With so many unique and exciting opportunities in the Island Park area, at some point you may find yourself wanting to slow down and unwind for a day or two. At that point, it’s worth taking the time to enjoy a uniquely Yellowstone experience—hot springing. Idaho has the highest number of hot springs of any state in the lower-48 and, as luck would have it, a number of them are just a short drive from your Island Park retreat. Whether you want a developed spring on a well-manicured ground that is just off the beaten path or an ultra-rustic experience on national forest lands, there’s something there for everyone!

The Developed Sites

Just a short drive south, towards the Rexburg area, lies Heise Hot Springs—this is a well-developed facility near Kelly Canyon Ski Resort that is both family friendly and highly accessible. Here, there are two outdoor pools, one warm swimming pool and one markedly hotter soaking pool. There are clean dressing rooms with showers, lockers, and heated floors—this is an affordable option that’s fun for the whole family. Be sure to check their link to see if they are open.

For a much more rustic and a very western experience, a brief drive to the north will take you to the town of Norris, Montana. Here, there is a small site known as the Water of the Gods—a cedar lined pool that sits at the mouth of Beartrap Canyon. Local groups often perform here in the evening and the venue grows a large amount of food in their on-site hot house. Here, there is only the one pool and the dressing rooms are sparse at best, but there is plenty of parking, great views, and the opportunity to share in conversation with some fantastic people.

If you’re more interested in a spa-like experience with a high degree of convenience, accessibility, and nicely maintained grounds, then continue on north from Norris and swing by the Bozeman Hot Spring facility in Bozeman, Montana. This is a large, extremely well-developed facility with multiple pools—both indoor and out—with clean, accessible locker rooms and showers.

Finally, although a bit further away, the Challis Hot Springs are absolutely worthy of the drive. Although a bit of a rustic locale, the pools and facility are extremely clean and well-maintained, and the grounds are quiet and secluded. I would rank this as one of the must-do activities in the state. Approximately three and a half hours to the northwest of Island Park, you’ll find an assortment of buildings, campsites, and pools. The pools are native river stone bottom and lack the sulphury scent typical of hot springs, while the facilities are clean and well maintained, although somewhat primitive in nature. Overall, this is one of the more unique and enjoyable diversions in the state and a trip here will allow you to see just a bit more of the unique environments we have in Idaho.

The Remote

image of Potosi Hot Springs provided by Mike Jennings, who is also the author of this post. ~Thank you Mike.

Within a half a day’s drive, there are a couple fantastic opportunities to soak on your own terms in the national forest. Although these take a bit more effort to get to than the more developed sites—and tend to lack the creature comforts found there—there is nothing that compares to soaking in a naturally occurring hot spring far off the beaten path. While there are many such hot springs that occur in the area, there are two that are closer and a bit more accessible than the others.

First, about an hour and fifteen minutes north of the Island Park area, just a few miles out of the town of Harrison, Montana, lies Potosi Warm Springs. Once you travel up Potosi Road and follow it to its terminus, you’ll find a parking area. From there, you have around a mile to walk along a nicely maintained trail before you find the small hollow in the rocks that hold the springs. These springs are merely warm, fairly small, and have lots of dissolved minerals in them, but they yield some of the prettiest views in the area and are known to but a relative few.

Finally, about two and a half hours to the northwest of Island Park (somewhat nearby Challis), Goldbug Hot Springs is a relatively famous spot that entails a bit of a hike to get to. Although likely to have more people in the area, this spring boasts multiple pools situated high on the face of a hillside and has hot, clear water that only cools down during the peak of spring runoff. While a ways off the beaten path, this is truly one of the highlights of any Idaho vacation…you get to soak away the day while exploring a lesser known part of the state.

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