Boise, ID

Last week my friend suggested we take a camping trip, but could not settle on where to go. We were less than excited about taking a ford focus four hours to Atlanta and not so certain that Bogus Basin wouldn’t be crowded. This subject was resolved by one suggestion, a campsite my boyfriend and I discovered last summer.
Pine Flats is a site in the Boise National Forest along the south fork of the Payette River, approximately an hour and a half outside of Boise. With a full tank of gas it’s an easy trip to make even if you’re leaving late in the evening like we were. We packed a small tent, swimsuits, sleeping bags, breakfast and dinner into my car and headed out to Highway 55 and Horseshoe Bend. On our way through we stopped in to pick up snacks at the convenience store and check out the local produce stand.
On arrival at Pine Flats we settled on site ten, a not-so-very flat spot but one that faced the river and had good access to the water pumps and restrooms. Our tent ended up in a rather precarious spot nearly teetering off the edge of the hill.
Although it was already dusk, we didn’t waste any time grabbing our swimsuits and water shoes. The entrance to the site has marked trails indicating the hot spring that draws so many campers to this particular venue. Follow the trail down the hill and along the Payette, to a rocky beach area and you’ll discover a tall cliff, with water running down its face. Further exploring will uncover unusually hot pools atop the rock face, with rust colored algae thriving in the steaming water. On the front of the outcropping, if one follows a stream of water, they’ll discover the smaller of the two pools which at best can only fit three people.

We headed straight for the best part of the natural hot spring, which lies just beyond the curve of the cliff. Getting to it can be a challenge and more so if you don’t have the right shoes. One must brave the chilly river waters or else take a long way over the cliff and attempt to mountain goat their way down some unstable rocks. The river can be deep in spots, but a thoughtful citizen has made a path of large stones through the more difficult parts.

The pool its self is about ten feet by six feet worth of calf-deep water that’s just the right temperature. A small waterfall that originates at the top of the cliff feeds the pool. We spent a lot of time running in between the spring and a small sandy beach down by the river, cooling down in the cold water and then quickly warming up in the hot.

Back at the campsite, we fixed ourselves dinner; two pizzas made over a fire grill on a cast iron pan. One important thing to remember when visiting Pine Flats is that it lacks a lot of good firewood. We had to bring our own and when it came time to find twigs for roasting marshmallows the surrounding area was lacking anything useful. My group was forced to use green twigs. I would recommend bringing some firewood or a propane stove from home.
Keep this in mind if you’

re considering a trip. The campsites are clean and quiet, with access to water and bathrooms, and the natural beauty is really fantastic. During our previous visit a deer walked through our campsite. It was also nice to visit with some of the whitewater rafting groups that visited the hot spring on our second day of the trip. Some of the men came from as far as Boston to freeze in the Payette.
Though a map might imply that traveling through Lowman is shorter distance, the simplest way to get there is to take Highway 55 towards Horseshoe Bend. Then take a right onto Banks Lowman Road, and follow it past Garden Valley (you should start seeing signs indicating your entering the Boise National Forest). The campsite sign is visible from the road and will be on your right. For more information check out this link and happy hot springs!