Mile 16 Hot Springs

Which spring this is

“Mile 16 Hot Springs” is not a name you will find on a Forest Service sign. It is a nickname that a few online guides use, together with 16-Mile Hot Springs and Sugah Hot Springs, for the spring most people know as Fire Crew Hot Springs on the Middle Fork Payette River. The name fits: the spring is roughly 15 to 16 miles up Middle Fork Road from Crouch, depending on where you start the count.

At least one guide places a “Mile 16” spring on the South Fork Salmon River near Cascade instead. We could not confirm any spring by that name there, and the alternate name Fire Crew points clearly to the Middle Fork Payette site, so this page covers Fire Crew. If you are thinking of a different spot, check its location before you drive.

What to expect

Fire Crew is a primitive soak on the bank of the Middle Fork Payette River in the Boise National Forest. The name reportedly comes from wildland firefighters who used it to clean up after long shifts. Geothermal water at about 128°F53°C seeps out of several spots along the bank and trickles toward the river. Volunteers pile up rock and sand to catch it in a pool, and the river does the rest.

That makes the pool very seasonal. Spring runoff submerges it, and high water often washes the walls out completely. After the river drops, people rebuild it, usually with a gravel and rock bottom that collects silt and algae. By mid to late summer the pool can end up cut off from the river, and then it gets too hot to sit in without help. Bring a bucket so you can add cold river water.

There are no facilities at the spring. You may see scraps of old tarps that someone used to line a pool. Leave the place cleaner than you found it.

Getting there

Crouch is the jumping-off point. From Boise, take State Highway 55 north about 35 miles to Banks, then turn east on the Banks-Lowman Road (State Highway 17) to Crouch in the Garden Valley.

From Crouch:

1. Take Middle Fork Road (Forest Road 698) north about 3.2 miles to a fork.
2. Stay slightly left on Middle Fork Road and continue about 11.9 miles. You pass Hardscrabble Campground, about 12 miles from Crouch, on the way.
3. Turn left onto Forest Road 698L8. In about 0.2 miles, Trail Creek Campground is on the left and the spring is on the right, between the road and the river.

The Forest Service puts Trail Creek Campground at about 17 miles from Crouch by its own count, so do not worry if your odometer reads a little differently. Any normal vehicle can make the drive in summer, but summer also brings heavy off-road vehicle traffic and dust on the road.

When to go

Late summer and early fall are the best bet. Runoff has passed, the pool has usually been rebuilt, and the road is open.

Spring is often a washout. The pool can be underwater until the river drops, and the road itself may still be closed. Middle Fork Road is groomed for snowmobiles in winter and closed to wheeled vehicles until at least April 15, and sometimes well into May in a big snow year.

Summer weekends are crowded. Use here is high all season and extreme in July and August, partly because the campground is right next door. Come early on a weekday if you want the pool to yourself.

Winter access is by snowmobile only. Snow covers the road until about late May in some years.

Rules and etiquette

• Swimsuits required. A Boise National Forest order prohibits public nudity on all forest land from August 27, 2025 through August 27, 2030. Older trip reports describe a looser scene. That no longer applies.
• No fee at the spring. If you park in Trail Creek Campground for the day, the Forest Service charges an $8 day use fee.
• No soap or shampoo in the pool, biodegradable or not.
• Pack out everything, including old tarps and trash you find.
• Build with what is there. Use loose rock and gravel, and do not dig into the bank or channel the river.
• Share the pool. It is small, and the campground next door fills on summer weekends.

Where to stay nearby

• Trail Creek Campground is right across the spur road. It has 11 sites for up to 8 people each, takes RVs up to 35 feet, and has tables, grills, fire pits and a vault toilet but no drinking water. Sites are first come, first served at $15 a night, plus $7 for an extra vehicle. It closes for the season in fall.
• Rattlesnake Campground is about a mile south on Middle Fork Road.
• Hardscrabble Campground, about 12 miles north of Crouch, has 6 sites with fire rings, tables and a vault toilet, and is open from the start of May to the end of September. No drinking water.
• Dispersed camping is possible along the Middle Fork. Follow the Emmett Ranger District motor vehicle use map and posted stay limits.
• Crouch and Garden Valley are the nearest towns for fuel, food and indoor lodging.

Safety notes

• Hot source: Water at about 128°F53°C can scald. Test any pool with your hand, and add river water before you get in.
• River current: The Middle Fork runs fast and cold in early summer. Stay out of the pool when it is flooded, and keep kids away from the bank.
• Road traffic: Middle Fork Road carries off-road vehicles and trucks in summer. Drive slowly on blind corners.
• Water: There is no drinking water at the spring or at the nearby campgrounds. Bring your own.
• Remoteness: Cell coverage is poor. For road and campground conditions, call the Emmett Ranger District at (208) 365-7000.

Nearby stops worth adding

The Middle Fork Payette has good fishing for rainbow trout and whitefish for most of the year. The One Spoon Trail, Rattlesnake Trail and the 465 ATV Trail are all close to the campgrounds. Check the Emmett motor vehicle use map for which routes allow bikes and ATVs. Farther up the road, Boiling Springs and other riverside hot springs make it easy to turn this into a two-spring day.