Pine Flats, Boise National Forest | Established Campground

United States

Details

Verified:
almost 3 years ago
Altitude:
1140.0 masl
Website:
None
Phone:
None
Contributor:
danielsmart43

Amenities

Electricity:
No
Wifi:
No
Kitchen:
No
Restaurant:
No
Showers:
Bucket
Water:
Potable
Toilets:
Pit Toilets
Big Rig Friendly:
Yes
Tent Friendly:
Yes
Pet Friendly:
Yes
Sanitation Dump Station:
Unknown

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Description

basic forest campground with amazing hot springs

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The hot springs here were really fun. Take a look at other comments for detailed directions. Campground was gated closed when we stopped by, but another not far up the road was open.

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Amazing hot springs here and the campground was open and free. It’s the end of the season, and hunting season, so we decided to stay here instead of dispersed and it was a great spot. Short walk to the hot springs with lots of pools and a waterfall/shower. Our favorite was a short walk through the river that was totally worth it.

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Nice campground with hot springs that could be on a tourist ad for Hawaii!

In summer the campground is quite busy, even midweek. There are a few first-come-first-served spots but they have no shade due to the forest fire several years ago. Reservable spots have some shade from the tall pines that survived the fire. Not much privacy as stated by others, but lots of room between sites. Pit toilets, trash dumpsters, hand pumps for potable well water (no hose bibs for refilling RV water tanks, and no dump station). $15 nightly, or $7.50 with a national parks pass. Day use parking for the springs is another alternative, $5, or free with a national parks pass.

As to the hot springs, there are two groups of pools about 100m apart. The hike to the first group of pools is moderate, about 15 minutes away. (I’d call it a half mile.) Athletic shoes or hiking sandals recommended for hiking to this group; the ground is too loose and rocky for Crocs or flipflops. There are 6 small pools in the first group spread out over a distance of 30m, 4 up on the hillside within 5-10m of the river, and 2 on the river itself, temperatures range from 70 to about 100 degrees. These pools are mostly sized for 1-4 people each. While nice, the first group is shallower and unremarkable, compared to other hot springs in the Payette and Salmon valleys. We did see a 50cm young snake next to the first pool; we weren’t able to identify what kind.

If you are a bit adventurous, go to the spectacular 2nd group of springs. These belong on a Hawaiian tourism ad as the hot spring water cascades down and spreads out across a 50 foot cliff into the pools beneath. The first two pools have you (optionally) sitting under a gentle waterfall of 105 degree (F) water, which flows into two more lower pools at lower temperatures, the lowest bejng in the river itself at 65-70 degrees (slightly warmer than river temp). These pools are twice the size and a bit deeper than the largest of Group 1. The rusty red colors of the algae growing on the cliff and the rainbows that appear and disappear in the mist of the cascading water are a sight to behold!

As the crow flies, this 2nd group is 100m further down the riverbank on the same side. However, you have to get around a cliff at river’s edge, making it a technical effort to get there. There are 2 routes; I did both. Neither is feasible for children under 12 or those with physical challenges. Fearlessness is a plus.

Route 1, is to turn right at the 1st pool and follow the trail up high on the hillside. There are lots of side routes, follow the highest line until you are about 100m above river elevation before turning downriver. You’ll see the small, very steep ‘valley’ on the other side of the hot springs’ sources, hike down the right side of the steep valley to get to the 2nd group. The waterfall and pools face the river so you won’t see them until you are 30m away. Sturdy high-top hiking boots are required; the valley is an unstable rockslide-prone scree field down which you’ll be sliding more than hiking. It was the most technical hike I’ve ever done without rock/mountain climbing gear - and I wouldn’t do it again. (Several locals were there and said they’d done that route once as well - and never again).

