Surrounded By Idaho's Mountains Is A Year-Round Hot Spring Retreat With Backcountry Beauty And Charm

Idaho is a unique combination of wild and modern. On one hand, you have the massive and utterly wild landscape of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, one of the largest federally designated forests in the country. On the other, you have Meridian, an up-and-coming city filled with shops and open-air parks. A perfect balance of these two faces of the Gem State can be found at the Burgdorf Hot Springs, a year-round retreat filled with backcountry beauty and charm discovered by Fred Burgdorf, a German immigrant, in 1865. The resort transferred ownership to the Harris family in 1932, who has maintained the property ever since.

A little over 30 miles north of McCall – which itself is over two hours north of Boise – the Burgdorf Hot Springs is an isolated destination set deep within the mountains and woods of Payette National Forest. Taking Warren Wagon Road north from McCall takes you through towering trees and stunning mountain vistas before you arrive at the hot springs. Note that accessing the hot springs in winter requires a snowmobile since the road is not plowed. A series of rustic cabins provide visitors all of the rustic charm they need for a healthful retreat at these amazing hot spring pools.

Burgdorf Hot Springs comes equipped with 15 cabins to choose from for a vacation rental. Some, such as The Castle, can accommodate upwards of 10 guests. Most of the cabins, however, are better suited to more intimate stays of one to two people. Those who love history would do well to seek out The Long Tom, one of the oldest cabins on the property. Wood stoves are available in all the cabins, but guests are required to bring their own cooking tools and bed linens (visitors also need to bring their own towels and swimsuits for the hot springs). There is no electricity in the cabins, making this the perfect getaway if you want to get off-grid in comfort.

One perk of being a guest of the hot springs is 24-hour access to all three of Burgdorf's log-sided, gravel-lined pools. Day trippers are also encouraged so long as they have booked in advance (unlike the equally famous Jerry Johnson Hot Springs, walk-ins are not allowed at Burgdorf). The pools average 100 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit, with the smaller pools tending to be consistently warmer than the larger one. The pools never freeze thanks to these warmer temperatures, making them an excellent option for those seeking a solitary-yet-refined Idaho winter vacation. Combined with the rustic charm of the cabins, it makes for one truly unique frontier experience.

Owing to its setting within Payette National Forest's millions of acres of rocky mountains, beautiful forests, and glistening lakes, visitors to Burgdorf Hot Springs should have no trouble finding places to explore. There are also spots nearby Burgdorf that are accessible and beautiful.

The first you might see on your journey up Warren Wagon Road: A little ways south of the hot springs is a trail marker for the 13-acre Josephine Lake, which has crystal clear waters and exceptional surrounding scenery. The trail itself is an easy hike at just under a mile each way. Swimming is encouraged, as is fishing since drainage from the Salmon River brings brown, gold, rainbow, and cutthroat trout to this beautiful lake. If you're looking for a slightly more challenging hike, why not tackle Crystal Mountain? The yellow and pink quartz found at the summit make for a truly vibrant location, and the views southwards across Payette are not easily beaten. It's not a far trek north from the hot springs, and you can easily take a car with good ground clearance up the trail if you don't fancy walking. In the wintertime, a set of cross country skis and a snowmobile is a great way to explore these areas. The whole place is transformed by the snow, making for an excellent all-seasons Idaho adventure.