Rocky Canyon Hot Springs
Rocky Canyon Hot Springs runs at 120 degrees Fahrenheit with a strong 0.78 cubic feet per second flow, making it one of the more voluminous springs along the Middle Fork Payette River corridor. The alkaline water carries 97 mg/L sodium and sits just 200 feet from Middle Fork Road in the Boise National Forest.
The spring emerges beside the Middle Fork Payette River at 3,400 feet in Valley County, where the canyon walls funnel the sound of moving water from both the river and the thermal source. Steam lifts off the creek-fed pools during cooler months, when the surrounding forest receives heavy snowfall averaging nearly nine feet annually. The air smells of minerals and damp pine. Rattlesnake Campground sits less than two miles south along the same road.
The spring rises through fractured granite along the Idaho Batholith, a massive intrusive body underlying much of central Idaho. Its pH of 8.8 and sodium-dominant chemistry point to deep circulation through hot rock before surfacing. The Middle Fork Payette corridor hosts several thermal features, all linked to the same deep heat source that has attracted visitors since long before the road was built.
Rocky Canyon is roadside accessible off Middle Fork Road, about 13 miles north of Crouch. Source water at 120 degrees requires mixing with river water for comfortable soaking. The nearby Rattlesnake Campground is reservable and sits along the same road. Heavy snow limits winter access, though the road is sometimes plowed.
Is Rocky Canyon Hot Springs worth visiting?
Best for
- Hot spring soaking
- Easy day trips
- Overnight camping trips
The water at Rocky Canyon Hot Springs is alkaline (pH 8.8).
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Overview Rattlesnake Campground is located 13 miles north of Crouch, Idaho along the Middle Fork Payette River at an elevation of 3621 feet. The Middle Fork drainage offers a variety of excellent trails. Fishing and hunting are popular activities as well. Recreation The Middle Fork Payette River offers good to excellent fishing most of the year. Anglers cast for whitefish and rainbow trout. Many trails for hiking, mountain biking, horseback and ATV riding can be found in the area. Th...