Crouch is a small town located in the western part of Idaho, approximately 50 miles north of Boise. In addition to its scenic wilderness and abundant wildlife, this area is known for its multitude of hot springs. People come to the springs to soak and relax. One of the springs closest to downtown Crouch was deliberately demolished in 2009, but there are others within a 10-mile radius.
Anderson Hot Spring
The Anderson Hot Spring can be found within the city limits of Garden Valley, which is a five-minute drive to the southeast of Crouch. This hot pool is near a dirt road and in a forested area. A soaking pool lined with cinder blocks is situated along the banks of Little Anderson Creek. The hot water seeps up through a sandy bottom. The pool is shaded in the morning, but tends to get on the hot side when exposed to the afternoon sun. The road that leads to the spring is not well maintained and at times is impassible during the winter.
Skinnydipper Hot Spring
The Skinnydipper Hot Spring, 10 miles to the west of Crouch in Banks, features hot springs situated on a hillside above the South Fork Payette River. Soakers need to hike half a mile to the pools along a steep and strenuous path. The pools are created by a waterfall cascading over a cliff and pouring into a chain of small pools that reach down to the canyon floor. Valves help control the flow of the hot water, which is piped from one pool to another. Exercise caution when hiking to the pools because the trails are often slippery.
Bronco Billy (Deer Creek) Hot Spring
Bronco Billy (Deer Creek) Hot Spring in Banks is a pool with rock walls and a bottom of sand and gravel. This pool along the South Fork Payette River is shallow and tends to get very hot. Swimming wear is considered essential. The water from the pool flows down a hill and into a culvert that runs underneath the Banks-Lowman highway. Soaking is available where the culvert spills out, although by this point the water is too cool for prolonged soaks. It is open throughout the year, but visitors should be aware mud and rock slides are common on the Banks-Lowman Highway.
Campground Hot Springs
Campground Hot Springs, nine miles to the southeast of Crouch in Grimes Pass, is situated across the street from the Hot Springs Campground in the Boise National Forest. It features a soaking pool large enough to accommodate a family. The water is piped in from the remains of what once was a bathhouse, which can be seen from the pool. A second pool is also in this area. Although the water in the second pool is on the cooler side and not considered ideal for soaking, it does provide relief on a hot day in the summer. Both pools are shallow and have rocks walks and bottoms of gravel and sand.
Tags: from pool, Anderson Spring, Billy Deer, Billy Deer Creek, Bronco Billy
