It’s hot outside and your mind is focused on just one thing: Getting and staying cool. So of course you head to Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. Now, the name doesn’t engender a sense of cold, does it? But bear with me here. This tiny Main Street-only town which also serves as a magnet for heat-oppressed Salt Lake City denizens envelops the lovely, cool, and refreshing Portneuf (pronounced port’-nuff) River. To bridge the gap between just dipping your feet in the water and feeling it all over your body, there are no fewer than four and possibly more tube rental shops. 

You’ll put in upstream at the edge of town, but just down from the waterfall (there of course have been folks wanting to “ride” a rubber tube down the waterfall, but they undoubtedly spent some time in the hospital or, if they were particularly adventurous, the morgue afterward). If you’re used to being in control, find a way to subdue that urge while on the water. You can paddle a little here or there, but you’ll really not have much say riding the current. It sure is nice and refreshing though, and in late spring/early summer there are enough small rapids to make it exciting. 

The ride itself lasts about 10 minutes from put-in to take-out, just before the town’s busy water park and Olympic-sized swimming pool. For a few bucks, you can hitch a ride back to the put-in spot on the shuttle, which puts you on display resembling a single-car parade down Main Street, or you can hoof it with a 15-minute walk. We purchased a 2-person tube for a 2-hour float window and walked instead of using the shuttle, and frankly the shuttle was only minimally faster than walking. So there you go.

The town’s name, of course, comes from its  hot springs  and while we didn’t try any of them on this trip, we can’t wait to head back to do so. There’s a small hotel across the street from our KOA and in addition to their hot springs pools, they also have a cold plunge chilled to a toe-curling 45 degrees. You know Annie will be all over that. 

On this trip we stayed right along the river at the KOA Lava Hot Springs West, which also allowed us to easily walk to town when desired. But there’s a downside to that:  If you can’t otherwise beat your demons demanding daily ice cream at the numerous shops, consider staying at one of the other RV spots or the KOA East, which is better accessed via car. Speaking of ice cream, we made repeated trips to the delicious Sweet Stuff. Weirdly, it’s served in a cube on top of an ice cream cone, so they don’t pack it into the cone itself. In the end though, it’s the same great taste going down!

While you’re there, visit Eruption Brewery in town. Not only do they have tasty brews, but also creative and tasty food. We ate there twice and had beers another time on top of that, and were pleased each time. Worth a visit or three. 

Regardless of your plans, get there soon before the last of the alpine snow melts and the river slowly transforms into a mere creek.