Skillern Hot Springs
Fairfield, Idaho
| Address: | Big Smokey Hot Spring |
| GPS: |
43°38'53.0"N 114°48'55.0"W Maps | Directions |
| State: | Idaho |
| Trail Length: | 6.00 miles |
| Trail Type: | Point A to B |
| Hike Difficulty: | Intermediate |
| Trails/Routes: | 3.4 mi |
Restrooms Wildflowers Ponds Fall Colors National Park
Camp, Hike, and Hot Springs
Skillern hot spring is located in Fairfield, Idaho. It is a stunning six mile hike. The trail to Skillern hot spring follows the beautiful Big Smoky Creek, which gives life to the forest. Big Smoky Creek has crystal clear waters that expose smooth stones that have been eroded over time. The river is home to various species of fish, that weave themselves through the boulders in the creek. If you continue to follow the creek, you may find spots that have sitting water, waterfalls, or slow running water. Either way, the creek is a refreshing sight to see.
Many have stated that the best time to hike the trail, or go to the hot spring is during the fall. Not only do the colors of the forest change to riveting red, pumpkin tone orange, and zesty yellow, the cool breeze helps to cool down hikers on the way to the hot springs. The trail is known to split into two separate trails that lead to the same thing. One trail is more intense and uphill, while the other is low and continues to follow the creek closely. Both trails have seen hikers, and both trails lead to the hot springs if you are looking for them. The trail however does not end at the hot spring, but can guide you there. On the trail, there is a sign that says "Skillern Hot Spring", from this sign, the hot spring is three miles away.
The hot spring itself has the capacity to reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit when you continue up the trail to other portions of the hot spring. However if you want to soak, the hot springs closest to the trail only get up to 90-100 degrees. Skillern hot springs are filled with mineral water often said to relax the body as well as exfoliate dead skin. There are camping grounds located up or down the trail for those who are looking to camp. The hot spring does not look like a typical hot spring, so remember to look for a boulder that appears to be dripping hot water. When approaching the boulder, be careful while navigating to the hot springs. Just on the other side there are other rocks that are slippery and could cause quite a fall. When you see steam coming from multiple boulders, the steam will be your guide to an oval shaped hot spring waiting to welcome you for hours of relaxation.
While the hike requires a little bit of perseverance, it is worth it! You will leave feeling relaxed, lighter, and better than you did before you started the hike.
More Information
Hot Springs National Park Itinerary
This Hot Springs National Park Itinerary will help you get started as you plan your vacation to Hot Springs National Park.
https://www.justgotravelstudios.com/collections/national-park-itineraries/products/hot-springs-national-park-itinerary?ref=9zpxis0diinHiking to Skillern Hot Springs - Visit Southern Idaho
Enjoy the serene escape at Skillern Hot Springs, a hidden treasure of Southern Idaho.
https://visitsouthidaho.com/skillern-hot-springs/Be courteous, informed, and prepared. Read trailhead guidelines, stay on the trail, and don't feed the wildlife.
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Be careful. Pay attention to posted signs and always test the waters before you get in. Some hot springs can get up to boiling temperatures. Be sure to drink plenty of water to combat the dehydrating effect of the spring.
Be respectful of other soakers and the hot spring. Don't hog the pool. Camp at least 200 yards away and keep fires in designated areas. Keep your pets out of the water and never pee in thermal feature. Glass bottles should never go near a hot spring.
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel & camp on durable surfaces
- Dispose of waste properly
- Leave what you find
- Minimize campfire impacts
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitors
Directions
From Fairfield, Idaho
- Head west on Camas Ave E toward Soldier Rd (66 ft)
- Turn right at the 1st cross street onto Soldier Rd (1.6 mi)
- Turn right onto 200 N/
Base Line Rd (0.3 mi) - Turn left onto NF-094/
Soldier Creek Rd (4.1 mi) - Turn left to stay on NF-094/
Soldier Creek Rd Continue to follow Soldier Creek Rd(3.2 mi) - Continue straight (0.1 mi)
- Continue onto Nfdr 94 Rd/
Soldier Creek Rd (0.2 mi) - Slight right onto NF-94 (394 ft)
- Slight right to stay on NF-94 (4.3 mi)
- Turn right to stay on NF-94 (0.1 mi)
- Continue onto NF-Road094 (4.3 mi)
- Slight left onto Forest Rd 227 (5.6 mi)
- Turn right onto Boise River Rd/
NF-12 Continue to follow Boise River Rd(8.5 mi) - Turn right onto Forest Rd 030 (5.8 mi)
- Turn left onto Forest Rd 056 (2.7 mi)
Directions to the hotspring from the Five Points camping grounds:
- Head south on Big Smoky Rd toward Forest Rd 087
- Turn left onto Boise River Rd/NF-12
- Turn left onto Forest Rd 227
- Slight right onto NF-Road094
- Turn right
- Turn left
*Destination will be on your left*
Other Hiking Trails and Hot Springs Nearby
Preis Hot Spring
Fairfield, Idaho
5.0 miles SA small sunken wooden box beside Forest Road 227 north of Fairfield that fits two people in clear, roughly 102 degree water. Pair it with Worswick Hot Springs a couple of miles away.
