Rocky Canyon Hot Springs

What to expect

Rocky Canyon Hot Springs is a cluster of rough, user-built soaking pools on the far bank of the Middle Fork of the Payette River, in a steep, timbered canyon in the Boise National Forest. The road runs along the other side of the river. What makes the place different from most roadside Idaho springs is that you can see it from the car but cannot drive or walk to it dry. You have to wade the river.

Once you are across, hot water trickles down the hillside from a source that has been reported at around 115-120°F46-49°C. Volunteers have stacked rock and sand into three pools that step down the slope, so the water cools a little as it drops from one to the next. The lower pools are typically around 105°F41°C in summer, which matched a cyclist’s morning reading on a 2008 trip, and the upper ones are hotter. Down at the waterline there are cooler pools where spring water mixes with the river, and you can shift rocks to let more cold water in.

The water has no noticeable smell. There is nothing built here at all: no toilets, no signs, no trash cans. The pools are rebuilt by whoever comes along, so their size and depth change from year to year, and high water can damage the lower ones.

Getting there

The springs are about 13 miles north of Crouch, a small town in the Garden Valley area northeast of Boise.

• From Boise: Take State Highway 55 north about 35 miles to Banks. Turn east onto the Banks-Lowman Highway (Highway 17) and follow it up the South Fork Payette to Crouch.
• From Crouch: Head north on Middlefork Road (Forest Road 698). At about 3.2 miles, stay slightly left at the fork to stay on Middlefork Road. Continue about 9.4 more miles. You pass Hardscrabble Campground, and about 1.5 miles beyond it there is a small turnout on the river side. That is the parking spot.

The road is paved near town and turns to gravel farther up the canyon. A normal car can make it once the snow is gone, but it is narrow, dusty and shared with trucks and OHV traffic, so drive it slowly. Parking at the turnout is limited to a few vehicles.

From the turnout, pick your way down to the river and ford straight across toward the steaming hillside. The walk itself is very short. The crossing is the hard part. Even at low water the current pushes hard, and the bed is loose, slick and sometimes sharp rock. Wear water shoes or sandals with straps, use a trekking pole, and unclip any pack waist belt.

When to go

Mid-summer to early fall is the season. The Middle Fork carries snowmelt for much of the spring and early summer, and during that time the crossing is cold, fast and dangerous. Most guides point to late July through September, once flows have dropped and the water has warmed a little.

Winter is effectively off the table. Middlefork Road is normally closed to vehicles in winter, and it often stays snowbound until about April 15, sometimes into May.

The springs are popular with campers along the Middle Fork, so summer weekends see a steady stream of people. Weekdays and early mornings are quieter.

Before you go, check the Boise National Forest alerts page for fire closures and road orders. The Emmett Ranger District manages this stretch of the river.

Rules and etiquette

• Swimsuits are required. A Boise National Forest order (0402-00-64) prohibits public nudity on all Boise National Forest land from August 27, 2025, through August 27, 2030. The pools are also in plain view of the road.
• No fee. There is no charge to park or soak.
• No soap or shampoo in the pools, including biodegradable kinds. These pools have no outflow system, and soap fouls them for everyone after you.
• Pack out everything, including food scraps and toilet paper. There are no facilities.
• Leave the rock walls alone except for small adjustments to the cold-water inflow. Put things back the way you found them.
• No glass. Broken glass in a rocky river ford is a real hazard.

Where to stay nearby

• Hardscrabble Campground, about 1.5 miles back toward Crouch, is a small Forest Service campground on the Middle Fork with 6 sites under Douglas fir and lodgepole pine. Each site has a fire ring, grill and picnic table, and there is a vault toilet. There is no drinking water. Three sites fit small to medium RVs up to 30 feet. It is open from early May to the end of September.
• Rattlesnake Campground is another Forest Service campground a little farther up Middlefork Road and is listed on Recreation.gov.
• Boiling Springs Campground sits near the end of the road and is the starting point for the trail to Dash Creek Hot Springs and Ground Hog Hot Springs.
• Crouch and Garden Valley have cabin rentals, a few lodges and basic services. Lowman, over the hill on Highway 17, has more lodging.

Safety notes

• The river is the main risk. Never try to cross during spring runoff or after heavy rain. If the water is above your knees and pushing hard, turn back. Keep a close hold on children, and think twice about dogs.
• Footing: The rocks in the riverbed and the trail up to the pools are slippery. Move slowly.
• Hot water: The upper pools and the source are hot enough to scald. Test the water before getting in, and keep children out of the top pool.
• Water quality: Do not put your head under. Warm, untreated spring water can carry harmful organisms.
• Remoteness: Cell service is unreliable up the Middle Fork. Tell someone your plans and carry a map.

Nearby stops worth adding

The Middle Fork Payette has several more springs. Continue up the road to Boiling Springs and walk the riverside trail north to the Dash Creek pools and Ground Hog. The river itself is good for trout fishing, and people hunt for quartz and agates on the gravel bars in late summer.