Moondipper Hot Spring and Pine Burl Hot Spring via Middle Fork Payette River Trail

Left because there were so many people. At least 50 people came and went and we were unable to get into the hot springs. Been going here for 10 years and never saw more than 4 or 5 vehicles at the trailhead. There were 20! vehicles in the lot and parked long the road when we left. It's really unfortunate. Further, the vast number of people and their food has started attracting bears.

Trail was very enjoyable. I took the lower trail there and back. We had our dog with us and since the upper trail entails a cliff it seemed like the safest option. There were two pools at the start down at boiling springs. Honestly those two were my favorite. At the end of the hike there was a couple small hot springs, then behind them was a good size spring with a hose attachment for cold (river water) and hot (river water) the whole pool was chilly and then where it was warm and enjoyable the ground was burning. Then my boyfriend and I got bite by a few horse flies at the hot spring at the end which wasn’t great, but the hike itself was absolutely worth it. Crossing the river multiple times was invigorating. If you go on the lower trailer be prepared to cross two huge bodies of water (river), multiple muddy spots, small pools of water, and a fallen tree. Thick river Sandles are the shoe I would recommend on this hike. Lastly I would like to ad that when I went I did not see any trash along the trail. It was pretty clean, which was nice to see as the previous comment states it was trashed. Just remember if you Pack it in, pack it out and Happy trails :) #fromcalifornia

If you want to go and enjoy the hot springs like you used to be able to 10 years ago don’t waste your time. The place has become over run and people haven’t grasped the concept of if you pack it in, pack it out. Picked up tons of trash and there was still more I couldn’t fit in my pack. #thanks California! Please please be respectful of Idaho and clean up after yourself!!!! I used to go here as a kid and was hoping to take my kids here! Sadly doesn’t look like there will be much left for my kids due to all the trash!

On August 4th, my husband, 10 month old, red heeler and I made our way into the Boise forest past Crouch, ID. To hike and explore Moondipper Hot Springs and Pine Burl Hot Springs via Middle Fork Payette River Trail. This location in general has the best camp sites off the river for boondocking. It’s one of our favorites for a short drive from Boise. This was our first camping trip with our daughter “walking” and it was nice that spots were rather clean and had room for her to explore as she pleased. The road to the trailhead is a dirt road and kind of rough in some places. There should be plenty of parking at the trail head. When you start you can make your way down to the little cabins and soak there if you don’t want to make all the way to the final destination. Or in our case, were unable to soak at the end of the trail. Take a right at first fork. Take a left at second fork and go up the hill for the mountain side trail. (Take a right, cut through the river for more of a simpler trail) If on the mountain side Take a left at the third fork Take a right go down at fourth fork Cross the bridge at the fifth fork Take a left at the T after crossing the two bridges If you go up and hike the mountain side, it is on the difficult side of moderate. You are going straight up, then straight down. You have to jump over multiple logs, boulders and cross a lot of streams. Most of the trail is on a cliff edge that was crumbling off. We found it to be rather dangerous. If you go the river route you pass two large rivers that go up to your knees. This trail was decently flat and nothing dangerous. We took this the way back. There are a couple springs you can relax in, the first one by the tree is incredibly hot. The second one had a naked couple in it, after we had lunch and changed, so we didn’t get in. It looked like a heart and was beautiful. Over all this was a beautiful hike, the river was a wonderful temperature to play in, plus multiple places to backpack in and camp. We have a YouTube channel of our little family exploring #Familyoffree https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuqAytrT-U1vlphR3WWujJw https://youtu.be/m1-IxJekR-s

The 1st mile or so of the trail is amazing but if you don’t force the river you are on the cliff face with pieces of the trail sloping down and some parts super rocky. I saw three people turn around before I gave up at 2 miles. I am going back but not alone and not without my trekking poles.

Great hike though if you're doing this for the hot springs alone, there are better options near here. That being said, nice hike. A few marshy spots so be prepared for that. To get to the spring - towards the end of the hike, you'll have to cross a stream. Turn left once you cross the stream. It's 100ft up.

Perfect day. Started on the trail at 7:00am, walking through the fog and chilly breeze. Took about 45 minutes to get back to the springs. A few boggy and muddy spots. The sun broke through the fog about 45 minutes into the soak, and the day only became that much prettier. Had the entire trail to ourself both ways. Lots of cars on the way out because of Memorial Day Weekend.

I took this trail a few years ago during late September and it was very memorable for me. Depending on pace, it takes about 60-90 minutes to get to the hot springs. Some are a little hidden or farther along the trail (slightly off-trail), and coming across nude strangers is not unusual. There are some steep inclines and I crossed the river twice getting there, so this is a more moderate hike. I don’t recommend this for small kids. However, for me it was worth it. The pool I found had faucets connecting to the spring and a cool creek, so the temperature was adjustable; there’re also a few areas to pitch an overnight tent, but be sure to be responsible and pack out your trash. Additionally check ahead of time if fire is allowed; it wasn’t when I went and there’s a hefty fine if you ignore the hazard warning.

