Hot Springs Near Coeur d'Alene: Pools, Drive Times and What Each One Suits

Weir Creek Hot Springs: the primitive soak on the US-12 corridor

Weir Creek is a free primitive geothermal site at milepost 142.1 on US Highway 12 in Idaho County, roughly 68 miles east of Kooskia and about 35 miles west of the Idaho-Montana border. Three to four volunteer-built soaking pools sit among cedar trees and volcanic rock cliffs above Weir Creek, with gravel and sand bottoms and edges of split log and rock. It is a wild site in every sense: no developed facilities beyond a vault toilet, and a light sulfur odor in the air.

This is the soak to choose if you want scenery earned on foot and do not mind sharing it. The upper main pool sits on a cliff ledge above the creek, which gives the best view and the hottest water, while lower pools near the creek run cooler and shift with the season and water level. Families with young children and anyone unsteady on rocky ground should think twice, since the approach is steep and the ledge is exposed.

Getting to Weir Creek: milepost 142.1 and the half-mile trail

Park at the turnout at milepost 142.1, on the north side of US-12 when you approach from Kooskia; coming from Missoula you cross Lolo Pass and run west along the highway. Any standard vehicle reaches the paved pullout, and from there you follow the trail upstream along Weir Creek for about 0.5 miles one-way. The walk gains roughly 200 feet and takes 15 to 20 minutes each way, with steep sections and rocky footing that call for shoes with grip.

Expect mud after rain and ice in winter, and take a walking stick for the descent if you have one, because the way down is where most slips happen. There is no cell service along US-12 between Kooskia and the Montana border, so download offline maps before you leave town. Emergency services are based in Kooskia, about 68 miles west.

Weir Creek water temperatures and pool layout

The geothermal source emerges at about 118 degrees Fahrenheit, well above a comfortable soaking range, and the upper main pool on the cliff ledge settles near 105 degrees and seats up to ten people. Lower pools near the creek run cooler but vary with season and creek level, so test with your hand before you commit a foot, and start at the lower pools if you want a gentler entry.

Mineral deposits, algae and creek spray keep the rock and log edges slick, so move slowly around the pool rims and keep clear of the ledge drop when you are out of the water. Avoid submerging your head in untreated geothermal water, and leave any pool if you feel overheated or lightheaded.

Weir Creek rules: clothing, overnight parking and dogs

Clothing is optional at Weir Creek, the norm along the US-12 corridor, and you can expect a mix of swimwear and natural attire, especially on busy summer weekends. Overnight use of the hot springs area and overnight parking at the trailhead are not permitted between 8pm and 6am daily, a restriction that is enforced. Dogs are welcome on the trail but must be leashed and kept out of the soaking pools.

If you want a quiet soak, plan around the rules rather than against them: arrive early on a weekday, soak, and drive back out before the evening window closes. Summer weekends bring heavy use and occasional loud groups, so an early start is the simplest fix.

Camping near Weir Creek

Primitive dispersed camping is available in the surrounding Clearwater National Forest at a legal distance from water sources, which makes a multi-day trip practical if you can pack out everything you bring in. For a developed anchor, Colgate Camp sits about 5.6 miles east on US-12, and several other campgrounds lie within a few miles of the site.

Treat the 8pm-to-6am trailhead closure as your planning spine: set camp before dark, or plan to be back on the highway before the window begins. The nearest services are in Kooskia to the west, so fuel and supplies belong on the way in.

Haven Hot Springs near Lowman: the developed alternative

Haven Hot Springs is a historic property in Lowman, established in 1951, with a 75-by-30-foot pool fed by free-flowing thermal water. The pool's hotter side runs 101 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit and the cooler side 85 to 98 degrees depending on season and weather, so a group with different tolerance for heat can split across the same pool. Haven describes itself as walking distance to Kirkham Hot Springs, which makes it a natural base for a Lowman-area soak trip.

Beyond the big pool, each of the four motel rooms has a private backyard soaking tub, fenced for privacy and adjustable with a cold-water hose. That combination of a communal pool and a private tub is the main reason to choose Haven over a primitive site: you get hot water on demand without a hike, and you sleep a few steps away.

Haven's pool and private tubs: temperatures and reservations

Private soaks are reserved by the hour, and your group gets the pool to itself; reserve online ahead of time because slots fill. Public pool hours run 8am to 10pm, and overnight guests get free access to the big pool at night plus half-price soaks during the day.

A private soak reservation costs twenty dollars per hour plus tax for one or two people, with ten dollars each for additional people plus tax. Overnight guests who book a room get the private tubs behind the rooms and the half-price daytime pool rate, which changes the math if you plan to soak more than once.

