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WHUFU: Spots in Idaho
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2023

Spots in Idaho

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  • Zim's
  • private business New Meadows, ID
  • locals pool, basketball hoops in the water, stuff like that. -- -- -- -- Camping here this time. Offseacon it's $15=$5+$10

  • Portneuf Bend Campground
  • private business Lava Hot Springs ID
  • I had an initial bad impression because not only do I not get a shower for $24, I don't even get a flush toilet! There is water for RV hookup, but no indoor plumbing, just a clean, unisex outhouse. The lady makes the very good point that everyone is here for the hot springs, and they have showers. On the other hand I am in a nice, grassy, spot a three minute drive (or a long walk) from the Lava Hot Springs pools. So all in all, pretty good. There are some heavily used, long haul train tracks a few hundred yards away that shake the earth a couple of times in the night.

  • Royal Motor Inn
  • private business Moscow ID
  • Kinda funky, but cheap and right downtown, awash in University kids

  • Bear Lake State Park
  • Idaho State Parks, St Charles ID
  • About 25 miles off the road to anywhere, but pretty cool once you're here. I'm here on a cold day in October and it's almost deserted. Bear Lake is beautiful

  • Colston Fishing Access Site
  • Idaho Fish and Game, Salmon ID
  • Nothing here except a really pretty bend in the (Salmon) river, pretty well shielded from US 93, even though it's 30 yards away. Really pleasant overnight.

  • Whiskey Flats Campground
  • Sawtooth National Forest, Stanley ID
  • modest little spot right off the road, right on the river

  • Hayspur Hatchery Campground
  • State Park, Carey ID
  • A great little find on US 20 east of Craters of the Moon. Just a nice field with picnic tables and a a few trees on the edges. No services of any kind that I can see - "pack it in pack it out". They're just giving the fishermen a nice place to park their campers. Pretty sweet! Update! There IS a pit toilet, and there is a water spigot! But no place to dump trash, which is fine with me. And there is a donation box.

  • Hells Canyon State Park
  • Idaho State Parks, Lewiston ID
  • shady, the camp is quiet, but there is an extremely busy highway right across the Snake River. Kind of deluxe and kind of expensive, as state parks tend to be.

  • Wagon Wheel Campground
  • Bruneau Sands State Park, Bruneau ID
  • Quite busy on Friday night. Lots of large, happy groups. Part of the crowd is for the observatory and the Friday night astronomy show!

  • Amanita Campground
  • Boise National Forest, Cascade ID
  • 10 site campground on the quiet side of Cascade Lake. 6 miles from the main road (55), which is a feature rather than a drawback once you get here! Site 7 is the bomb!

  • Lava Hot Springs
  • private business Lava Hot Springs ID
  • Six pools. The big rectangular one, around to the right in the grotto, is the very hottest - 112°. They get progressively cooler moving left. Next is the biggest and ranges from 110° to 103° according to the sign. Beautiful setting at the opening of a little canyon with the busy highway and railroad tracks right above..

  • Pine Flats
  • Boise National Forest, Lowman ID
  • Lava Flow Campground
  • Craters of the Moon National Monument, Arco ID
  • Eerie lava beds moonscape. Really cool to have a campground in such a surreal place

  • Challis Hot Springs
  • private business Challis ID
  • An awesome find! Beautiful campsite right on a bend of the Salmon River.

  • Priest River Campground
  • Army Corps of Engineers, Priest River ID
  • Placid little place in tall firs. Swimming beach on the Priest River, boat ramp, kayak friendly. Road noise is not too bothersome.

  • Bonneville Campground
  • Boise National Forest, Lowman ID
  • Not very remarkable campground, except for the really excellent hot springs pouring out of the side of the creek 1/4 mile away. Campground hosts were annoying busybodies.

  • Ranch Inn Motel and Campground
  • private business Lava Hot Springs ID
  • Very, very basic place. Cable is good, wifi is bad, they don't provide cups. Heater works, It's very handy to park right outside the door. Two miles down US 30 from Lava Hot Springs. The Portneuf River runs right behind it. Very scenic back there.

  • Miracle Hot Springs
  • private business Buhl ID
  • Co-owned with Banbury Hot Springs. Banbury has better camping, Miracle better pools, so here's how it all shakes out: Banbury: tent sites: $10 | campground: park on the grass next to your picnic table in a pretty spot | soaking: big concrete rectangle pool (see their Spot entry) Miracle: must pay for hookups: $20 | campground: dusty and shabby | soaking: wonderful set of modern, interesting pools - a really hot one under the sun deck I call the Grotto :), a bigger cooler pool, then a long, skinny, segmented parallel pool that is a hot zone, a cold zone, and a slighter hotter zone. Really nice layout!

  • Heise Hot Springs
  • private business Ririe ID
  • The hot springs is a completely separate business from the campground. $7 for seniors off season, $1 to re-enter - cheapskates. After the fine example of Lava Hot Springs, which was excellent in every way, this place is disappointing. The single soaking pool is quite nice however - slightly sulphur-y water in a row of hot jets on the side.

  • Kirkham Campground
  • Boise National Forest, Lowman ID
  • Cool spot. Over a little bridge across the Payette River across the highway. A small campground with amazing hot springs a few yards away. Very crowded nowadays.

  • Lava Spa Motel and RV Park
  • private business Lava Hot Springs ID
  • The camping area is just a gravel lot right behind the motel, but it's a beautiful setting right next to the creek, less than 100 yards from the hot springs. Small town, everything there is within ½ mile. He gave me a deal since it's Monday night off season.