Route 2 is to walk in the river itself, which is easier than it looks. Beware of water levels; we did it June 25 when the first group of pools had 1 riverside pool underwater and 2 riverside pools above water. This route has deadly current at higher water levels. Shoes or technical sandals are required at all water levels. To get there, just ‘float the river’ (easy swim) around where the cliff comes into the river. Stay as close to the river’s edge as you can. Once the (rather swift) current carries you past the place where the cliff reaches the farthest into the river, paddle towards shore. (You can walk the river bottom once you get past the cliff’s corner; 2-3.5 feet deep here at this water level.) Once you get behind that cliff corner the current slows down a lot. Continue swimming (or walking in the river) toward the wall; a rocky beach with the lowest pool is then 10m away. After you’re done at Group 2, getting back is harder. First, ‘traverse’ the cliff bottom using the underwater rocks at the bottom of the cliff. Easy to do, not technical. Just face the cliff and walk sideways using your hands against the cliff for balance. The edge is only about 2 feet deep and the deepest spots between here and the large underwater rock bar you can easily see are only 3.5 feet. Halfway back to the corner the rock bar has a branch that goes all the way to the cliff less than knee deep, so you can then walk over to the rock bar. Some people just swim/jump to the rock bar. However you do it, get over to and stand (carefully) on the rock bar, which is only about knee deep at this level. Walk the rock bar back to the cliff corner, and you’ll see a curved pipe underwater (brown, 10’ long, curves gently from the corner towards the beach). Left of the pipe the current is present but I could still stand up. Right of the pipe the current is too swift to stand or swim upstream. Stand on or to the left of the pipe at the corner, reach around the corner with your hands to grab a couple of rocks. and pull yourself around the corner. This gives you the leverage you need to beat the current around the corner, and as soon as you’ve pulled past the corner you can easily traverse the cliff on the underwater rocks again. About 6m further there is a dry, less steep part of the cliff just before the springs make the rocks wet again. This dry (whiteish rocks) spots is the easiest/safest place to climb up, about 6m of a steep but not so technical slope with lots of good rock holds to step on. (Obvious route, you don’t need rock climbing experience but it is steep like a slanting ladder.) Be careful as some of the rock edges are sharp; I got a couple of scrapes on them. I went up the wetter (more slippery) section, but I’ve had a couple of wall climbing classes.

Watch your step on the underwater rocks. Foot entrapment has probably killed some otherwise strong people here. (Whitewater safety 101.)

Do *not* take your beers to the 2nd group. You can get there drunk, but you’ll become a river statistic on the way back.

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Forest Service Campground with picnic tables and pit toilets at South Fork Payette River close to the nice Pine Flat Hot Springs. The best pools with a hot waterfall require a 50 yards walk in the cold river what is only possible at low water level. Water temperature was 96°F in the waterfall pool, 100°F in the lower pool and 107°F in the middle pool. There are three more small pools that require no river walk with ca 100°F.

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We have a America the Beautiful Pass so it was $7.50 currently instead of $15 for a single spot (double spots are more). Paved spots, most spots are reserved over the weekends and are posted on each site of the dates they are currently reserved so you can do a loop and find a potentially open one during the week, if you are going a weekend during the summer I would recommend reserving. Very open area with not much privacy, but was quiet and everyone was friendly when we were there. There is a tent area near the day use, but most spots have tent space too. Many downed trees due to black beetle infestation so there are piles of branches everywhere with warning signs. They won’t harm humans but a bit of an eyesore, but hey...free firewood to burn at your own risk. There is a camp host with actual firewood as well if you wish to purchase. Pump water stations, one which is right across the the day use area. Hot springs were very relaxing and pretty, however watch out for litter and broken glass around them. Go past the first ones you see around to top of the cliff to find the hottest one with a cool drip waterfall on the side. Not our favorite spot, but overall good. Camp hosts keep everything cleaned at the campsites.

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Nice campground with amazing hot springs about 15 mins walk away. After you reached the first pools (small hot pools are above the bigger, colder pool) you can walk down at the river for about 20m. Then you can cross the river to the middle, walk about 10m down again and cross to the side you came from. There are 3 more pools, one is not very hot, one is comfortably hot and in one pool a hot waterfall is falling in. You should cross the river with care but when you reach the waterfall, it‘s almost perfect.

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Very nice campsite and the hot springs - a short walk away - are amazing.

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Not free. $15 per site per night. Very crowded in summer and the hot springs are about a 20 min hike from the campground. Day use is $5. Beautiful nonetheless.

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Beautiful Ponderosa pine forest, with flowing river below campsites.
Wildfire burned adjacent hillsides in 2016 but still quite beautiful.
Hot Springs are a short hike from the campground.

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basic forest campground with amazing hot springs

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