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| Lava Hot Springs, Idaho |
On a recent road trip to Yellowstone National Park, I booked
a room for the night in a little town called Lava Hot Springs Idaho. It was one of the best places we stopped on
the whole trip, and when you’re talking about a trip to Yellowstone National
Park, that’s a bold statement to make. Lava Hot Springs is the quintessential
American town you see on old postcards. It’s situated on the original route of the old
Oregon Trail. It’s most famous for the natural hot spring baths located
throughout the town.
The tiny town of 400 people is actually situated in a river valley. Main Street runs parallel with the Portneuf river. There are about 6 different places in town where you can rent a tube, catch a shuttle and then ride the river as it twists through town. Be warned: my girlfriend and I both ended up with a few well deserved battlescars when we went over one of the waterfalls in the wrong spot. There were about ten different signs warning us, but we saw the locals doing it, so we followed them. Because the river is fed by several hot springs, the water temperature is pretty mild compared to most mountain streams. I would estimate it was around 60 degrees. In contrast, the Snake River in Jackson Wyoming is 42 degrees in June.
The tiny town of 400 people is actually situated in a river valley. Main Street runs parallel with the Portneuf river. There are about 6 different places in town where you can rent a tube, catch a shuttle and then ride the river as it twists through town. Be warned: my girlfriend and I both ended up with a few well deserved battlescars when we went over one of the waterfalls in the wrong spot. There were about ten different signs warning us, but we saw the locals doing it, so we followed them. Because the river is fed by several hot springs, the water temperature is pretty mild compared to most mountain streams. I would estimate it was around 60 degrees. In contrast, the Snake River in Jackson Wyoming is 42 degrees in June.
