Onseya guideNear Stanley, Idaho · 37 destinations

Hot springs near Stanley

Every open spring within a three-hour drive of Stanley, ordered by how long it actually takes to get there. Several sit right beside Highway 75 on the Salmon River, a few minutes from town; others line the South Fork Payette toward Lowman — real road times, so you can see what fits a morning.

Within reach37

Under 2 hours25

Closest2m

Jump toUnder an hour One to two hours Two to three hours FAQ

Stanley, in the Sawtooth Valley, has a cluster of hot springs within a few minutes of town. Free soaks sit along the Salmon River northeast of town on Highway 75, and Mountain Village Resort has soaking pools a short walk from its lodge. West toward Lowman, the South Fork Payette has a string of roadside springs. Below, every open spring grouped by drive time. For springs closer to the capital, see hot springs near Boise; for the whole state, see the complete Idaho guide.

Drive time 01

Under an hour

Close to town: free soaks along the Salmon River on Highway 75, the pools at Mountain Village Resort and Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch, and the first springs toward Lowman and Ketchum.

Stanley

Mountain Village Resort Hot Springs

Stanley2m from Stanley

Mountain Village Resort Hot Springs

Three natural mineral tubs, Osprey, Bluebird and Sandhill Crane, sit a 550-yard walk from a Stanley lodge, all booked by reservation and left without added chemicals at around 100 degrees. Non-guests can reserve, and nudity is not allowed.

Drive: 2m from Stanley
Water: 100 °F
Price: Osprey free for lodge guests, $30 for two non-guests; Bluebird and Sandhill Crane private $50 for two, $5 each additional
Lodging: Lodge rooms
Clothing: Required

Pools

Official site →

Stanley

Snake Pit Hot Springs

Stanley3m from Stanley

Snake Pit Hot Springs

A single clear pool on Valley Creek with Sawtooth Mountain views, a short drive from Stanley down a gravel road. The water ranges from the upper 90s to about 105 degrees by season, and swimwear is required.

Drive: 3m from Stanley
Water: 97–105 °F
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: Required

PoolsRiverViews

Stanley

Boat Box Hot Spring

Stanley5m from Stanley

Boat Box Hot Spring

An iconic metal kettle tub sits right beside the Salmon River a few miles from Stanley, piped from a 138-degree source and cooled by ladling in river water. It is a quick roadside stop, and swimsuits are the norm.

Drive: 5m from Stanley
Water: —
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: —

PoolsRiverViews

Stanley

Mormon Bend Hot Springs

Stanley10m from Stanley

Mormon Bend Hot Springs

One or two rock-and-sand pools rest on the far bank of the Salmon River, reached by fording when the water runs low in summer and fall. The source is only around 100 degrees, so the pools stay mild; a campground sits nearby, and clothing is optional.

Drive: 10m from Stanley
Water: —
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: Optional

PoolsRiverCamping

Stanley

Cove Creek Hot Springs

Stanley11m from Stanley

Cove Creek Hot Springs

Rock-and-sand pools catch geothermal water seeping from the Salmon River bank, one measured near 107 degrees in early fall. Picnic tables and a vault toilet sit at the parking area, a short walk away, and camping is not allowed at the springs.

Drive: 11m from Stanley
Water: 107 °F
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: —

PoolsRiver

Stanley

Sunbeam Hot Springs

Stanley16m from Stanley

Sunbeam Hot Springs

Volunteer pools line the Salmon River below a 1937 stone bathhouse built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, with a changing room nearby. The source runs extremely hot, so soakers blend in river water, and a short walk leads down from Highway 75.

Drive: 16m from Stanley
Water: —
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: —

PoolsRiverViews

Stanley

Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch

Stanley17m from Stanley

Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch

A historic guest ranch in the Sawtooth Valley whose spring-fed pool is reserved for people staying in its cabins and lodge rooms, closed Tuesday mornings for cleaning. There is no day use, so a booking is the only way to soak.

Drive: 17m from Stanley
Water: —
Price: —
Lodging: Cabins and lodge rooms
Clothing: —

PoolsCabinsViews

Official site →

Lowman

Bonneville Hot Springs

Lowman52m from Stanley

Bonneville Hot Springs

Volunteer-built rock pools line Warm Springs Creek beside a rustic soak shack, where a cast-iron tub piped from the spring reaches about 104 degrees. A short trail leads in from the parking area, and swimwear is required.

Drive: 52m from Stanley
Water: 104 °F
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: Required

PoolsRiver

Ketchum

Russian John Warm Spring

Ketchum54m from Stanley

Russian John Warm Spring

A low-walled soaking pool with a rock-and-clay bottom and a fire pit sits a short walk above Highway 75 north of Ketchum. It is warm rather than hot, up to about 86 degrees, and clothing is optional.

