Imagine the frustration of going to a cooler area, where the pools are too cold and the kids cannot jump into the hot tubs to warm up. It kinda ruins the experience for the whole family. This is NOT that area! Kids are welcome anywhere in these parks, even in the 112 degree hot tubs. You read that correctly, 112 degrees. We were amazed to see every pool open to every age group, period. Many of the adults stayed clear of the hotter tubs but anyone could have gone there if they wanted to.
This area, of Idaho, has a long tradition of Native Americans using hot baths for medicinal purposes. Historically, the tribes of the area regarded the hot springs as sacred and some even held purification ceremonies using the steam for sweat houses. While we were in the hot springs we heard some Native Americans speaking their indigenous dialect. This was a wonderful thing to watch and hear in this modern age of techno-everything. Hearing the original language of these lands, while we bathed, made our hot tub experience more special, even surreal.
The park is divided into two parts and separated by several hundred yards. One section is for soaking in the hot mineral waters. The hot tubs are in a very subdued natural setting with lots of flowers and rock work. The other section is a modern water park that is wild and crazy. Slides drop from the sky with kids and adults screaming from the tops of the lungs as they seemingly plunge to their deaths. There are springboards, high dive platforms, and smaller slides that drive the crowds nuts with excitement. These parks have something for everyone and are very affordable for a family of 4. In fact, it was so affordable that we forgot the price.
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| The hot tub area |
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| Crazy slides |
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| The nuclear drop was awesome. |
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| Downtown Lava Hot Springs, Idaho |
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| Proof I was not fibbing on the temperatures. |
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| An adorable inn in town. |
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| Nice setting to have a town. |
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| The flowers were blooming in full force. |
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