Haven rates, hours and the café

The four motel rooms have one or two beds, wifi, a smart TV, bath and shower, fridge, microwave and coffee maker, and the property is pet friendly; the room rate starts at a minimum of one hundred eighty-five dollars before tax, fees, extra guests and pets, with seasonal rates possible. Camping runs thirty-seven to sixty-seven dollars for RV full-hookup sites depending on hookups and fifteen to thirty-seven dollars for tent and car spots, each plus five dollars per camper or pet and a ten percent tax and handling charge.

The on-site café is closed for now and preparing to reopen, with a seasonal schedule that the property describes as reopening in fall 2026, so plan meals around that if you are counting on eating there. The shop stocks ice, soda, juice and convenience items, and guests are asked to text ahead on the listed number before making the trip, including for fuel at the property's ethanol-free pump.

Staying at Haven: motel rooms, RV hookups and tent spots

Overnight stays come with 24/7 access to a restroom with sink and flush toilet and wifi near the café, plus the half-price day soaks and free after-10pm pool access. RV sites are shady or grassy, tent and car camping spots are available, and there is a lawn area for Backwoods Discovery Route riders, with laundry and shower options on request.

Guests who want supplies beyond the shop should pick them up in Garden Valley on the way in, since the run to Lowman is where services thin out. The trade-off is simple: Haven is the comfortable, reservable option, and it costs accordingly, so decide whether your trip is about a hike-and-soak or a soak-and-sleep.

Best time to go

On US-12, late spring through fall gives the most reliable trail conditions and stable pool temperatures, and summer weekday mornings are the quietest window before weekend crowds build. Winter access to Weir Creek is possible on foot through snow, but conditions vary widely and the trail ices over, so traction and an early start matter more than ever.

At Haven, the pool temperature swings with season and weather, and the hotter side of the big pool is where you want to be on a cold day; the private tubs are the reliable option when the communal pool feels cool to you. Book ahead for weekends and holidays, when the four rooms go first.

What to bring for each kind of soak

For Weir Creek, pack shoes with real grip, a walking stick if you use one, water, a towel and a dry layer for the descent; leave glass at home, and carry out everything you bring because the only facility is a vault toilet. For Haven, bring a swimsuit, a towel and a card for the café and shop, and text ahead about meals or fuel.

Both trips reward a dry bag and a change of clothes, and neither is a place to leave valuables in the car at a remote trailhead. Think about the return drive before you soak: a long descent on icy rock or a dark highway is not the time to be dehydrated.

Pairing springs on a road trip

Weir Creek sits on the same US-12 corridor as Jerry Johnson Hot Springs a few miles west and Stanley Hot Springs to the east toward Lolo Pass, so a single drive can string together several soaks if you are camping along the way. If you base in Coeur d'Alene and head east, plan the Weir Creek hike for a weekday morning and use the afternoon for the drive back.

Heading south instead, Lowman and the Payette National Forest country around McCall open up a different loop, with Kirkham Hot Springs next to Haven and more pools up and down the highway. That route makes a natural companion to the hot springs near mccall if you want a second night and a different landscape, and soakers planning a wider road trip can also browse this Oregon guide for pools on the far side of the state line.

Leave No Trace at primitive pools

At Weir Creek, the site stays usable because visitors pack out all trash, use the vault toilet for every kind of waste, and keep dogs leashed and out of the water. Keep your gear and towels on bare rock rather than trampled vegetation, and give the pools a rest if a large group is already in them.

Safety basics

The source at Weir Creek runs about 118 degrees Fahrenheit, so treat the upper pools with respect and test the water with your hand before entering; the rock and log rims are slick from mineral deposits and algae. Never submerge your head in untreated geothermal water, and watch children and dogs near the ledge above the creek.

At Haven, the posted hotter side of the pool is 101 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, and the private tubs can be cooled with a hose; use the folding step and skim net provided and stay clear of the hot-water inflow pipe. At any spring, climb out if you feel overheated, and drink water before and after soaking.

Plan Your Visit

Choose Weir Creek if you want a short, steep hike and a primitive pool above a creek, and choose Haven Hot Springs if you want a reservable soak, a private tub and a bed close by. The first is a day trip with a trailhead restriction to plan around; the second is a booked stay with posted temperatures and hourly private soaks.

Before you drive, check trail and road conditions with the Clearwater National Forest for the US-12 corridor, and reserve your soak time with Haven directly if you are heading to Lowman. Build in a supply stop in Kooskia or Garden Valley and you will not be caught short at either end of the trip. For every soak in the state, start with our guide to Idaho hot springs.