Miracle Hot Springs, Idaho

Official travel review page: https://technotink.net/travel/?p=1744
by Thomas Baurley

Miracle Hot Springs
19073A US-30, Buhl, Idaho 83316
208-543-6002
www.miraclehotspring.com

One of my favorite commercial hot springs stop-offs in the American Wild West. Right off of the scenic byway – Thousand Springs in Idaho, off US-80, about a 1/2 hour detour from the interstate lies a small little resort called “Miracle Hot Springs.” It has several public geothermal pools, numerous private tubs/pools, a pet alligator, canvas group camping domes, tent areas, and a campsite for RVs with a small riverboat launch. Located across the highway and down the road from the Snake River.

Miracle Hot Springs is a geothermal oasis in the Idaho desert that has year-round access, a continuous flow that is soft to the touch, silky-like sensation, and odorless. It possesses an alkaline pH of 9.6. It is across the highway from its common property – Banbury Hot Springs. Most definitely the best of the two, Miracle has 4 public pools of varying temperatures that are maintained and emptied, refreshed daily with the natural hot springs water. They also have 15 private baths that are drained and refilled after each rental. The Miracle is open Mondays through Saturdays, usually 8 am to 10 pm. Closed on Sundays. Camping and cabins are available. Camping is very affordable but has just the basics. No WiFi or internet service in the area, and cell phone coverage is next to obsolete. Kayaking rentals are available at Banbury,.

I’ve been stopping off at these Springs every time I drive back and forth from Colorado to Washington state (which, if not monthly, is bi-monthly). Most of the time, it’s empty and not crowded. But since the pandemic, I’ve seen it become a nightmare, which is saddening. The prices are still decent, though they’ve raised their rates due to their popularity obviously,

As far as folklore and medicinal healing, I have not found any lore associated with these Springs. Hot Springs, in general, within the Americas, have been known for thousands of years to be a place where humans would go to cure a variety of physical and mental illnesses by soaking in the magic waters. Miracle Hot Springs is one of those places. What it cures is unknown; the “Miracle” waters are just known to cure. Balneology – the science and treatment of diseases by taking baths or soaking in mineral waters has been found throughout the world. The word comes from the Latin term “balneum” for bath.