Lava Hot Springs reopens after major hot pool upgrades

LAVA HOT SPRINGS, Idaho — A popular recreation destination in southeast Idaho is open again after a major renovation of its hot pools, including improvements designed to make the facility more accessible and comfortable for visitors.

The hot water at Lava Hot Springs comes directly from the ground, with about 2.6 million gallons flowing through the facility each day, according to Tyson Koester, executive director of the Lava Hot Springs Foundation.

"Comes out of the ground. We don't add anything to it. It's 100% natural," Koester said.

The hot pools have a long history. The property was first owned by the state of Idaho in 1902 as a land grant and was later developed in the mid-1960s into the public facility visitors know today.

Renovations focused on safety and accessibility

After decades of use, the largest and hottest pool was in need of major repairs.

"The old pool was failing, and, you know, the steps were deteriorating, falling away from the walls. Walls were tipping in. The older ramps were super steep. The stairs were super steep. And we wanted to make it ADA compliant," Koester said.

Making the facility more accessible and meeting Americans with Disabilities Act requirements was one of the major goals of the project. That meant figuring out how to rebuild the pool while dealing with the depth of the water and keeping as much of the facility open as possible.

"How do we get below footing depth with the water? And then how do we open the other four pools back up as quickly as we can? And we did that in 28 days," Koester said.

Water was diverted to the facility's other four pools while work was underway on the larger upper pool. The entire facility was closed for 28 days, while work on the upper pool took a little more than 10 months.

Also included in the project with the ADA improvements are a new swim-up sun deck with loungers, new seating at various depths, major infrastructure upgrades and additions to the natural plant life around the pools.

The foundation held a grand reopening Sept. 3, and the hot pools are now operating as usual.

"People have been very happy and are super excited to be back in the water," Koester said.

The Patterson couple from Idaho Falls are regular visitors to the facility. They came throughout the project to watch the changes in progress.

"It's amazing. It's magical," Ilene Patterson said.

"They just redid the big one (upper pool). Oh man. It's amazing. They've got couches in there," Bill Patterson said.

A 'cool pool' is next

The work isn't finished.

Even before the renovation, Koester said, visitors repeatedly asked for a cold plunge. So the foundation is already digging the hole for the new pool.

"It won't be a true cold plunge because we are worried about, you know, people coming out of 112-degree water to 45-degree water. So we're calling it a cool pool. I'm not tough enough to get in a cold pool," Koester said.

The foundation hopes to have the new cool pool completed sometime in the winter of 2026-2027.

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