Lava Hot Springs
Lava Hot Springs is a cluster of geothermal mineral springs that gave its name to the town of Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. The land is held by the State of Idaho and access is recorded as open. The water comes out hot, a notch above what most people would soak in untouched, with a fair load of dissolved minerals and some iron in the 1976 sample. The record lists Caribou County and puts Soda Springs about twenty-one miles off as the nearest city.
A road passes within about 150 feet of the source, though its name is not on file. This is state ground, and the springs sit in the town that carries their name. Elevation is moderate. Winters bring close to six feet of snow, and the year overall is on the dry side.
The recorded best months run December through February. Pebble Guard Station is the nearest campground on file, nearly eleven miles out. The water wants a cautious first touch. Ownership is clear in the record. Fees and hours are not on file, so check locally before you show up. The chemistry on file dates to 1976.
Wikipedia describes Lava Hot Springs as a system of geothermal mineral springs in Bannock County, Idaho, in and around the city that took its name from them. The USGS keeps a thermal site here, and the state lists the ground as its own.
Aircraft with laser scanners measured this ground to within inches. The scan strips out trees and buildings, leaving the bare shape of the land around Lava Hot Springs.
Drag the handle to compare the two views. The orange dot marks the spring, in a frame about three quarters of a mile wide.
- Setting
- Hillside
- The spring sits on a steep slope that climbs to the northeast.
- Highest ground nearby
- 530 ft above the spring
- Within a quarter mile, to the northeast
A slice through the ground from southwest to northeast, about 0.6 miles end to end.
Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.
That's about 1½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 27% of the springs on this site.
Heat flow measures the warmth working its way up through the ground from deep inside the earth. Where it runs high, rain and snowmelt that seep down through cracks in the rock come back up hot.
See every spring on the geothermal heat map →
Heat flow estimate: Stanford Thermal Earth Model (Aljubran & Horne, 2024), CC BY 4.0.
The water at Lava Hot Springs is neutral (pH 6.8) with 776 mg/L total dissolved solids. It is notably rich in calcium (may support bone density and joint health), magnesium (known for muscle relaxation and stress relief), and chloride (natural antiseptic with skin health benefits).
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Overview Pebble Guard Station is located at the base of Bonneville Peak along beautiful Pebble Creek, a tributary of the Portneuf River. The rustic one-room cabin offers a secluded retreat on four fenced acres, surrounded by high mountain vistas. The original Pebble Guard Station was built in 1908. The current structure stands at a higher altitude and was built in 1933.Guests can drive to Pebble Guard Station during warmer months, but it can only be accessed by snowmobile or other snow means...
Lava Hot Springs is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear. The water runs hot, so extra hydration is key.
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