North of Crouch, Idaho and on the far side of the Middle Fork Payette River next to Idaho's busiest Forest Service Road lies a beautiful sight... Rocky Canyon Hot Springs. If you can stand all of the people, non-stop dirt road traffic and river ford you are in for a treat.
As of 2007, Rocky Canyon Hot Springs now features 5 rock and mortar pools and 1 rock and log walled pool with gravel/sand bottoms.
The Forest Service Road that provides access is snow covered all winter until approximately late April or mid-May. Spring runoff makes for a tricky river ford early in the season, cross carefully. Best bet is to wait until after runoff. During the summer this is ORV country, expect legions kicking up dirt and dust all over the road.
Primitive and official campgrounds are all over the place. Due to the location of the hot springs there is no possible way to camp next to or near the springs.
06.16.07 Trip Report
Well how do you like that. Five new, stellar soaks and one original tasty soak await the hot springs interloper at Rocky Canyon Hot Springs. Thank you Carey and J. Smith - excellent handiwork on the new digs!
Despite the insane forest road traffic that did not cease until 3am!!!! This soak was a slam dunk. The traffic is terrible because of all the folks heading to and from Silver Creek Plunge. If you decide to camp near the hot springs, make sure you put all of your trash away at night. Wildlife has been getting into human trash in this area, once the wild animals eat our trash they rarely are able to return to their instincts.
As hot springers, we already leave enough of a footprint behind. Let's do our part, pick up everyone's trash, and make sure we are leaving these special areas as untouched as possible.
Rating: A
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