Baumgartner Hot Springs
By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026
Baumgartner Hot Springs is a developed hot spring listed near Featherville, Idaho. Reported soak temperature: 101°F. See the visit fact sheet.
Current status
USFS concrete soaking pool (~101F, drained/refilled daily) inside Baumgartner Campground on the South Fork Boise River, 11 mi east of Featherville — open daylight hours during campground season (late May-mid/late Sept) for a $5/vehicle day-use fee; road east of Featherville is gated in winter. As of Sept 15, 2026 the surrounding Buckhorn Fire closure explicitly does NOT include Baumgartner.
Checked September 2026 · verified against an official source · 5 sources ↓
Before you go
- Status: Open — last verified below — confirm via Recreation.gov — Baumgartner Campground (USFS; 101F piped pool open daylight hours, drained/refilled daily, Tuesday-morning pressure wash, campground amenities).
- Cost: Fees reported — confirm current rates before visiting.
- Getting there: No verified hike distance on record — confirm the route and road conditions.
- Water: Reported soak temperature 101°F — always test the water before entering.
- Rules: Reported clothing required; pets reported not allowed — confirm current rules.
- Conditions: check weather, fire closures, and land-manager alerts the week you go — mountain access changes seasonally.
- Reservations/permits: No permit for day use — $5/vehicle self-pay. Campsites via recreation.gov (6-month window); Site 100 group site.
- Best time to go: Weekday mornings in season; avoid Tuesday before noon (cleaning). Campground fills on summer weekends.
- Clothing reality: Official: swimsuits required in the pool (developed USFS site). Customary: suits only. Legal: developed recreation site — nudity not permitted.
- Kids: Allowed.
- Cell service: none — download maps and tell someone your plan.
- Accessibility: Paved campground roads/spurs; accessible path to a river overlook bench; pool deck is concrete — steps in/out.
- Pool open daylight/dawn-to-dusk hours only during campground season (late May to ~mid-late September) — likely just closed or closing imminently as of late Sept 2026
- Pool is drained and refilled daily; pressure-washed Tuesday mornings — closed until ~noon Tuesdays
- $5/vehicle day-use fee, self-pay station; camping fees separate (recreation.gov reservations, ~$15+/site)
- Access road beyond Featherville closed by locked gate in winter (snow)
- Buckhorn Fire area closure (effective Sept 15, 2026 thru ~Nov) covers nearby roads/trails but NOT Baumgartner Campground, Kelley Flats A-D, or roads 87/487/071/096 — check the closure map anyway
- No ATVs/UTVs/dirt bikes ridden within campground — trailer in/out only
- Untreated flow-through pool water — no lifeguard
- No cell service in the South Fork canyon
- Hazard: Untreated water (no chemical treatment)
- Hazard: Cold river adjacent — shock risk if plunging between hot pool and river
- Hazard: Winter road closure/locked gate
- Hazard: Active wildfire closures in the surrounding Fairfield Ranger District (Sept-Nov 2026)
About this spring
USFS 15x20-ft concrete soaking pool at Baumgartner Campground on the South Fork Boise River in Sawtooth National Forest — ~101°F, drained nightly and cleaned Tuesday mornings. Dawn-to-dusk day use; open roughly Memorial Day to late September. Fee: USFS day-use/campground fee applies. Crowded mid-day; swimsuits mandatory; road closes with snow.
Baumgartner Hot Springs sits inside the Forest Service's Baumgartner Campground on the South Fork Boise River in Sawtooth National Forest, 11 miles east of Featherville beneath ponderosa pines at about 5,200 feet elevation. Geothermal water at roughly 101°F is piped into a large concrete soaking pool that is open daylight hours only, drained and refilled daily, and pressure-washed Tuesday mornings — so it typically doesn't open until around noon on cleaning days. Swimsuits are required, and alcohol, glass, soap and pets are barred from the pool area. The 39-site campground — single, double-family and one large group unit — anchors the visit, and the grave of namesake John Baumgartner lies a short walk from the springs. A quarter-mile interpretive nature trail climbs from the pool into the forest, and the South Fork offers rainbow-trout fishing and swimming holes. Access is via 11 miles of dirt Forest Road 227; the season generally runs Memorial Day weekend through September.
