gold fork hot springs

This place is great, ignore the negative reviews and experience it for yourself. I've visited a lot of private hot springs in Idaho and this place takes the cake. For $8 an adult you wont find a nicer hot springs- the setting is tranquil, the employees are very nice. We were there on Valentines and it was busy but still a very nice experience. My take on the bad reviews is that they are probably from some old school Idahoans that want to keep things low key and private. This place is a real gem and I hope to take family there when they come into town. What I liked the most was the friendly attendant- despite the chaos of Valentines Day she had time to chat with me- she was very relaxed and calm which kind of set the tone for our day there. I only wish they had a little campground or something there so we could spend more time there.

Pros and cons. It is apparent that many of these good reviews are 'planted' which is a common problem with trip advisor anyway. Pros. Rustic, nice temperature for the pools. That's about it.....Cons. Alcohol everywhere, the worker there denied it until we showed the overflowed trash cans and the beer cans surrounding the pool. Foul language everywhere. Pools were slimy and filthy. Health code violation heaven. One room for changing, no privacy change room, not rooms. No bathrooms. But large smelly port o potties. Not a family friendly facility. Please choose to go elsewhere, we failed to look up this sufficiently prior to coming.

Went up last month, was a bit foggy, the tiki torches were glowing through the fog and the pools were very well maintained. Even though this is an established hot springs, it is blended very beautifully into the background.

This is not your fancy 5 star resort/spa! That is why people love it, it has a rustic charm and atmosphere. It has grown in popularity over the years, If you want quiet and peaceful, don't visit on the weekend or holidays. It's a great large pool, is clean and has the perfect temperature for me. It gets really hot in the far corner where the Hotsprings come into the pool. There is a cooler pool below with a sand bottom. I have not waded in this one, I prefer the hotter pool. There is a rustic yurt for changing, group style! You will not find a private area to change. If this makes you uncomfortable, plan accordingly. It takes only a few minutes to change cloths, people coming and going in the yurt constantly. They have towels to rent, snacks and non alcoholic beverages for purchase. They only accept cash and checks, hit the ATM before heading out. It is quite a drive and it would be a huge disappointment if you came all the way and were dismissed. They do not allow glass in the pool area, but coolers and plastic cups with brought beverages are acceptable. My favorite time for a visit is for mine and my husband's birthdays. I will go back for certain!

GORGEOUS! Thus, you should definitely go. But, come dressed in your bathing suit, complete with a warm robe, towel and coats/boots in the winter months. There is a teeny tiny changing room in the yurt, but, it was almost impossible to get into on a busy winter weekend. The pools are beautiful, clean, and vary in temperature to make sure that there is something for everyone. We'll definitely go back, but next time, I'll be prepared to change in the car instead of trying to elbow my way into the changing room.

We have a second home in the area and have always heard about the hot springs as a "must do", so my family and I decided to try it out. The road there is plowed and maintained, however I do recommend AWD to get there. Once there I was surprised to find that the "snack bar", office, and changing rooms are all housed in one small yurt. The yurt was very crowded and smelled like cat urine. The dressing areas were extremely small and it was very frustrating trying to get dressed in order to leave, especially when the temperature outside was in the single digits. Signs posted throughout stated that no beverages besides water were allowed in the pools. However, people were pulling coolers to the edge and one woman even brought in a glass bottle of champagne! The lower pool with the sand was neat but it was only knee deep. The facility is poorly lit and it was difficult to see. The main pool was at a great temperature but was definitely crowded. The hot springs themselves were enjoyable but the amenities were definitely lacking.

I have visited several times....but last night was disappointing. The springs were super crowded. A lot of beer drinking and foul language. We did go at about 9:30pm so this may be why the crowd was a bit brash. Since this was a holiday weekend, it seemed busier than usual. $8.00/ticket. They don't accept credit cards...so bring cash or checks. Pretty expensive since we only stayed about an hour.

