Riggins Hot Springs

What to expect

Riggins Hot Springs is not a hot spring you can simply show up and soak in. It is a private estate on the Salmon River upstream from the town of Riggins, built around a geothermal source, and it has been run as a guest lodge. If you found this name on a hot springs map and were planning a soak, the short answer is: there is nothing for the public here, and you should not try to visit without an invitation.

We are listing it because the name shows up on many hot springs lists and maps, and people searching for it deserve a straight answer about what is there.

According to the property’s real estate listings, the estate covers 155 private acres with more than a mile of Salmon River frontage. The main building is a furnished, three-story lodge of about 5,700 square feet, built in 1975. Next to it are a complex of three one-bedroom condos, a pool house with a recreation room and extra sleeping space, an office with its own living quarters, a shop, barns and a separate small dwelling. The geothermal water feeds an in-ground pool and a hot tub. There is also a spring-fed pond, a garden and a greenhouse.

The listings do not give a water temperature or describe natural pools, so we have left those out.

Current status

The property has been for sale for several years. It was first listed in June 2020, at prices as high as $6,687,000. In November 2025 the asking price was cut from $4,750,000 to $3,925,000, and it is being sold as is, with the listing noting that the price reflects updates it needs.

The lodge’s own booking website was offline when we checked in October 2026. We found no current, official sign that it is accepting guests. Until it is sold and someone announces a reopening, treat it as closed to visitors.

If you are interested in the property itself, contact the listing agent rather than driving out.

Getting there

Even though you cannot soak here, it helps to know where it is so you do not end up at the bridge by mistake.

From the town of Riggins on US-95, turn east onto the Salmon River Road (Big Salmon River Road), which runs upstream along the main Salmon. The estate is about 9 miles up the road. The buildings are on the far side of the river, reached by a private one-lane suspension bridge with a main span of roughly 350 feet. The bridge is part of the private property. Do not drive or walk across it without permission.

The Salmon River Road continues upstream past the estate toward Forest Service campgrounds and river access points, so it is a scenic drive whether or not you stop.

When to go

There is no visiting season for the public. For the canyon in general, the Salmon River near Riggins sits low and gets little snow compared with the mountains around it, and the property listing describes access as year-round. Summers in the canyon are hot. Spring and fall are the pleasant months for the drive up the river.

Rules and etiquette

• It is private. No trespassing, no parking at the bridge, and no crossing it without the owners’ permission.
• No public soaking. There are no natural pools along the road that belong to the public at this site.
• Respect neighbors. Other private land along the Salmon River Road is also posted. Use public pullouts and Forest Service sites.

Where to stay nearby

• Riggins has several motels and river outfitters, and it is the base for most Salmon River trips. The Salmon Rapids Lodge in town is a common meeting point for rafting groups.
• Spring Bar Campground, a Forest Service campground, is a little farther upriver on the same road, a short drive past the estate.
• New Meadows and McCall, an hour or more south on US-95 and Highway 55, have more lodging and are closer to public hot springs.

Where to soak instead

If you came to the Riggins area for a hot soak, try these public options:

• Zims Hot Springs is a long-running commercial pool near New Meadows, south of Riggins on US-95. It is the closest developed soak to the Salmon River canyon.
• Burgdorf Hot Springs, north of McCall, is a historic resort with one big sandy pool, two small hot pools and rustic cabins. In winter you can only get there by snowmobile.
• Gold Fork Hot Springs, east of Donnelly, has six rock-edged pools stepping down a forested hillside.

Safety notes

• River: The Salmon is big, fast and cold. Do not wade or swim near the bridge or anywhere you cannot see the current clearly.
• Road: Salmon River Road is narrow with steep drop-offs to the river in places. Watch for rafting traffic and vehicles towing boats in summer.
• Heat and wildlife: The canyon gets very hot in July and August. Elk, deer and occasional bears move through the area, and rattlesnakes live in the canyon’s dry, rocky slopes.

Nearby stops worth adding

The Salmon River Road is a good drive in its own right. It follows the river upstream through a steep canyon with sandy beaches, rapids and river access points. Riggins is also the gateway for day rafting and jet boat trips on the main Salmon, and outfitters in town can set up a half-day float if you want to get on the water.