Kirkham Hot Springs

$5 day-use fee for non-campers at Kirkham Campground; the adjacent Kirkham Day Use Area is booked/paid through Recreation.gov, and America the Beautiful (Senior, Access, Military, Veteran) passes are accepted.

Recreation.gov's Kirkham Day Use Area page warns that rocks near the hot springs are uneven and slick when wet, and the pools sit right at the edge of the South Fork Payette River, a whitewater river with current; there are no lifeguards on site, so young kids need close supervision even though the soaking pools themselves are shallow and calm compared to the river.

A hike is required (a few minutes each way). Wear real shoes, since approaches to natural swim spots are often rocky or rooty.

Paved parking at the Kirkham Campground/Day Use Area right off State Highway 21. Recreation.gov requires a day-use confirmation number displayed on the dashboard; illegally parked vehicles can be fined or towed. America the Beautiful passes (Senior/Access/Military/Veteran) are accepted in lieu of the fee.

The South Fork Payette River past Kirkham is used for whitewater rafting, kayaking, and trout fishing per the Forest Service campground listing, but this applies to the river corridor generally, not the shallow rock soaking pools at the hot springs themselves. No official put-in, launch, or rental is listed at Kirkham; commercial outfitters running this stretch of river are based well downstream (see rentals).

Kirkham Day Use Area is open 7:00 am to 9:00 pm with no overnight camping; the campground closes entry after 10:00 pm; leashed pets are allowed but must be kept away from the hot spring pools; maximum two vehicles per campsite.