Hot spring pools can be a way to enjoy the healing power of water without venturing too far. Pools range from couple’s retreats to family getaways.
GARDEN VALLEY, Idaho — Hot springs can be a popular way to relax in Idaho, and often, those days start with a hike.
Hot spring pools can be an alternative for those who want to enjoy the water without venturing off too far.
Private hot spring pools are a way to guarantee privacy and a clean experience, said Jamie Voss-Claar, Double J&D Historic Hot Springs Ranch owner.
“You don’t have to worry about what was here before you were here,” Voss-Claar said.
Double J&D Historic Hot Springs Ranch is a couple’s retreat in Garden Valley, with a hot spring pool, guest house and hidden treasures like a fairy garden and dedicated spots to watch the sunrise and sunset.
“Those places also exist as a way for people to kind of step away from the main ranch house, take in the river view and everything, and also know 100% that they are by themselves,” said Dan Claar, Double J&D Historic Hot Springs Ranch owner
Before it was a romantic getaway, the property dated back to the 1890s when it housed a two-story hotel, Voss-Claar said. The hotel had a one-lane bowling alley and a venue for hosting dances.
“At one point in time, there was a two-story hotel built on the property to help host people who were coming through the area to get to Grimes Creek, the mining and some of the other attractions that people were finding interesting at that time in Idaho,” Voss-Claar said.
Now, the couple who own the property say they want the retreat to be a way to get away from life and have a digital detox. Because of this, only two people are allowed to stay at the ranch at a time, guaranteeing a private, intimate experience.
Down the road, Terrace Lakes Resort is a more family-friendly hot spring pool.
“Instead of hiking to a wild hot spring here, you have a place where we can keep it clean,” said Mary Morris, Terrace Lakes pool manager. “It’s family-oriented.”
Family and affordability have been Terrace Lakes Resort’s mission since it opened in 1965. The resort started to spend time in the mountains as a family without spending too much money, said Ilene Johnson, Terrace Lakes Resort corporate secretary.
“We couldn’t afford to go to Sun Valley and McCall, and we wanted to take our kids to the mountains, and I came up and knocked on doors of all the ranches in Garden Valley to build a campground and a trailer park, and the intent was to have a pool and a golf course and a snack bar,” Johnson said.
The resort includes pickleball courts, golf, a restaurant and a hot spring pool.
The pool is powered by geothermal energy, which is heat that comes from the Earth, Morris said. In the summer, the pool heats up to 94 degrees. In the winter, the pool reaches 102 degrees.
The pool is intended for all ages. In the morning, students go in for aerobics classes, with ages ranging from 70 to 90, Morris said. On the weekend, families and kids pack the pool.
“My biggest thrill of being here and seeing all these young families bring these little kids to the mountains to swim,” Johnson said.
Whether soaking in a pool for a couple’s retreat or a family getaway, hot spring owners say the mineral-rich water is healing for the body and soul.
“To think about all the different people who’ve been here experiencing this place, experiencing the water and knowing what it does for us, you know, that it really can reconnect us to something very deeply important and then also can heal us,” Voss-Claar said.
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