Lava Hot Springs
Southeast Region of Idaho

accommodations

Downtown Lava Hotsprings - an artistic composition combining 10 years of photographs.

Lava Hot Springs is nestled in a bend of the Portneuf River (pronounced “port NOOF”, with a French accent). It is a small community that still retains much of its original character. Most of its residents have been here for many generations. The downtown area itself is full of eateries and accommodations of various types. It is popular in both summer and winter. There are many historic buildings and homes. Because of the outstanding architectural and historic features, efforts are currently underway to nominate many of the buildings to the National Register of Historic Places.

Lava Hot Springs, the edge of town.

Of course, the best reason to come to Lava Hot Springs is for the soothing baths and spas. The naturally occurring hot springs are of extremely high quality. They are odorless and contain a very rich and healthful mineral content. The water contains no harmful metals - it's actually potable!

And when you're not soaking...
There's winter ice skating, tubing on the Portneuf, horse drawn wagon rides with dinner, Portneuf Puffer Historical Tours, Smith's Trout Haven, Medieval Living History at Somerville Manor, and Golf at Thunder Canyon.

How Lava Hot Springs came to be...

Lava Hot Springs Museum with Spirit Mountain in the background.

The Indians of the Northwest were the first to come to and enjoy the hot springs in this area. Members of the Nez Perce, Paiute, Shoshoni, Bannock, Crow and Flathead tribes, to name a few, gathered at the hot mineral waters to bathe, rest and worship. This area was neutral ground shared by all tribes. The area was recognized as spiritual, and the quartz rock mountain to the north of town overlooking the hot springs was a place for vision quests.

Hudspeth Cutoff

The first recorded Euro-Americans who came to this area were trappers, arriving in 1812 with Wilson Hunt. Because of the superior quality of the hides on the Portneuf, other trappers followed, including Bob Dempsey, who gave his name to this area. Immigrants on their way to Oregon and California passed close to Lava Hot Springs. After the discovery of gold in California in 1849, those heading west looked for short cuts. In July, a group of Missourians, led by Benoni Hudspeth and John Meyers, left the established route at Soda Springs, 20 miles east of Lava. The group headed west and south, rejoining the California Trail at Raft River. Through the late 1850s the "Hudspeth Cutoff" was the main route to California from the Oregon Trail. Parts of the Trail are still visible in the nearby hills. Some of these weary travelers stopped at Lava's hot baths.

In the late 1800's, when the Indians were put on the Fort Hall Reservation, the Federal Government turned the area of what is known as Lava, over to the State of Idaho, which retained the rights to operate, manage, maintain and control the area on the north side of the Portneuf River. The south side of the river was opened to homesteading. John T. Hall, an Englishman, first homesteaded Lava in 1904.

Hall's Place in Dempsey, now Lava Hot Springs.

As is true of most towns in Southeastern Idaho, the establishment and growth of Lava Hot Springs dates from the arrival of the railroads, which not only brought in workers and jobs, but also helped to open the rich agricultural land of the region. The town was surveyed in 1911 and called Hall City. The town's current lots, blocks, streets and alleys date from that time. Dempsey was down river from Hall City about 1 mile. After Hall City was formed, Dempsey was moved into Hall City and shortly thereafter the town was named Lava Hot Springs Village (July 24, 1915).

In 1911, the state legislature appropriated $500 for a one-room enclosure over the pool, and further improvements were made in 1913, including separate bathing pools for men and women. With these improvements, the pools came to be used on a year-round basis.

Mud baths of the Natatorium. Ladies went in one hour and men went in the next hour.

By the late 1920s the bathing facilities included an enclosed Natatorium, an open-air pool with a high diving tower, a Sanitarium, and "mud bath" or Hot Baths, and the Spa Plunge – an outdoor swimming pool known for its "water toboggan". The mud bath was used by men and women, separately of course. The men enjoyed the soothing baths for an hour, then it was the ladies' turn for an hour, and on they would go revolving throughout the day. The Old Natatorium, built in 1918, was destroyed by fire in 1982. Lava developed rapidly in the 1920s, as it became a destination point for people outside of the local area. The Union Pacific railroad from Chicago to Portland (Oregon) stopped here, and unloaded many weary and ill travelers who had come from afar to try the healing baths of Lava Hot Springs. Hotels, apartments, summer cottages, restaurants and saloons were constructed to meet the needs of the growing tourist trade. In 1924, more than 200,000 people visited Lava.

Lava Hot Springs is located conveniently near two of Idaho's designated byways, the "Pioneer Historic Byway" (Highway 34) and "Bear Lake-Caribou Scenic Byway" (encompassing large portions of Highways 34, 30 and 89). It is 11 miles east of McCammon off I-15.

Events in and around Lava Hot Springs
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