Baumgartner Hot Springs

What to expect

Baumgartner is the tame end of Idaho hot springs. There is no rock pool in a riverbank and no scramble down a slope. Instead, warm water from a spring above the South Fork Boise River is piped into a large concrete pool inside a Sawtooth National Forest campground. The Forest Service puts the water at about 101°F38°C, which is warm enough for a long, easy soak on a cool evening without being hard work on a summer afternoon.

The pool is roughly 15 by 20 feet, with steps and a handrail, according to a long-running Idaho hot springs site. It is drained, scrubbed and refilled every day, so the water is usually clear and has little or no smell. On Tuesday mornings it gets a full pressure-wash and does not reopen until around noon.

Around it is a busy, well-kept campground with paved loops, tall pines and the river running along one side. Deer and moose are common, and visitors also report elk. The campground is full most summer weekends, and the pool fills up with it. Expect company, including kids, unless you come early.

The name comes from John Baumgartner, who lived and mined here and is buried a short walk from the pool. Older accounts say the spring was a sandy pit just above today’s pool before the Forest Service built the concrete tub.

Getting there

Baumgartner is about 11 miles east of Featherville. The Forest Service gives the route from the interstate:

• From Boise or Mountain Home: Take I-84 to exit 95 at Mountain Home and head east on US 20. At about milepost 127.5, turn north and follow the signs to Featherville. The road drops to Anderson Ranch Reservoir and follows the South Fork Boise River upstream through Pine.
• From Featherville: Head east on Forest Road 227. It is a dirt road for about 11 miles, with washboard and dust in summer. Turn right at the Baumgartner Campground sign, cross the bridge over the river, and the campground is on your left.

A normal car manages the road in dry weather if you take it slowly. Campendium users have reported rigs up to about 39 feet. The main campground roads and parking spurs are paved. The large group site (Site 100) is not.

When to go

The campground typically opens in mid-May and runs to September 30. Snow decides the exact dates. The forest road beyond Featherville is closed to vehicles from about October to mid-May, so there is no winter soaking here.

June and September are the sweet spots. Nights are cold enough to make 101°F38°C feel good, the campground is quieter, and the dust is lower. July and August are hot and busy, and the pool is crowded from late morning until dusk.

Early morning is the best time any day of the season. The pool opens at daylight and is freshest right after it has been refilled. Skip Tuesday mornings, when it is closed for cleaning.

Rules and etiquette

This is a developed Forest Service facility, and the rules are posted and enforced by the campground host:

• Swimsuits are required. This is not a clothing-optional spring, and a Sawtooth National Forest order bans public nudity on all forest land through September 2031.
• No alcohol, glass, soap or shampoo in the pool area.
• No pets in or around the pool.
• Daylight hours only. The pool is not open at night.
• No ATVs, UTVs or dirt bikes ridden inside the campground. You can trailer them in and out if the trailer fits your camp spur.
• No livestock, and no live music or sound systems.
• Buy firewood locally. The Forest Service asks campers not to bring firewood from home, to avoid spreading tree-killing insects.

Be considerate about time in the pool when it is full. Rinse off before you get in, since the campground has drinking water but no showers.

Where to stay nearby

• Baumgartner Campground has 39 sites, from single and double-family sites to a quad site and the large Site 100 group area, which takes reservations for groups. Each site has a picnic table, fire ring and utility table. There are vault toilets and drinking water but no hookups. Book on Recreation.gov. The maximum stay is 14 days.
• Kelley Creek Flats, right next to the campground, has designated dispersed camping and livestock corrals.
• Dispersed camping is common along FR 227 when the campground is full. A 2020 camper on Campendium reported finding free sites nearby.
• Featherville and Pine, back down the road, have small lodges, cabins and basic services. Mountain Home is the nearest town with chain motels and full supplies.

Things to do around the campground

The Forest Service lists several ways to fill a day here:

• Fishing: The South Fork Boise River has wild and stocked rainbow trout. There is a swimming and fishing hole at the north end of the campground, with an accessible path to a bench above it.
• Hiking: A quarter-mile interpretive nature trail starts at the hot springs and climbs through the forest. The Baumgartner gravesite is a short walk from the pool.
• Longer trips: Trails nearby include Kelley Creek/Iron Mountain, Virginia Gulch, Willow Creek, Van Gulch and Big Water. The historic Iron Mountain Lookout is about 12 miles one way on the Kelley Creek trail, which is open to vehicles 50 inches wide or less.
• Off-road riding: The Ponderosa Trail Learner’s Loop, about a mile west, is set up for young ATV and dirt bike riders.

Safety notes

• Remote road: The last 11 miles are dirt, and services are limited past Featherville. Fill your tank before you leave Mountain Home or Pine.
• Kids in the pool: The water is warm, not scalding, but there is no lifeguard. Watch small children closely, and keep soaks short on hot days.
• River swimming: The South Fork runs cold and fast in early summer. Test the current before letting anyone swim.
• Wildlife: Moose use this valley. Give them plenty of room, especially cows with calves.
• Fire: Check current fire restrictions with the Fairfield Ranger District (208-764-3202) before building a campfire.

Nearby hot springs

Baumgartner works as a base for other soaks in the South Fork Boise drainage. Further up the road, Skillern Hot Springs is a hike up Big Smoky Creek, and the little-known Big Smokey Hot Spring sits much higher in the same drainage. Closer to Featherville, primitive pools at Elk Flats, by the river bridge, are a quick roadside stop on the drive in.