Camp, Hot Springs
Worswick Hot Springs
Fairfield, Idaho
5.9 miles SFree hillside hot spring pools on Worswick Creek in the Sawtooth National Forest, about 20 miles north of Fairfield. The lower pools run about 90 to 105 degrees, and the source water is hot enough to scald.
Camp, Hot Springs
Russian John Hot Spring
Ketchum, Idaho
15.8 miles NEA small rock-walled warm spring pool just off Highway 75, about 18 miles north of Ketchum, with a view of the Boulder Mountains. The water runs only in the mid-80s, so it is best on a hot summer day.
Hot Springs
Frenchman's Bend Hot Springs
Ketchum, Idaho
16.4 miles EFree, rock-walled hot spring pools on both banks of Warm Springs Creek, about 11 miles west of Ketchum in the Sawtooth National Forest. Day use only, swimsuits required, and the road is usually closed during spring runoff.
Hot Springs
Adams Gulch Loop
Ketchum, Idaho
21.7 miles EKetchum's busiest trail network, with easy loops on Shadyside and Sunnyside, the Griffin Butte intermediate loop and the one-way, bike-only Forbidden Fruit flow trail. The trailhead is less than two miles north of town.
Hike, Mountain Bike
Harriman Trail
Ketchum
21.7 miles NEAn 18-mile gravel path from the Sawtooth National Recreation Area headquarters north of Ketchum to Galena Lodge. It is open to bikes, hikers and horses in summer and groomed by BCRD for Nordic skiing in winter.
Cross-country Ski, Cycle, Hike, Mountain Bike
Fox Creek Loop
Ketchum, Idaho
22.0 miles EA 6-mile singletrack loop north of Ketchum that climbs through the 2007 Castle Rock burn, drops through aspen and finishes along the Big Wood River. Bikes ride it one way, counter-clockwise.
Hike, Mountain Bike
Bald Mountain Trail
Ketchum, Idaho
22.4 miles EThe main hiking and uphill-only biking route up Bald Mountain, climbing about 5.2 miles and 3,200 feet from River Run Plaza in Ketchum. Many hikers stop at the Roundhouse about 4 miles up.
Hike, Mountain Bike
White Cloud Loop
Sun Valley, Idaho
23.1 miles EA 4.2-mile dirt loop around the White Clouds golf course in Sun Valley, maintained by Sun Valley Company and open to hikers, runners, riders and leashed dogs. It dries out early in spring and looks across at Bald Mountain and the Boulder Mountains.
Hike, Mountain Bike
Two Dog
Hailey, Idaho
23.8 miles SEThe longest trail in the Croy Creek system, about 7.4 miles of non-motorized singletrack from Bullion Gulch Road over a sage saddle and down into the Croy Creek valley.
Hike, Mountain Bike
Croy Creek Trail System
Hailey, Idaho
25.0 miles SEAbout 18.5 miles of BLM and Blaine County singletrack in the sage foothills west of Hailey, rebuilt by IMBA after the 2013 Beaver Creek Fire and open early May to mid-November.
Atv/motorcycle, Hike, Mountain Bike
Carbonate Mountain
Hailey, Idaho
26.3 miles ESteep trail up the 6,714-foot hill directly west of downtown Hailey, with a 3.7-mile hiking loop, a six-mile advanced bike loop and wide views of the Wood River Valley.
Hike, Mountain Bike
Wood River Trail
Hailey
26.9 miles EA free paved path of 20-plus miles on the old Union Pacific rail bed, linking Bellevue, Hailey, Ketchum and Sun Valley. It is groomed for Nordic skiing in winter.
Cross-country Ski, Cycle, Hike
Quigley Canyon
Hailey
27.7 miles EA year-round BCRD trail area in Quigley Canyon east of Hailey. Summer brings a pump track, flow trails, jump lines and a 4-mile loop, and winter brings over 20 km of groomed Nordic trails.
Cross-country Ski, Hike, Mountain Bike
Pioneer Cabin Trail
Sun Valley
29.8 miles EA steep, switchbacking trail from the Corral Creek trailhead east of Sun Valley to Pioneer Cabin, a 1937 Union Pacific ski hut with close views of the Pioneer Mountains.
Hike, Mountain Bike
Anderson Ranch Reservoir
Pine
32.8 miles SWA 14-mile Reclamation reservoir on the South Fork Boise River northeast of Mountain Home, best known for kokanee fishing. This pin marks the free Fall Creek Boat Ramp on the west shore, with free Forest Service campgrounds a short drive away.
