downata hot springs

Not just a Water Park but Lodging Too.We went for a recent family reunion. I had gone there before as a child so it was fun to go back. While we were there we stayed a few nights with my folks in the loft of a large cabin and and a couple in a small cabin. This trip was with our 5 children ages 6-14. We had family all over the park and the kids kind of ran wild. The various families too the little FRS/GMRS radios and the younger kids were running every where while I tried to relax. Some of my relatives stayed in the "yurts" others in trailers, some in tents and of course many of us in cabins.If money is not an issue then I highly recommend upgrading to the large cabin. It has a real kitchen with a fridge, stove and oven. There are pavilions and many places for the children to play. Unfortunately we did have one incident when my 8 your old girl stepped on a nasty old nail on a board that had fallen off some electrical or garden post near the ball courts and horse-shoe pits. Downey Idaho is a very small town and from what I could tell there is no "urgent-care" or Insta-care" available. In the office they said there is a clinic that is open during the week but it was Saturday and no medical help around. I am not one to run to the doctor for every little poke or scrape but I do worry about tetanus. I was a little frustrated dealing with the people in the office kind of playing the blame-game and trying to play it off as no big deal. I just getting ready to load my daughter up to drive down to Logan Utah when the lady in the front office allowed me to use the phone to contact our local medical provider where I was able to verify my daughter had her tetanus shot that should still be effective. This brings up another point must of us had NO cell coverage at all. The WiFi was so over-subscribed that it was not viable most the day. You had about a 50-50 chance getting an update to FaceBook and any streaming media would be next to impossible.Another Safety Concern. If you get the large cabin keep an eye on the kids. Nearly every one of mine fell down the ladder for the loft. After a couple days I finally convinced them that they were not stairs and to turn toward the ladder as then climbed down.It's always an adventure traveling with kids but even then I found it relaxing. They have plenty of fire-pits and our fire-pit at the big cabin even had a welded grill and we cooked, pork-chops, steak and even corn on the cob over the open wood fire. The fire pits were nice and were plentiful so if you have other family there you can decide, "my pit or yours". One night we must have had 20-30 people hanging out by a fire pit. It was great for playing the guitar and my brother even broke out his bagpipes. So yes there is NOISE and plenty of it with children galore running wild all over the park but I believe "Quiet-Time" is 11:00 PM and it does eventually quiet down. If you are the type that don't like noise and children this is probably not a very good match for you although I did notice it was much more quiet up above by the large cabins than down below in the trailer and tent area. The large cabins are off the beaten path up and away from most of the commotion so once the slides close for the night they are pretty quiet.the night we made that meal over the campfire many of my family and relatives decided on the "Steak and Soak" where you buy a meal and natural spring soaking pass on Saturday night. Since we already had great steaks that we made over the open pit I oped for the "soak" only and saved quite a bit of money. That was a nice break from the kids and the "Steak and Soak" seem to be mainly adults. A great time to relax, unwind and catch up talking to families. One thing I need to mention is EVERYTHING costs money there. My kids did not even swim every day but I would guess we spent well over $150 dollars, maybe as high as $200 just in swimming passes for a four day stay. Combine that with about $100 per night for lodging plus food and you can see how this vacation can quickly add up. Now you can do a lot of things to save money like bringing your own food and firewood. My brother in law unhitched the trailer and found enough wood for his fire pit in a few minutes along the road in the hills behind Downata. I on the other hand spend the 4 or 5 buck for a bundle that they conveniently brought right to our cabin. It was plenty for a decent camp fire and to cook our food that night.One nice thing is there is a small store in Downey and though the prices are a little high it is still a fraction of what you will pay eating and buying snacks a the pool's club-house. I did also witness some real booking chaos so if you make reservations before hand, which I recommend make sure you print your receipts and that they reflect the room or lodging that you have rented. Fun time, a little pricey but a great place for kids but I would do it again.

What a fun couple of days. We took our trailer and spent a really relaxing few days soaking in the hot pools and just kicking back. The campground is really convenient and if you have kids this is a great place. There is plenty of things to do, the pools an assortment of slides, hot pools, splash pad, horseshoes, basketball court, playground, 2 really nice sand volleyball courts and bathrooms and showers and picnic pavilions perfect for reunions. It is easy to get to and even if you don't have a trailer or tent, they have cabins, yurts and teepees and several houses for rent. They have cabins that are handicapped accessible and everything is kept immaculate. The only downside is that the pools are closed on Sunday. The camping spots are close together but considering this is a place where lots of families go to be together it is something I can live with. If you go during the week it is much quieter as many family reunions are held on the weekend. There is a snack bar and they do a steak and soak dinner deal on the weekend. The prices are pretty average for camping and swimming.

