Photo by Brimstef, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
🇺🇸 USA · Idaho
♨ Temperature
46°C
⛰ Altitude
1707 m
⚗ pH
7.8
💧 TDS
320 mg/L
🌊 Flow rate
8 L/s
📅 Established
1890s
✓ Verified on 2026-07-22
Burgdorf Hot Springs sits at 1,700 metres in a forested mountain basin of the Payette National Forest, far from any town. The source delivers water at around 46°C into a large wooden-sided communal pool built from hand-hewn logs. The site has been used since the late 19th century, when early settlers operated a small resort here. Today it remains a managed facility — simple, seasonal, and deliberately remote — attracting backcountry travellers seeking the contrast of wilderness and warm water.
| Silica | 85 mg/L |
| Sodium | 160 mg/L |
| Sulphur | 12 mg/L |
The Burgdorf area was first developed as a hot spring resort in the 1890s during the Idaho gold rush era, when miners and prospectors used the natural pool for rest and recovery in the wilderness. The original log structures have been maintained in keeping with the site's historic character.
Burgdorf draws a particular kind of visitor — those willing to travel unpaved mountain roads through national forest for the reward of undeveloped wilderness bathing. The ethos of the site is one of solitude and simplicity, far from the commercialised spa experience.
The spring operates under Payette National Forest management, with strict limits on visitor numbers and overnight camping. The natural flow is not augmented, and the wooden pool structures are maintained with traditional materials to minimise environmental impact.
Websitewww.fs.usda.gov/recarea/payette
AddressBurgdorf, Idaho, USA