Hot springs excursion soothes academic woes

Now is the perfect time before the frosty heaves of winter can be felt to take in a few hot springs. Boise is within two hours of quite a few. One or two can be reached within an hour away from this big city.

A great day of relaxing and soaking can be found on the road that goes through Crouch. Crouch, Idaho is a neat little town, emphasis on the little. Be sure to stop at the Dirty Shame, a bar and eatery just at the head of town.

Continue through town past many farms and cabins, until the pavement ends and is replaced by gravel. The first hot spring is on the wrong side of the river, after the first bridge. Look for steam and lots of water flowing from a crevasse high on a hill. Also look for a pullout with a semi-permanent fire pit in the road. Fording the river is necessary, but at this time the river is low. There are four good pools burrowed in the hillside. The water is hot at the top and comfortable at the bottom. Beware of little bugs called chiggers, their bites aren’t noticeable until the bitten gets home and itches miserably.

If one doesn’t want to cross the river there is another hot spring, called Fire crew, about five miles up, on the left-hand side of the road. This one is a little bit harder to find. This hot spring got its name from the firemen who frequent it in the winter. Drive down a steep road, it winds down to the hot springs, which are right along the river. This one changes quite a bit; I was just there last week and was quite impressed. There’s a large pool that’s boiling hot. Cold water mixes with the hot and creates a perfect temperature to relax in.

Still up farther, eight miles to be exact, there’s a series of other hot springs. Before this road there’s a fork up to Silver Creek Plunge, a man-made hot pool out in the middle of the forest. The cost is $5 and is well worth the cost. Not many people go to this place in the fall; it’s more of a summer place, with a very nice campground.

If the traveler stays on the Boiling Springs road they will end up at another campground. Boiling Springs is actually quite a disappointment. It’s a tiny super-hot pool about the size of a crock-pot. If the traveler gets up to this campground early in the day, a two-mile hike will bring them to two other gems, Moon dipper and Pine-burl. These two hot springs make it all worth the trip. Every year they change shape and size, but the water is always hot and extremely comforting after a two-mile hike. Follow the trail that leads past Boiling Springs, past the ranger cabin. Keep on the left side of the river, it will climb and drop along the river.

These hot springs represent a small amount of hot springs nearby, stay tuned for more within two hours away from Boise.

Tina Elayer

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