Jessica:I am so sorry you are disappointed in the slide rule. The sign with the rule posted has been on the slide when we installed the pool several years ago. The resort added the smaller slide in the pool for smaller children who are not able to go down the other pool slide. The larger slide has height and weight restrictions for people under 70 pounds and under 48 inches. The slide rule under 160 pounds is issued by the slide manufacturer and the sign has been on the slide when we first put the slide up in the pool. Slide manufacturers and insurance companies tell us the rules that need to be posted and enforced for your safety. Most slides have weight restrictions and the restriction is based upon the type of slide and entry level. We really try to maintain a safe and fun pool and we must enforce the rules under our regulations. I hope you will try us again soon and enjoy the three other slides that allow riders over 160 pounds. Have a fun summer!Sincerely,Darlene DownsManager

We rented the ranch house for one night. That itself was fantastic. It was clean, roomy, and had a lot of cool stuff they didn't advertise on their website.The downsides: one of the bathroom doors was broken and did not lock. There were a couple spiders but we had left the door open on accident. It was really hot and we couldn't open the windows and the AC did nothing.The pools were great. The water was clean and warm, even in the regular pool. My only complaint was the price. On top of the large amount we paid for the house, the $10 additional for each person to swim was hard to swing. Especially for a large family.

We thank you for your review and suggestions and we hope you enjoyed your stay at Downata Hot Springs. Just an update on our new construction project. We have been in construction since September with our biggest update to the old hot springs resort. The new therapeutic hot pools will be for soaking only and not splashing like the big pool. We are trying to separate the families who want to play and splash from those who want to come an soak in our natural hot spring fed pools and relax. We are also adding a new large dining room that will be for our dinners too. We are still remodeling the upstairs dining that will become the snack bar and snack bar dining. You will pay and check in at the new reception area that is located by the front door. I don't know if you enter the front way or the back way from the campground. The new sidewalks will be finished this week and it will be easier to find the front door. The new construction should be completed by the end of April and we are excited for the new changes. Downata is an old 100 year resort and we are working hard each year to add and change our facilities to make them better. Our camp host should arrive in May and they will be glad to help you in any area of the campground. We hope you will come and visit us again after the new hot pools are open. Downata has always been a summer only resort until four years ago. With the new hot pools we will become a year around facility and people can enjoy the magical spring water.Darlene DownsManager

Have been returning multiple times for the past 5 years. The water is excetional---clean, clear warm etc etc. Clean and warm dressing rooms. We have stayed at the RV campsites, Bunk House, and Cabins. All have been a wonderful experience with special attention to details.They trips have been family and church (LDS). Wonderful Staff, always accomadating. A brief example of the personal touch was when a lifeguard asked if he could talk to my wife. He then asked, "What dressing did you want with your salad?". That was relayed by his mic the upstairs snack bar. Grateful that we have such a wonderful Hot springs (120 mile from where we live)L T Curtis M.D.

We have stayed at Downata Hot Springs more than once. They have always been helpful and friendly. The rooms are clean and comfortable and the food in the restaurant is delicious! The managers go out of their way to be sure everything is satisfactory and will make changes and upgrades if there are any problems. The pool is a perfect temperature and is always extremely clean.

This place is awesome we rented a yurt for the night.pools were nice and warm dinner was great. The management was so friendly we would recommend this place to everyone.

Thank you for the great review. We hope you will return soon!Darlene DownsManager

