total dissolved minerals
251 mg/L
Lightly mineralized · Sodium–sulfate (sodium sulfate water)
- pH
- 9.2
- Temp at source
- 139°F
- Lithium
- 0.10 mg/L
- Fluoride
- 17 mg/L
- Boron
- 0.08 mg/L
Lab analysis of the source water at “08n 06e 01adb1s Pine Flat Hot Springs”, sampled 1979 by the USGS and partners (data). Pool water may be cooled, mixed or treated, and spring chemistry is generally stable over decades. We report measurements only; we don't make health claims.
What's here
- hot waterfall about 20 ft high
- cliffside pools above the South Fork Payette
- 1/4-mile nature trail from campground
- 24-site FS campground
Getting there
- From Boise1 hr 52 min69 mi
- From Stanley1 hr 25 min64 mi
- From Boise (BOI)2 hr73 mi
Typical driving time without traffic or snow, to the closest road point; add the hike.
| Elevation | 3,634 ft |
|---|---|
| Road |
|
| Hike | 0.25 mi one way |
| Trail | 1/4-mile nature trail from the campground to the pools |
Things to do near Lowman
Kirkham Hot Springs
Forest Service day-use hot springs on the South Fork Payette east of Lowman; $5 per vehicle
Hot Springs Campground
Forest Service campground on the Banks-Lowman Road east of Garden Valley with a riverside soaking pool
Bonneville Campground
Forest Service campground at Hwy 21 milepost 91.5 with a 1/4-mile trail to Bonneville Hot Springs
Campgrounds
- Pine Flats Campground0.4 mi
- Deadwood Campground2 mi
- Pine Creek Campground4.3 mi
- Mountain View Campground4.4 mi
Trailheads
- Gold Fork Trailhead6.2 mi
- Whoop-Um-Up Trailhead7.4 mi
- Crooked River Trailhead7.7 mi
- Upper Crooked River Trailhead8.4 mi
Straight-line distances. Campground and trailhead data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby springs
Haven Hot Springs
A roadside stop on Highway 21 near Kirkham with a 1951 pool, about 75 by 30 feet, fed by flowing thermal water and hotter on one side (101-104°F) than the other (85-98°F). The pool is booked as a private soak by the hour, and each of the four motel rooms has its own soaking tub. RV and tent sites are on site.
Kirkham Hot Springs
Hot pools and small steaming waterfalls on the rocks along the South Fork Payette River at milepost 77 on Highway 21, about 5 miles east of Lowman. The Forest Service runs it as a day-use site, open 7am to 9pm with a $5 vehicle fee, vault toilets and changing rooms. The old campground is closed to overnight use.
Hot Springs Campground Hot Spring
A natural hot springs soaking pool on the South Fork Payette River, across the Banks-Lowman Road from the Forest Service's Hot Springs Campground and down a staircase. The campground east of Garden Valley is open from early May to the end of September and is reserved through Recreation.gov.
Haven Hot Springs: 7 mi · Kirkham Hot Springs: 7 mi · Hot Springs Campground Hot Spring: 11 mi
Sources (4)
· checked November 2026
Prices, hours and rules are checked against the official site and land-agency pages. Spot something out of date? Let us know.