Lowman, Idaho – Hot Springs Pavilion

The Kirkham Hot Springs Day Use Area in Lowman, Idaho, was renovated to include a restroom and pavilion. Romtec took the lead in the design and engineering of the hot springs pavilion and delivered a pre-engineered building package to the site to be installed by the contractor.

Romtec partnered with the USDA Forest Service to deliver a thoughtfully engineered hot springs pavilion designed to enhance the visitor experience and provide much-needed shade.

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Kirkham Hot Springs Pavilion

Kirkham Hot Springs is located next to the South Fork Payette River east of Lowman, Idaho. Located just two hours from Boise in the Boise National Forest, the hot springs are one of Idaho’s most beloved roadside destinations. The Kirkham Hot Springs, which are nestled along the South Fork of the Payette River, feature mineral pools, cascading waterfalls, and panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.

The hot springs pavilion serves as a convenient and comfortable staging area for guests preparing to soak in the pools or hike nearby trails. The shade structure is especially vital during Idaho’s hot summer months, when there’s limited natural cover in the area.

Key features of Kirkham Hot Springs:

Hot springs: Ranging from 95-110 degrees, the pools suit different comfort levels.
Natural waterfalls: Geothermal water cascades into rock-formed pools, offering a gentle massage effect.
Accessibility: Located right off State Highway 21, with a short walk from the parking area.
Rustic charm: No commercial spa amenities.

Each restroom building was designed as a complete system. Romtec provided architectural, structural, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical design services. Existing well-water systems owned by the County were fully integrated into the building designs, allowing the facilities to operate as true flushing restrooms rather than a system with limited water systems.

Need For a Shade Structure

While there are a few Ponderosa pines at the day use area, most of the site can be very hot and sunny during the summer months due to a lack of shade. The hot springs addition is a nice addition to the area as it provides shade in the sweltry conditions. Additionally, during especially rainy or snowy times – the pavilion will also be there to protect people from the elements.

Native Americans first used the natural hot springs and recognized them for their healing properties. Even today, the high mineral content is known to soothe sore muscles, ease joint pain, and promote overall relaxation.

Having a pavilion near the hot springs offers a number of benefits:

Protection from the elements.
Staging area for visitors.
Improved wayfinding and accessibility.
Integration with amenities.
Environmental management.
Support for multi-use sites.
Enhance the relaxation experience.
Durable, low-maintenance solution.

Hot Springs Pavilion Specifics

The building package was installed by Dofine Construction.

The 40-foot by 32-foot pavilion was designed with durable, natural materials to complement the scenic location:

Resawn timber construction.
Hunter green metal roofing, selected to match the surrounding forest aesthetic.
Tongue and groove wood decking.
Powder coated metal braces.

USDA Forest Service representative Paul McCloskey said, “Romtec was very helpful during market research for my project… Design and materials were delivered in a timely fashion and seem to be of high quality. I think the products look great and am excited to see it when the picnic tables are installed.”

Improvement Project at Kirkham Hot Springs

In addition to the hot springs, the Lowman Ranger District offers a range of outdoor recreation, such as the Kirkham Ridge Trail and South Fork Payette River.

Kirkham Ridge Trail is the premier trail in the area, which starts less than ¼ mile from the hot springs pavilion and runs for 35 miles. The trail is open to hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders, and seasonal off-road vehicle usage.

South Fork Payette River has a lot of options for recreation, including whitewater rafting and kayaking, fly fishing, and photography.

Blending Pavilion With Nature

This hot springs pavilion project at Kirkham reflects Romtec’s ability to blend engineering structure solutions with natural aesthetics. Romtec’s building package was delivered on time, performed as designed, and offers an attractive and functional amenity to the site.

Don’t Just Take Our Word For It!

Thank you, Romtec team, the project came out wonderfully!

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

We were really impressed with the crew who came and constructed the pavilion, and the finished product is exactly as we envisioned. Thank you for helping us achieve this vision.

Fall River Valley

Everyone is happy with the new restrooms. Thanks for all the hard work!

City of Irvine

The end product is beautiful.

City of Reedley

Thank you for everything and if/when there are jobs where we need something like this, Romtec will be at the top of the list!

Rock-N-Road Construction Inc

We had an awesome experience with Romtec and were very pleased (especially) about the communication that was given to us. The project went by very smoothly and we are now off to our next adventures. The finished product was everything and more that was promised by Romtec.

Rock-N-Road Construction Inc

We are very happy with how they are turning out. We have received positive feedback from the community.

City of Miamisburg Parks and Recreation

That Memorial Park Project is one of our favorites too – it truly made a positive impact for our visitors, and we will continue to keep Romtec in mind as opportunities to collaborate come up!

San Mateo County

I have to mention that aside from the products Romtec supplies and the workmanship of the subcontractors (Ken and crew), I’m also very impressed with your responsiveness to issues – you’re a far cry from the usual taillight warranty.

San Mateo County

I am very happy with the product and the customer care. Thank you all for going the extra mile to make your products even better.

City of Rockaway Beach

You get what you pay for. Romtec provided the most perfect, seamless, flawless project I could have imagined. I would use Romtec 100 times over and will not consider any other options moving forward. You were able to beat my original budget and expectations. Everyone involved was great from sales to construction management, to the construction team themselves.

City of Coos Bay

I was actually out today looking at the baseball park and your building is absolutely awesome. Our buddy and all star baseball families are going to love it!

Rockford Park District

We were very impressed with Romtec on this project. The entire team was professional, forward thinking, wiling to collaborate and compromise, and the structure turned out beautiful. We definitely got what we paid for (and then some!).

Chico Area Recreation and Park District

Ken Perry’s crew who installed it did a fantastic job, very organized and professional, and efficient install.

Poppy Holding, Inc.

If I were to do this again, I would no doubt hire Romtec and its subcontractors to do the installation. Hindsight is always 20/20 and I learned a valuable lesson that I will hire Romtec’s certified installers to do the construction.

City of Spearfish

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Dan Keagy (Romtec’s assistant construction manager). He in my opinion went above and beyond to solve our problems and problems that were not necessarily his or Romtec’s to solve. He is a great guy and great resource for Romtec. Overall, the biggest thing to me was the service after the sale. Romtec didn’t just make the sale and move on, but they supported us through a very long and arduous construction process.

City of Spearfish

Romtec was phenomenal when it came to service after the sale. They were available anytime there were questions. In addition, there were some issues with missing materials. Even though it was not Romtec’s fault for the missing materials, the were more than willing to send us the missing materials to get the project done. Romtec even sent out a representative to tour the site to give firsthand recommendations on how to proceed.

City of Spearfish