I am excited that you enjoyed our hot springs pool at Downata Hot Springs. I am not sure if you read our history while you were visiting our 100 year old hot springs but I would like to let you know a little bit more about Downata. I started working for Downata Hot Springs 25 years ago. When I took over, the campground and pool was in very poor condition and close to being shut down. The campground was built in the early 60's when RV's were not as big and wide as they are today. The campground had only 30 hookup sites, 1 restroom (no showers except for at the pool), two pavilions, one with a dirt floor and three tepees. We added and approved the campground over the years with many hours of labor and little capital investment. The added tepees, pavilions, and all the cabins and yurts have been a great improvement. Each year we improve and add to our campground with what money is allowed for capital improvements. The campground is built on a marsh so we have a very high water table. Tons of gravel was brought in when the campground was built. This makes it difficult to put in sewer in any areas of the campground. Our county denied us a permit to put in a RV dump in our new sewer system and that is why we don't have a dump on site. The reason why we have coin operated showers (we actually heat the water in the showers in the restrooms) is for control of the showers being left on and filling our system. We know we don't have very many showers and so the 50 cents for 6 minutes fee also makes it possible for other guests to use the showers. We try to keep our camping fees low so families can enjoy the hot springs and we have some of the lowest rates in the area. I assure you I work very close with the owners from Utah who visit often. Only one owner in California is actively involved in the operation. I give them feed back from customers all the time. Feedback from our guests helps us get the needed capital improvements. You visited after a very busy Labor Day weekend. All of my yard workers had left for school and my camp host left for the summer. We operate with a very small staff after Labor Day. I apologize that my grandchildren had bothered you. I work seven days a week during the summer and that slow weekend was the only time that we were able to camp with our grandchildren the entire summer. We had our reunion at Downata so that we could still watch over the campground because my camp host was gone. Our resort gets most of our revenue from reunions and groups who travel to Downata. The volleyball court is very popular area. I would have moved you to a quieter site away from the volleyball area and closer to the restrooms if I had known. The sites along the bottom are some of our most popular sites.I will be glad to take your suggestion and put out some feedback forms for our campers. I have done this is the past, and you are right it is a good idea. I like to visit with our guests and my camp hosts are very good about getting feedback from our guests during the summer season. I would like you to know that we started our big hot pool project. You can go to our Facebook page or www.downata.blogspot.com and see the pictures. The completed project is going to be awesome. We are putting in a large dining room, dressings rooms for the hot pools, new entrance and two large hot pools. We plan on opening full time when the project is finished. Downata use to close every Labor Day and open Memorial Day weekend. The past four years we have been able to keep it open on the weekends after Labor Day. You are right about Downey being a dying town and so we depend on distance travelers and family reunions to support the resort. When the interstate came through the area, travelers stop passing through the town of Downey. Downey was a pretty active town before this happened. It is a great place to retire and has become a retirement community.I have offered exercise classes during the week year around for the past several years. I have seen miracles with people who have arthritis and other health problems improve their lives by coming to the hot springs to soak and exercise. I have taught these exercise classes for over 20 years and I have to say we have the best water around. I am so glad you enjoyed the pool. I invite you to join us again when you are in Idaho and I appreciate your review. I would love to put you up in one of our cabins and I think you will find them to be very comfortable and nice. I will be sure to share this review with the owners when we meet with them again.Sincerely,Darlene DownsManager

We love the LDS people. Most of our staff belongs to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). We welcome any youth group to our facility. However, we expect all groups regardless of their religion, gender or type who attend our resort to adhere to our rules in our campground and water facilities, be respectful of other guests and pay the clearly posted rates on our website and brochures. The rules at the pool facility, such as diving, are regulated by our health department and must be enforced for the safety of our swimmers. I am sorry your group had a bad experience but I assure you that we do not persecute Mormons or any other religious group. We have many groups of all religions come to Downata Hot Springs and enjoy our resort both winter and summer.Darlene DownsManager

I was looking for a place between yellowstone and Santaquin on my iPad Allstays app and spotted this. Looked good. Campsites are dry, E and WE. No sewer but they say a dump is close. Not many people here this time ofmyear. Sites are nice and wide with a grass strip to relax on. Lots of grown trees. It is a little weathered but looks pretty good for a hundred. We loved the pool and my wife got a massage from the on site masseuse. We plan to add this to our places to visit when in this area.We were here the weekend after Labor Day so it was pretty quiet which was great for usmoldies

The pool is clean and kept at a good temperature. There are slides for all ages. There is also a hot tub. There is a snack bar that you can get pizza, burgers, shakes, etc at. We stayed in one of the large cabins there. There was plenty of room. It's a little old but it was clean. It had a fully stocked kitchen. The space and amenities met out families needs. The water pressure in the showers was way too low. The decor fit the cabin. The beds were not comfortable at all though. There is a fire pit for each cabin and ours even had a BBQ grill. Fun environment. There are placed to pitch tents, park a trailer, different kinds of cabins, and even tepees you can reserve.

Thank you for the review. Downata is a old hot springs resort and we are improving each year. We have plans of expanding across the road and will be adding more facilities. The coin operated showers are so we can control people from leaving the water on or shower for excessive amounts of time due to the fact that we do not have many shower facilities in our campground. The County will not allow us to install a dump station in our large sewer system because we have a drain field and life stations that go above the resort. Downata's campground is built on a marsh and has a very high water table. We know that it is much needed and we really wish we could accommodate the campers better but we are working each year to improve the facility and make it a great place for reunions to come and visit. We will be starting hot pools next to our big pool and a new dining room for dinners in September. Come join us for some winter time fun! We have fireworks on New Years Eve and we hope to have our new additions finished for the new year celebration. Thank you again for review and coming to our hot springs. We hope you will visit again soon.Darlene DownsManager

Nice clean facility. Very kid friendly. Priced reasonably for an all day pass. The Yurts are nice and clean and provide great sleeping accommodations. The staff are all top notch and extremely friendly.