Loftus Hot Spring
By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026
Loftus Hot Spring is a primitive hot spring listed near Idaho City, Idaho. Reported soak temperature: 107°F. See the visit fact sheet.
Current status
Free roadside wild spring on Boise National Forest land: two volunteer-built rock-and-mortar pools beside Middle Fork Boise River Road (County Rd 268), fed by a 129°F geothermal waterfall cooling to ~99-106°F in the pools — reachable only after ~34 miles of washboarded dirt road, with winter access genuinely dangerous.
Checked September 2026 · based on recent visitor reports · 7 sources ↓
Staying overnight?
Stay in Idaho City for its managed soaking venue.
Idaho City is about 14 mi from the spring (straight line).
We may earn a commission from bookings through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Before you go
- Status: Open — last verified below — confirm via USFS Boise National Forest document — County Road 268 is the main access along Middle Fork Boise River (fs.usda.gov text via search index; direct fetch blocked).
- Cost: Reported free access — fees and permits can change, confirm before visiting.
- Getting there: No verified hike distance on record — confirm the route and road conditions.
- Water: Reported soak temperature 107°F — always test the water before entering.
- Rules: Reported clothing-optional; 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: None required — Boise National Forest public land, no fee or pass.
- Best time to go: Weekday mornings; late spring through fall for reliable road conditions. Winter soaking is possible but the drive is the hazard.
- Clothing reality: No official policy (unofficial user-built pools on USFS land). Customary use is mixed — swimwear common given roadside visibility and families; clothing-optional use also reported. No legal prohibition on NF land but discretion advised at this roadside site.
- Kids: Allowed.
- Cell service: none — download maps and tell someone your plan.
- Accessibility: Roadside pullout ~25-75 ft from the pools with a short rough slope — not wheelchair friendly but minimal walking for the able-bodied.
- Source emerges at 129°F — never touch the inflow; upper pool ~106-110°F, lower ~99-104°F, two small riverside pools ~90°F
- ~34 mi of unpaved Middle Fork Boise River Rd (County Rd 268) from Hwy 21 — heavily washboarded with potholes; high-clearance recommended though careful 2WD manage in dry conditions; 2-2.5 hrs from Boise
- Winter access is dangerous — snow/ice on the last ~5 mi; road effectively impassable to wheeled vehicles in heavy snow (snowmobile/tracked only); check Boise NF road conditions first
- Sept 2026 rider check-in: Rabbit Creek area still closed due to a nearby wildfire — check for fire-area closures before committing
- Poison ivy grows around the pools; broken glass reported in pools historically
- Pools are volunteer-built/maintained and have been destroyed and rebuilt before — condition varies; no fee, no facilities, no cell service
- Ninemeyer Campground ~3 mi away is free/FCFS but has no amenities due to fire damage
- Hazard: 129°F scalding source water
- Hazard: Poison ivy around pools and occasional broken glass in pools
- Hazard: Icy/snowy winter road, washboards and potholes, fast drivers on narrow shelf road
- Hazard: Nearby wildfire area closures (Rabbit Creek closure noted Sept 2026)
- Hazard: No cell service — remote self-rescue
About this spring
Popular primitive spring in Boise National Forest on a hillside above Middle Fork Boise River Road — two sandy-bottomed boulder-and-mortar pools (~104-110°F) fed by a small hot waterfall forming a grotto in the upper pool. Among the better-maintained pools on the Middle Fork corridor. Source 129°F — test pools. Road degrades in wet/winter conditions.
Loftus Hot Spring is the best-known and best-maintained of the free primitive soaks along the Middle Fork Boise River Road (FS 268) in Boise National Forest, sitting on a hillside under a hundred feet from the road. Two volunteer-built pools with sandy bottoms occupy the slope: an upper pool reinforced with mortar and fed by a small hot waterfall that creates a grotto effect, and a cooler lower pool. Guidebook readings put the upper pool around 102-110°F and the lower near 100-104°F.
