We just went to Zims Hot Springs and there is not much to write about here. This is just some plain old hot springs pools. They are not very fancy. But they feel real nice.
We visitied in late September. It has a very large warm pool and a smaller 104 degree 2 foot deep pool. Both are out of doors, cement and very clean. The senior rate is $5. There are showers using the same hot springs water that has been cooled. The showers are very rudimentary, but functional. It is a no nonsense family place. There are RV and tenting spots in the lot adjacent to the building. It is located just off the highway North of New Meadows. The owners have run the place since the 70's, they are a little gruff but friendly enough. I'd go back in a heartbeat if we lived nearby.
Like walking into an unfriendly bar disguised as a hot spring.The guy behind the desk was sosuch an undesirable character - I didn't want to even give him our money. Lame place.
There are 3 hot springs around this area but this one was closest so we picked it. The drive was short from McCall Idaho. The water was really nice and there was two separate pools ( one hotter and one cooler ). The pools are outdoors in an open air setting. When you arrive you have to check in. Where you check in is inside a building that is run down and seems very run down. There's a pool table and air hockey as well as some kiddie rides. You can get a basket for your clothes and they'll rent you a towel for 50 cents. They also have gas station type of snacks and drinks. The front desk guy seemed out of it. The pools/building didn't seem the cleanest but honestly the hot water made up for it all after a long day of snowmobiling.
Zims has always been a great place. The floors in the lodge are heated by the thermal water that runs underneath them. The building has an arcade and a ton of table to stage birthday parties. There are two pools one hot and one cooler. Has a nice deep end to the pool and a basketball hoop. Fun for all ages.
Went Zims Hot Springs in New Meadows, Idaho on Tuesday, 12-17-2013 on the recommendation of a local citizen in McCall, ID, after we found out "Gold Fork Cascading Hot Springs" off SR-55, near Idaho's West Central Mountains was CLOSED ON TUESDAYS. Went for a dip in Zims Hot Pools (they are CLOSED Mondays, so we lucked out there). Zims is open year-round (except Mondays), natural hot springs surface 90 to 95 degrees, depending on weather. One of the pools is Olympic size and kept at a cool 93 degrees and the other soaking pool is a muscle-relaxing 104 degrees. Zims Pools could use a bit more maintenance, such as cleaning & re-painting the cement pools and perhaps a better filtering system to eliminate green algae in the hot water pools. The pool deck has a nice rubber matte so people do not have to walk on cold cement in the winter months when they get in or out of the hot pools. Cost for Seniors (60+) was $6, DEC 2013 & $7 for others. A basket for clothes storage is provided at check-in. We had a nice relaxing & enjoyable soak (~ about 1 hour, between the pools). Zims has a nice rustic open "lodge style" entrance to the pool area, with a wood stove fireplace and a few snacks for sale.
This place was better 20 years ago when we first stopped in. Nice hot water spraying into the air, into the pool and full of folks. But hot water, people and time can take a toll and it is needing some TLC.But the water is still the draw here. Hope the step up their game.
Went to Zims with the family on 3/18/14. According to the website, it opened at 10:00. Got there shortly after and found out it didn't open until 12:00. When my wife let the very unfriendly man behind the counter know, he wouldn't even acknowledge her! The soaking pool felt great but lots and lots of floaties! The larger pool had a dark green slime on the walls. While it did feel great after a day of skiing, I will not go here again.
Zims has been around for a long time, so it is a bit rough around the edges. If you want a spa kind of experience, this is not the place to go. But if you have kids (or don't) and are looking for a great soak, this is it! Two pools, the cooler (but still very warm) pool is very large so plenty of room for everybody. It's great for kids who like to jump and splash, without disturbing others. A hotter pool is lovely for just sitting. It's also nice that there is an indoor area where you can take a break from the cold (in the winter) and can buy snacks and drinks.
This place has lots of potential but currently is pretty run down. The pool is nice but everything else is in need of updating and or repairs.