Yes, I know, the title has been used before. But that's the only way I could title this review!We (my wife and I) have been Hot Springers for years. We've been to all the good ones, at least most of them, in not only the PNW, but Montana, Utah, and California. We've gone on hot springs road trips, and visited many remote springs as well.Gold Fork exceeded my expectations! Family friendly, laid back, very affordable, more than worth the admission price of $8.00! There are six pools, ranging from luke warm to freakin' hot! The main pool is kept at 104 to 106, depending on where you're at in the pool. The three lower pools are all cooler, and one has sand like you're at the beach! The upper pool was my favorite, although I didn't spend as much time in it as the main pool. It was 108, and not for the faint of heart!I can't wait to go back!

Located in the mountains near Donnelly these hot springs are great for the whole family. Clean and friendly atmosphere. Reasonably priced. Don't let the road in stop you, dirt but usually in good shape. The hot water is most relaxing. As a bartender at the Donnelly club, I am asked Quite often what to see and do. Every one I recommended this to enjoyed going to the hot springs. bring your own towels Sitting in the hot water while it snows around you is a great experience

Always our family favorite. We have visited numerous times, and have never been disappointed! Our favorite time to go is in the winter. The place is entirely lighted by candles, tiki torches and small solar lamps. Very clean and a reasonable price. Plus a yurt for your use as a changing area. Each pool has a different temperature, and they cascade down from hottest to colder temps.

6 pools, two porta potties, 1 yurt with a dressing room, throw rugs between your bare feet and the snow. Not very fancy, but the water...ahhh! Mineral hot springs pour from the rocks above and spill into each lower, cooler pool. Very kid friendly yet romantic. Don't let the gravel road and icy turns scare you off (but be sure to have FWD or AWD).

Set in the forest of the Idaho Mountains, you can relax and enjoy the crystal clear naturally hot water pools. We like to spend a couple of nights at the Ashley Inn (in Cascade, 20 min. away) and then come here in the afternoon. Very clean, bring you own towels though. Follow the directions. At one point you may think you missed it, but it's just that deep in the forest.

We knew nothing about these hot springs - we just noticed a sign on the highway and took the turn. The road there is twisty and full of loose cows but that just added to the magic.When we arrived we found out that it's a fully developed facility - changing room, office, mobile toilets, multiple very well maintained and super clean pools.We did not carry enough cash to cover the entrance fee and they let us to mail a check for the few dollars we were short.The attendant was very friendly, the pools had various temperatures and everybody could find their perfect place. We LOVED IT!

I'm from Florida and enjoy the wonderful outdoors and healing qualities of being close to nature at it's finest. You get all that at Gold Fork...it's very secluded in a pristine setting. I tried all five pools i liked the one at 103 degrees the most. PERFECT!!! the place is very clean including pools, wtr and pota potties. i've read some negative reviews here; however, it's just what you're looking for. if you're looking for private dressing booths, shower stalls and flushing towlets then don't come here. if you want a gorgeous, serene, healing experience in a natural setting then give Gold Fork a try. I must say Idaho is a well kept secret. GORGEOUS STATE!!!

I have been to this hot ponds many times. They are a natural hot springs which were later turned into about seven hot ponds (pools).. The top hot pond is the hottest, second one is next hottest and typically the most favored, then it just gets cooler the further down the pools get from the top. There is even one pool that has sand for beach lovers. I would suggest not going during the weekend. Typically mid week is the best. During the weekend it is packed with annoying unsupervised kids, but thankfully during the week they are all in school =) It is very relaxing with a romantic feel! If you get the chance the most romantic time is when it is snowing!! Please know if you do have a small car like I do (Yaris) you will need chains. The roads get pretty bad in the winter. During the summer little 2 wheel drive cars will get up there fine. But it is a 6 mile drive which isn't bad but it consists of up hill twist and turns making the drive feel a lot longer. But the drive is worth it!! They only take cash just so you know! Also they are closed on Tuesdays. There are changing rooms with lockers. The changing rooms are open with little privacy. The bathrooms consist of very very clean huge out houses with candles. Can't help but give them a gold star for trying to make the outhouses cute! =) Anyways, they are big enough to change in. There is also a very cute little snack section that are for purchase.