Directions & trailhead access
I-84 exit 95, Hwy 20 to mm 127.5, north to Featherville, then 11 mi dirt FR-227 to the campground.
Idaho geothermal context
Idaho's thermal water rides the old track of the Yellowstone hotspot across the Snake River Plain and surfaces along faults in the surrounding mountains. Many of the best soaks are roadside or river-access pools inside national forests — including springs that only emerge when river levels drop. Backcountry sites demand real navigation skills and long dirt-road drives.
What a developed site means here
A developed site sits between primitive and resort: improved soaking infrastructure — built tubs, decks, stairs, sometimes changing rooms or vault toilets — often run by a land trust, nonprofit, or small operator. Expect modest fees or donation requests, posted etiquette rules, and more predictable conditions than a wild pool.
Best time to visit
Year-Round (Best: May – October)Pool temperatures and access can change with weather and season. Outdoor ambient temperatures fluctuate significantly across Idaho. Late spring through autumn offers the most comfortable road access.
Fact sheet
| Reported soak temp | 101°F |
|---|---|
| Source temp (historical) | 101°F |
| Trail access | Recorded coordinates — access unverified |
| Access fee | Fees reported |
| Clothing policy | Reported clothing required |
| Pet policy | Reported no pets |
| Geothermal data reference | NOAA Thermal Springs List (1980 archive) |
| Check land status | Recreation.gov — Baumgartner Campground (USFS; 101F piped pool open daylight hours, drained/refilled daily, Tuesday-morning pressure wash, campground amenities) |
Baumgartner Hot Springs FAQ
Is Baumgartner Hot Springs open right now?
USFS concrete soaking pool (~101F, drained/refilled daily) inside Baumgartner Campground on the South Fork Boise River, 11 mi east of Featherville — open daylight hours during campground season (late May-mid/late Sept) for a $5/vehicle day-use fee; road east of Featherville is gated in winter. As of Sept 15, 2026 the surrounding Buckhorn Fire closure explicitly does NOT include Baumgartner. (Status verified against an official source, last checked September 2026.)
Is Baumgartner Hot Springs free?
Baumgartner Hot Springs is listed with reported fees near Featherville. Fees are reported; confirm admission, parking and permit costs with the site manager.
What temperature is Baumgartner Hot Springs?
Baumgartner Hot Springs has a reported soak temperature of 101°F and a historical source temperature of 101°F in survey records. Historical data may not reflect current conditions — always test water before entering.
Is Baumgartner Hot Springs clothing optional?
Baumgartner Hot Springs is listed as swimsuit-required in directory records. Confirm current rules before visiting, as policies change.
How do you access Baumgartner Hot Springs?
Baumgartner Hot Springs is on public land — verify current road access, fees and rules with the land manager before visiting.
Where to stay in Featherville
Featherville is a pre- or post-trip base before the roughly 11-mile dirt-road drive along FR-227 to Baumgartner. Check seasonal access and book any Forest Service campsite separately.
Check the road and access notes above before you book.
We may earn a commission from bookings through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Sources & references
- Recreation.gov — Baumgartner Campground (USFS; 101F piped pool open daylight hours, drained/refilled daily, Tuesday-morning pressure wash, campground amenities) — official · 2026
- KMVT News — 'US Forest Service puts up closure order around the Buckhorn fire' (Sept 15, 2026 closure order; Baumgartner Campground and area roads explicitly NOT included) — news · 2026-09
- Hot Springs Guides — Baumgartner Hot Spring ($5/vehicle day use, late May-mid Sept season, winter gate closure, suits required) — community · 2025
- Campendium — Baumgartner Campground (FR-487, 39 sites, May-Sept season, $15 last paid) — community · 2025
Additional references for this record; a source link does not guarantee current conditions.
Details above were verified against the named sources on their listed dates — conditions change, so recheck before traveling. · How we verify our data · Report a correction
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