PACKED, and apparently everyone on the planet felt it necessary to bring their dogs, off leash, who love to jump up on every hiker. Of course the owners don't curb the dog's behavior because "its ok, he doesn't bite." --- Seriously, whether your dog bites or not is not the issue. The issue is if your 2 pit bulls charge at me and jumps for my face again...its gonna get a face full of bear spray. This place was once ok but now its overrun with loud hikers with loud music who do not clean up their garbage and let their dogs crap wherever they want.

very beautiful for a casual stroll in nature

My friend and I took our kids up this trail, 6, 7, and 9 years old. Having never been up here, I really wish we had known for sure where each of the hot springs was going to be. Boiling Springs is right where it is indicated on all the maps, but everything after that was our best guess. The trail has a place in the accent, after veering up away from the original path, that was pretty sketchy. I would NOT recommend this hike with kids. The drop off is pretty steep. I’m glad we did it, but really wishing we had been able to push through to the next hot spring.

A easy hike to Boiling springs. Then the trail almost disappears into a steep very sketchy hike! single track trail with steep drops if your footing gives out. Sadly most of the springs are little more than mud holes the elk love to wallow in. Last time we went the red mites and horse flies were so bad we didn't stay long. I would advise Pine Flats, Kirkham, or Firecrew hot springs anytime over Boiling Springs. Cheers, Happy Soaking!!

This was a very pleasant hike after a long drive up the Middle Fork Road. There are a lot of dirt bikes, ATV's, UTV's on the lower part of the road. Once you start to climb, they pretty much disappear. The hike first passes by Boiling Springs. The day was much too hot to stop here. There is no shade and no way to cool the hot pools. probably fantastic in cold weather! The trail follows the river and is shaded much of the way. We stopped at Moon Dipper hot springs. Our timing was just right, as we had the pools to ourselves. We heard they were very crowded earlier. The water temp was nice, but required some periodic swirling to keep it that way. Pine Burl hot spring was just around the bend, but we did not visit this time!

I hiked this trail in May 2017 and there was still snow in some places. Due to the very snowy winter, the river was running very high and had washed out a portion of the trail. I'm not sure if it has been fixed since, but it is possible to hike up and around it safely. The hot springs on Dash Creek near the end of the trail were also washed over due to high water, but Boiling Springs near the trailhead was accessible. The trailhead shares a parking lot with Boiling Springs Campground, which is accessed by Middle Fork Road, which gets rough in some places. The scenery is very beautiful and the hike is very moderate.

My husband and I are in our early 60s. We're fit and active. I'd seen this hike described as "easy" and good for families and children in a guidebook; however, I would definitely not take small children on this hike, and I'd be wary of taking inexperienced older children or adults as well. The trail forks to either side of the river right about at the Boiling Springs cabin. We took the upper trail. While not intense switchbacks, it's quite narrow in places, with a steep slope to the Payette River. You go up and down over a series of hills, some of which are very steep and slippery. A portion of the trail is completely gone, due to the bad winter of 2016-17, requiring us to scramble across a slope over downed trees and slippery dirt. We were "skiing" down in squatting position to avoid falling. If you take the lower trail along the river, you must cross the river several times, so take shoes that can get wet. Once you get to Dash Creek (there's no sign - it's just the biggest creek you've come across) it's easier to cross the creek, I think, then keep a lookout for the actual springs. The hot spring pools are small circles where people have arranged rocks, and a pipe comes into one pool, so don't expect a big swimming hole, and you might have to dig silt out of the pool, or rearrange the rocks to make a pool. The hike is beautiful - great views, plenty of shade, and hot water or cold water to dip into.

Hot Springs are Closed for the next 5 years. There is a fine for trespassing

This is one of my favorite springs! The hike is STEEP but worth the reward. Please remember to pack out all garbage and keep it nice for generations to come. Also, the directions for the trail head on Trails.com are incorrect. Trail head is located at MM4.

Short but steep. It is as described- a destination for skinny dippers!

It was beautiful and serene. The hotsprings were amazing and I had them all to myself on a Friday evening.

The hike up to the spring, if you go the difficult route, is pretty hard and dangerous in one spot, but very fun. The spring itself is amazing and a first time experience for me. If you are not from the area and want to experience that "wilderness" western mountain feel, I'd highly recommend this spring. I thought it would be man-made and kind of lame, but it is beautiful and makes your hair and body feel amazing. It's very rejuvenating. The view is beautiful and we were the only ones there. Update: RIP hot springs, it's too bad that a few disrespectful people ruined it for everybody.

I've been here a handful of times and every time, there are nice folks. Clothes are optional and the map on this website is inaccurate- check other websites for the real location.

Check for legal access, currently closed until late June, 2013 by BLM.

Went there on Sunday. Very crowded of course. For those that bring kids, you may want to look first due to those without suits on. It was a beautiful day for a soak! Please encourage others to stay on the trail, erosion is getting bad.

We were there last sunday and actually got a chance to meet one of the folks responsible for constructing the pools and pipes. It was an absolute delight. There were about 12 of us in the lower pool and more in the upper pool. But is was a great group. Had a good time and was fortunate enough to be able thank those who built it.