Lava Hot Springs Resort

Soaking in the hot pools feels oh, so good

It was 0 F outside when we slipped into our swimming suites and walked, barefoot, down the walkway toward the hot pools. It wasn't that cold where we were walking because steam from the pools came up around us, but it was still pretty chilly. There was slush on the sidewalk and ice on the handrails.

When we stepped into the first pool the water felt hot - almost too hot. We held back, the water up to our ankles, getting acclimatized. It didn't take long before we decided the hot water was better than the cold air and so we waded in. A shelf had been constructed around the edge of the pool and we sat down on it, the water coming up around our necks.

After a few minutes the water felt perfect and I could feel my body starting to relax - starting to melt. It felt luxurious.

Such was my introduction to Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. I had business in Rexburg, to the north, and decided to stay overnight at Lava because friends have gushed about the place, calling it one of the best hot springs resorts in the US.

The water is very nice. It is hot mineral water, delivered in its natural condition, exactly as it comes from Mother Earth. Soaking in it is amazingly relaxing. Many people, myself included, think it is therapeutic. The water quickly turned me into a believer.

The mineral content is high but the water does not contain sulfur and so it does not have the rank odor often encountered at hot springs.

The resort includes a series of pools, and the water temperature drops from one to the next. The first pool was hotter than I found comfortable, although a small number of people chose to soak there. The large, main pool was just right, in my opinion. It was warmer at the top and cooler toward the bottom, so it was easy to find a spot that felt exactly right.

A third pool was a few degrees cooler than the first. I found it to be very pleasant also, particularly because the input water is jetted. (There are only a few jets and so you don't have a real whirlpool effect, but it is nice to sit right in front of one and let the spray massage your back. The jetted pool also has a concrete floor, while the other pools have gravel on the bottom. But the gravel is not unpleasant.

We were there on a Sunday evening, over the long Martin Luther King holiday weekend. The pools were not crowded but the number of people there surprised me, since Lava is in an out of the way spot in rural southeastern Idaho. It is located along Hwy 30, about 11 miles from I-15.
150 miles from Salt Lake City
130 miles from Jackson, WY

We encountered a wide assortment of people at Lava – every imaginable age groups and body shape was represented. The clientele seems to be very easygoing. There was nothing about the resort or its patrons that made any of us feel uncomfortable. A group of locals, young adults, showed up after awhile and they were loud for a few minutes, but soon moved off to their own corner.

These hot springs have attracted humans for thousands of years. Native Americans considered the water to be therapeutic and made camps in the area. Fur trappers and mountain men were also attracted to the springs. Lava is located along the old Oregon Trail and immigrant trains made regular stops.

As Anglo settlers arrived they built a bustling community around the springs. Today Lava is definitely a resort town, with good numbers of motels, restaurants and B&Bs.

However, the town looks old – quaint, some would say. Most of the downtown buildings are old. Some have been modernized and look nice, but many look dilapidated. We stayed in the Tumbling Waters, which is an old two-story structure operated by the Home Hotel. The location was perfect, right across the street from the resort, but our accommodations were barely adequate. Our room had two queen beds and both were way too soft to be comfortable. The water pipes made horrific noises and the stairs clattered.

The other hotels we saw in town appeared to be similar.

I'm told there are nicer lodging options located outside the downtown area but we didn't take time to search them out.

The town's chamber of commerce website (www.lavahotsprings.org) lists lodging establishments. I called several before settling on the Tumbling Waters. Some of the B&Bs look nice but they are geared for couples. My wife and daughter accompanied me and so we needed two beds. I called one resort that looked ideal, but it was booked solid.

So, I can't offer any first hand advice about posh lodging.

I do heartily recommend the hot springs, operated by the State of Idaho through the Lava Hot Springs Foundation. See the official website for accurate info.

The hot springs are open 363 days a year (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas days). During summer months you can also enjoy an Olympic-sized swimming pool, diving platforms and a water slide. The dressing rooms have been recently remodeled and, as of Jan 1, 2007, the resort became smoke free.

During winter the hot pools close at 10 pm. In summer you can soak until 11 pm.

Over 3 million gallons of hot water flows through the pools every day. The water is not recycled, it just flows on out into the Portneuf River. With spring water constantly entering, the pools stay clean and pleasant. You don’t have the petri dish effect that can cause problems in motel hot tubs.

It’s very enjoyable to soak, relaxing, steam coming up around you, the subdued lights penetrating the fog only enough to provide fleeting glimpses of people who are just a dozen feet away.

We were there over what will probably go down as the coldest weekend of the year. Soaking, our heads and shoulders above the water, our hair froze in spots but the water felt oh, so good.

Walking back across the street to our hotel, as the air temperature dropped below 0, we still felt warm and relaxed.

Massage services are available at the resort and from many practitioners in town.

We’ll be going back.
- Dave