The USGS logged the source at 131°F in May 1981 — strongly alkaline water (pH 9.6) dominated by sodium, consistent with deep circulation through the Idaho Batholith granite that walls this stretch of canyon. Poison ivy grows around the pools and broken glass is occasionally reported. Usage is heavy in all seasons; the unpaved road degrades badly in wet and winter conditions.
Directions & trailhead access
Middle Fork Boise River Rd (FS 268) ~34 mi northeast of Boise via Hwy 21; just past a steel bridge, small parking area on the left. Unpaved rough road.
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 primitive site means here
Primitive springs have no facilities: no changing rooms, no trash service, often no maintained road to the pool. Expect natural rock or gravel bottoms, water temperature that varies by spot and season, and other visitors who may treat the site informally. Pack out everything you bring, test the water before entering, and leave the pool cleaner than you found it.
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 | 107°F |
|---|---|
| Source temp (historical) | 131°F |
| Trail access | Recorded coordinates — access unverified |
| Access fee | Reported free — verify locally |
| Clothing policy | Reported clothing-optional |
| Pet policy | Reported no pets |
| Geothermal data reference | NOAA Thermal Springs List (1980 archive) |
| Check land status | USFS Boise National Forest document — County Road 268 is the main access along Middle Fork Boise River (fs.usda.gov text via search index; direct fetch blocked) |
Loftus Hot Spring FAQ
Is Loftus Hot Spring open right now?
Free roadside wild spring on Boise National Forest land: two volunteer-built rock-and-mortar pools beside Middle Fork Boise River Road (County Rd 268), fed by a 129°F geothermal waterfall cooling to ~99-106°F in the pools — reachable only after ~34 miles of washboarded dirt road, with winter access genuinely dangerous. (Status based on recent visitor reports, last checked September 2026.)
Is Loftus Hot Spring free?
Loftus Hot Spring is listed as free to access in Elmore County, Idaho. Fees and rules change — verify current status with the land manager before visiting.
What temperature is Loftus Hot Spring?
Loftus Hot Spring has a reported soak temperature of 107°F and a historical source temperature of 131°F in survey records. Historical data may not reflect current conditions — always test water before entering.
Is Loftus Hot Spring clothing optional?
Loftus Hot Spring is listed as traditionally clothing-optional in directory records. Confirm current rules before visiting, as policies change.
How do you access Loftus Hot Spring?
Loftus Hot Spring is on public land — verify current road access, fees and rules with the land manager before visiting.
Where to stay in Idaho City
Stay in Idaho City for its managed soaking venue. Remote Middle Fork Boise River springs require a separate road plan.
Idaho City is about 14 mi from the spring (straight line).
We may earn a commission from bookings through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Sources & references
- hotspringers.net trip report — visited 10/28/2025: source 129°F, upper pool 106°F, lower 99°F, two riverside pools ~90°F — community · 2025-10
- Idaho Adventure Motorcycle Club 2026 Challenge page — Loftus Hot Spring check-ins incl. Sept 8 note that Rabbit Creek remains closed due to fire; road washboarded but rideable — community · 2026-09
- Hot Springs Guides — Loftus Natural Hot Spring (updated Apr 2, 2026): free Boise NF site, two sandy pools, high-clearance recommended, ~mile 34 Middle Fork Boise River Rd — community · 2026-04
- onX Offroad — Middle Fork Road trail status: 22.6 mi dirt/gravel, 2WD passable dry, winter snowpack restricts to snowmobiles/tracked vehicles — community · 2026
- USFS Boise National Forest document — County Road 268 is the main access along Middle Fork Boise River (fs.usda.gov text via search index; direct fetch blocked) — official · undated
- idahohotsprings.com — Loftus trip reports: usage 'extreme', poison ivy + broken glass warnings, pools destroyed 05/2011 and rebuilt by volunteers — community · 2002-2011 reports
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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