Camp, Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim
Little City of Rocks
Gooding, Idaho
37.1 miles SA volcanic hoodoo landscape of natural arches, towers, and mushroom-cap formations near Gooding, Idaho — best visited in spring when desert wildflowers bloom and the main loop trail is scenic.
Camp, Hike
Loftus Hot Spring
Mountain Home, Idaho
39.8 miles WLoftus Hot Spring is a free Boise National Forest soak on the Middle Fork Boise River, with a hot waterfall between ~110F and ~104F pools.
Camp, Hot Springs
Sunbeam Hot Springs
Stanley, Idaho
43.0 miles NRock-walled soaking pools built by hand along the Salmon River offer warm, varied temperatures with a rare amenity — a restroom and changing room right on site.
Hot Springs
Bonneville Hot Springs
Lowman, Idaho
43.0 miles NWA series of soaking pools fed by a warm waterfall, plus a natural hot spring and a private iron-tub soak shack — all a quarter mile from Bonneville Campground beside Warm Springs Creek near Lowman.
Camp, Hike, Hot SpringsNearby Campsites
Preis Hot Spring
Fairfield, Idaho
5.0 miles SA small sunken wooden box beside Forest Road 227 north of Fairfield that fits two people in clear, roughly 102 degree water. Pair it with Worswick Hot Springs a couple of miles away.
Camp, Hot Springs
Worswick Hot Springs
Fairfield, Idaho
5.9 miles SFree hillside hot spring pools on Worswick Creek in the Sawtooth National Forest, about 20 miles north of Fairfield. The lower pools run about 90 to 105 degrees, and the source water is hot enough to scald.
Camp, Hot Springs
Galena Lodge
Ketchum, Idaho
17.4 miles NEA community-owned historic lodge 23 miles north of Sun Valley, open summer and winter as a hub for hikers, bikers, Nordic skiers, and snowshoers with rentals and great food.
Camp, Cross-country Ski, Snowshoe
Mormon Reservoir
Fairfield
25.4 miles SIrrigation reservoir on McKinney Creek about five miles south of Fairfield, with a free Idaho Fish and Game boat ramp, docks, toilets and primitive camping. It is stocked with rainbow trout, but the water drops hard by late summer and in dry years.
Camp, Canoe, Kayak
Magic Reservoir
Bellevue
29.0 miles SEMagic Reservoir is a big irrigation lake on the Big Wood River surrounded by BLM sagebrush land, with free ramps and primitive camps. It is known for trout, perch and ice fishing, but water levels swing hard with irrigation demand.
Camp, Canoe, Kayak
Anderson Ranch Reservoir
Pine
32.8 miles SWA 14-mile Reclamation reservoir on the South Fork Boise River northeast of Mountain Home, best known for kokanee fishing. This pin marks the free Fall Creek Boat Ramp on the west shore, with free Forest Service campgrounds a short drive away.
Camp, Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim
Little Camas Reservoir
Mountain Home
35.6 miles SWIrrigation reservoir on the western Camas Prairie northeast of Mountain Home, with a free Forest Service boat ramp, primitive shoreline camping and trout fishing. Water levels swing hard, and there is no trout stocking in 2026.
Camp, Canoe, Kayak
Little City of Rocks
Gooding, Idaho
37.1 miles SA volcanic hoodoo landscape of natural arches, towers, and mushroom-cap formations near Gooding, Idaho — best visited in spring when desert wildflowers bloom and the main loop trail is scenic.
Camp, Hike
Loftus Hot Spring
Mountain Home, Idaho
39.8 miles WLoftus Hot Spring is a free Boise National Forest soak on the Middle Fork Boise River, with a hot waterfall between ~110F and ~104F pools.
Camp, Hot Springs
Bonneville Hot Springs
Lowman, Idaho
43.0 miles NWA series of soaking pools fed by a warm waterfall, plus a natural hot spring and a private iron-tub soak shack — all a quarter mile from Bonneville Campground beside Warm Springs Creek near Lowman.
Camp, Hike, Hot Springs
McKinney Butte Lava Tubes
Gooding, Idaho
43.6 miles STwo forking lava tubes near Bliss — one open to anyone, the other gated (BLM permit required) — that survived the Bonneville Flood and a 1993 landslide.
Camp, Cave
Badger Creek Campground
Boise City-Nampa, ID, Idaho
44.8 miles WA small 5-site riverside campground at 3,200-foot elevation on the Middle Fork of the Boise River, with fishing for rainbow, cutthroat, and whitefish and access to the William Pogue National Recreational Trail nearby.
Camp
Kirkham Hot Springs Campground
Lowman, Idaho
46.5 miles NWMultiple hot waterfalls flowing into shallow rock pools right along a highway 21 pullout near the Boise National Forest — popular in both summer and winter seasons.
Camp, Hot Springs
Park Creek Campground
Lowman, Idaho
50.0 miles NWA small, tranquil campground in an old-growth forest along Park Creek in the Baker Lake basin, close to Baker Lake and the larger Swift Creek Campground.
Camp
