Lava Hot Springs, ID

Long before the town of Lava Hot Springs was established by European immigrants, the springs in this area were frequented by the native Bannock and Shoshone tribes who believed they had spiritual healing properties.

Built in the 1920s, the Lava Hot Springs Hospital was eventually used to rehabilitate veterans returning from World War I. The soothing waters of the natural springs were used for therapeutic treatments of the patients recovering here. After the war, the hospital became a place where the town’s elderly was cared for.

Only in the 1980s was this building turned into a hotel, containing 31 guest rooms and multiple pools ranging from 94-107 degrees Fahrenheit.