Heise Hot Springs

What to expect

Heise Hot Springs is an old-fashioned family resort on the South Fork of the Snake River, where the river leaves its canyon and opens onto the farmland east of Idaho Falls. It is not a wild soak and does not pretend to be. You pay at a front desk, rent a towel if you forgot one, and pick between a few pools of different temperatures, with a golf course, a pizza parlor and a string of campgrounds spread along the river around them.

The reason most people come in the colder months is the hot pool. It is fed by a natural mineral spring, and the resort keeps it at about 104°F40°C. That is hot enough that most adults sit on the steps for a while rather than swimming. The resort posts a mineral analysis of the spring, which is mostly sodium chloride with smaller amounts of sulphates, carbonates and silica.

Next to it is a shallow warm pool at about 96°F36°C. This is the one the resort steers families with small children toward, and on a winter evening it is where you will find most of the kids.

In summer the big outdoor swimming pool opens as well. It is a lap-and-play pool at about 84°F29°C with a diving board and a 350-foot waterslide. The slide is an add-on rather than part of the basic pass, so decide before you pay whether the kids will want it.

Food is on site. A snack bar in the summer pool building sells burgers, onion rings, shakes and soft-serve, and Heise Pizza runs year-round with longer hours than the pools on most nights.

Getting there

Heise sits at 5116 E Heise Road, a few miles east of Ririe in Jefferson County. From Idaho Falls, take US-26 east toward Ririe and Swan Valley, then follow the signs north for Heise and Kelly Canyon. Allow roughly half an hour from Idaho Falls. The roads are paved all the way to the resort, and there is parking beside the pool building.

The same road continues east to Kelly Canyon Ski Resort, which makes Heise an easy stop on the way back from a ski day in winter.

When to go

Winter is when the hot pool earns its keep. Snow on the hills, steam off the water and a 104°F40°C soak is the main draw from about November to March. Weekday hours start at 2pm, so plan an afternoon or evening visit. Weekends open at 10am.

Summer (Memorial Day to Labor Day) is busier and more of a water park day. The summer pool and slide are open, the hot pools run 10am to 10pm every day, and the campgrounds fill with families and anglers working the South Fork. Weather can change pool and slide hours, and the resort does not refund for bad weather, so call ahead on stormy days.

Fall has a short shoulder season. In September and October the summer pool keeps limited hours (Friday evening and Saturday afternoon in 2026), while the hot pools stay on their winter schedule.

The Big Rock Fire, started by lightning on July 31, 2026 in the foothills east of Heise, forced evacuations of the resort, nearby homes and campgrounds, and closed the road to Kelly Canyon for a time. The resort has reopened on its regular hours. The zipline was closed for the rest of the 2026 season because of fire damage, so check before you plan around it next year.

Prices and booking

You do not need a reservation for the pools. Just turn up during opening hours. The 2026 rates:

• All-day pool pass: $13 for ages 12 and up, $10 for kids 11 and under, $8 for seniors 65 and older. It covers the hot pool, the warm pool and the summer pool.
• Waterslide: a $5 upgrade on top of the day pass. Season passes include the slide.
• Spectators: everyone who goes into the pool area needs a pass, even if they are only watching.
• Rentals: swimsuits and towels are $1 each, life jackets $2.
• Season passes: $400 adult, $300 child, $365 senior, or $255 for a half season.

Prices are subject to 6% Idaho sales tax, and cards carry a 3.99% fee, so cash saves a little. Swim lessons and lifeguard classes are run on site in summer and booked through the resort’s lesson site.

Golf tee times run every 10 minutes from 9am until an hour before sunset. Book through the pro shop on 208-538-7312, ext. 3.

Where to stay nearby

Heise has its own lodging, which is the simplest option if you want an evening soak without a drive afterward.

• Resort campgrounds: Big Rock and Golf Course campgrounds have full hookups (30 and 50 amp). The Main and Little Rock campgrounds cover dry and partial-hookup sites. The 2026 nightly rates were $50 full hookup, $40 electric only and $30 dry, plus tax, with weekly and monthly rates for full hookups. The campgrounds open from mid-April to mid-October. Restrooms, showers and laundry are on site.
• Resort cabins: studio cabins ($150 a night, no kitchen), park models ($175, full kitchen) and a two-bedroom cabin for up to four ($250). Pets are not allowed in the cabins.
• Book by phone: call 208-538-7312, ext. 4, with your dates, site preference and rig length. A card holds the booking, and you need 48 hours’ notice to cancel without paying for the first night.
• Idaho Falls, about half an hour west, has the nearest chain hotels and full services. Rexburg is a similar distance to the north.

Safety notes

• Hot pool temperature: At 104°F40°C, long soaks can make you lightheaded, especially after a day of skiing or in summer heat. Take breaks, drink water and keep small children in the warm pool.
• Kids and water: The resort teaches swim lessons and staffs lifeguard classes, but watch your own children closely around the deep summer pool and the slide.
• Wildfire season: The hills around Heise are dry sagebrush and timber. The 2026 fire showed how quickly evacuations can happen. In late summer, check local news and fire restrictions before you camp, and never leave a campfire unattended.
• River: The South Fork of the Snake runs fast and cold past the campgrounds. Keep children away from the bank and wear a life jacket on the water.

Nearby stops worth adding

The South Fork of the Snake River is one of Idaho’s best-known trout rivers, and float and fishing trips through the canyon upstream end not far from Heise. In winter, Kelly Canyon Ski Resort is a short drive up the same road. If you want a second soak, Green Canyon Hot Springs is northeast of Rexburg and makes a reasonable pairing on a road trip through eastern Idaho.