Idaho is home to a number of unexpected treasures: secret canyons that appear and disappear just as suddenly, lost rivers, and even alpine lakes that no human soul has ever seen up close. Is it really any surprise that Idaho would also be home to multiple natural spring pools, tucked away in a hidden desert oasis?

While the most famous of Idaho’s spring-fed pools are of the hot, steamy, thermal type, others are refreshing and perfect for warm weather dips. But only one place in Idaho is home to a jewel-toned spring that is truly remarkable: Box Canyon Springs State Park in the Magic Valley, a part of the Thousands Springs State Park complex.

And it. Is. Breathtaking.

Seemingly in the middle of nowhere on the north side of the Snake River Canyon, tucked away between Buhl, Hagerman, and Gooding, a small, hidden canyon is a precious local secret.
Lucas Free/AllTrails
From the unassuming trail, you won't even know this unexpected treasure exists until you're right on top of it. Instead, you'll feel miles away from civilization and fully immersed in the crunchy, grassy desert splendor of Southern Idaho. In fact, the Earl M. Hardy Box Canyon Spring area is known for its short yet challenging walking trails and scenic overlooks - although you wouldn't know it from the stripped skeletons of sagebrush that reach up from the dust.
It's not until you reach the edge of the canyon that you get to experience the "wow" moment that is Box Canyon Springs.
Danny Duckworth/AllTrails
Just a few hundred feet away from the dry, grassy rim of the canyon, wide green leaves and , ivy-wrapped rock walls mark the outskirts of a phenomenal oasis. Here, 180,000 gallons of water per minute pour into the Snake River. Lush green water plants sway beneath the current of a 20-foot waterfall, shaded by large trees.
Kris Peacock/AllTrails
The prismatic, green-blue spring is a captivating - an unexpected - sight that can only truly be appreciated in person.
MArnie Kiester/AllTrails

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A five-mile loop leads across the open farmland to the Box Canyon rim, less than a mile from the parking lot, where you can look down the 200-foot sheer wall and see the frigid water bubbling up from the aquifer.
Sheila Sund/Flickr
The glistening pools fed by Box Canyon Springs form a view that's hard to beat in the spring.
By this point, the sweet relief of the jewel-toned pools beneath you will be luring like a siren.
Jill Melinda Bergman/AllTrails
But the access is a steep, rocky hike at least a half-mile down to the canyon bottom. And navigating upriver to the swimming spot? An added challenge.
Along with hidden roots and brush along the banks, the spring also feeds stinging nettle and poison ivy, creating a slightly dangerous trip.