Pine Flat Hot Springs

Pine Flat Hot Springs flows along the North Fork of the Boise River in the forested foothills northeast of Boise, where the river carves through the volcanic and metamorphic geology of the Idaho highlands to create a canyon landscape of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir, popular with hikers, mountain bikers, and swimmers who make the accessible journey up the North Fork road to reach the wild setting of these geothermally heated riverside pools. The Boise River watershed's recreational value is one of Idaho's most prized natural resources, from the whitewater kayaking of the Garden Valley stretch to the swimming holes and camping areas that provide urban Boiseans with access to wild river country within a short drive of the state capital. The bicarbonate thermal springs of Pine Flat, where geothermal water mixes with the cold river to create a range of temperature gradients along the riverbank, provide one of Idaho's most accessible wild hot spring experiences — close enough to the city to be a day trip but sufficiently wild in character to feel like a genuine wilderness encounter with the geothermal energy underlying Idaho's volcanic highlands.