Cool brisk air nips your face as the steam playfully rolls off the water and dances around you. The mountains gently loom over, providing a feeling of serenity.
Let me tell you about one of my most favorite quick getaways. Just a short and scenic drive south from us is one of the best little towns to relax and melt your worries away. Its name is Lava Hot Springs.
Whenever we are just itching to get away, or come down with a tense case of cabin fever and just need a change of scenery, we love to load up the family and head to Lava Hot Springs. It is a tiny town nestled in the mountains of southern Idaho. They have a large outside complex that features multiple hot pools of varying temperature, anywhere from 102 degrees to 110. We just got back from a visit over the weekend and it is a place of pure magic in the winter. Especially if you get lucky and get to experience the springs in the middle of snowfall.
Lodging
Staying here can be tricky simply because they do not have any big name hotels, but it’s part of what keeps it serene. There are quite a few local motels, some that are upscale and offer spa visits during your stay, some that are budget friendly, and some that have their own hot pools to accommodate your stay. Other lodging options are Air BNBs(of course), two KOA campgrounds that have RV, tent, and cabin sites. Among the KOAs there are other campgrounds available, as well as a couple of different cabin rental sites with the cutest little single standing cabins. During our last stay we did a one-nighter in one of the motels on the Main Street. It was perfect for us because it had one queen bed, and a bunk bed with a twin and full mattress. It was also a short walk to the hot pool complex, but also had its own private pool which we of course had to go explore.
Activities
When you are visiting you can explore the Main Street and its shops and restaurants. In the summer not only are there and abundant amount of hot pools, but there is also an Olympic sized swimming complex that offers an indoor pool and splash pad, as well as an outdoor swimming pool adorned by diving platforms and water slides.
Aside from the different pools around town, you can also float the river that goes right through town. Depending on the time of year it can be a bit hairy, but it is a fun ride that we have done with our kids. They even do a fire and ice festival in the winter where people can do a short float in the brisk waters! There are multiple stands that have tube rentals, and will shuttle you to the drop off point, so you can go up and down the river all day. My favorite part about the river is a little spot I’ve come to learn is called ‘Chicken Soup’. It’s a spot on the same river close to where the tubers drop in. There is a natural hot spring that flows right out of the mountain side and into the river, so people over the years have built little rock walls to semi-contain the hot water, which has made several little pools. You can sit in these pools right in the river and watch tubers go by.
If you enjoy the water as much as we do then hands down I recommend checking out Lava Hot Springs. You can play all day in the river, then finish it off with a relaxing soak.