Drive: 54m from Stanley
Water: 86 °F
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: Optional

PoolsViews

Stanley

Slate Creek Hot Springs

Stanley55m from Stanley

Slate Creek Hot Springs

A rebar-reinforced wooden soaking box seats about six, with hot and cold plumbing to set the temperature, plus two other pools. Also called Hoodoo, it sits at the end of a bumpy forest road and a short quarter-mile walk.

Drive: 55m from Stanley
Water: —
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: —

PoolsRiver

Ketchum

Easley Hot Springs

Ketchum59m from Stanley

Easley Hot Springs

On Sawtooth National Forest land near Ketchum, a chlorine-free swimming pool sits around 85 degrees with two hotter tubs near the source. Day passes are sold for all ages; it is day use only, with a separate Forest Service campground next door.

Drive: 59m from Stanley
Water: 85–98 °F
Price: Ages 12-59 $14, ages 3-12 and 60+ $12, ages 2 and under free
Lodging: —
Clothing: —

PoolsKids Ok

Official site →

Stanley

Dagger Creek Hot Springs

Stanley1h 00m from Stanley

Dagger Creek Hot Springs

Three silty rock-walled pools sit near Dagger Falls on the Middle Fork Salmon, around 100 to 104 degrees, with a campground at the trailhead. The forest road opens only from late July into late October.

Drive: 1h 00m from Stanley
Water: 100–104 °F
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: —

PoolsRiver

Drive time 02

One to two hours

One to two hours: the South Fork Payette springs around Grandjean and Lowman, Challis Hot Springs, the Salmon River springs north of Challis and the resort pools of Garden Valley.

Grandjean

Sacajawea Hot Springs

Grandjean1h 03m from Stanley

Sacajawea Hot Springs

Strung along the South Fork of the Payette near Grandjean, these rock pools run about 96 to 102 degrees and feed the nearby lodge pool. They are free and easy to reach, with picnic tables at the pullout.

Drive: 1h 03m from Stanley
Water: 96–102 °F
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: —

PoolsRiverViews

Grandjean

Sawtooth Lodge

Grandjean1h 05m from Stanley

Sawtooth Lodge

At Grandjean, a rustic lodge keeps a geothermal pool and stock-tank soaks fed by the local spring, for guests staying in its cabins, yurts or campsites. It runs through the warmer months, reached by an unpaved forest road up the South Fork Payette.

Drive: 1h 05m from Stanley
Water: —
Price: —
Lodging: Cabins, yurts, RV and tent sites
Clothing: —

PoolsCabinsCampingRiver

Official site →

Lowman

Kirkham Hot Springs

Lowman1h 07m from Stanley

Kirkham Hot Springs

Roadside pools and hot waterfalls line the South Fork of the Payette below a Forest Service parking area, reached by a short staircase. The waterfall pools run from the mid-90s to about 110 degrees, cooler by the river, and a small day-use parking fee applies.

Drive: 1h 07m from Stanley
Water: 95–110 °F
Price: Day-use parking $5 per vehicle
Lodging: —
Clothing: —

PoolsRiverViews

Lowman

Haven Hot Springs

Lowman1h 08m from Stanley

Haven Hot Springs

In Lowman, a long pool with a hot side and a cooler side is booked by the hour rather than by a set admission, its water running between about 85 and 104 degrees. Motel rooms come with private backyard tubs, and there are RV, glamping and tent sites plus a cafe.

Drive: 1h 08m from Stanley
Water: 85–104 °F
Price: Pool $20/hour for 1-2 people, $10 each additional person
Lodging: Motel rooms with private tubs, RV, glamping, tent
Clothing: —

PoolsCampingRestaurantPets Ok

Official site →

Lowman

Pine Flats Hot Springs

Lowman1h 21m from Stanley

Pine Flats Hot Springs

A warm-water waterfall spills into rock pools above the South Fork Payette, with cooler pools down by the river, the hottest around 107 degrees. It is a free soak reached by a short, steep quarter-mile scramble from the campground.

Drive: 1h 21m from Stanley
Water: 107 °F
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: —

PoolsRiverViews

Challis

Challis Hot Springs

Challis1h 23m from Stanley

Challis Hot Springs

Now run as part of an Idaho state park, this spot on Spring Creek has two untreated flow-through pools, a long swimming pool around 96 to 100 degrees and a hotter soaking pool. Day use is open to all, and a campground lines the Salmon River.

Drive: 1h 23m from Stanley
Water: 96–105 °F
Price: —
Lodging: State park campground, tent and RV sites on the Salmon River
Clothing: Required

PoolsCampingRiver

North Fork

Cronk's Canyon Hot Springs

North Fork1h 36m from Stanley

Cronk's Canyon Hot Springs

Two small rock-lined pools by the Salmon River, cooled by bucketing in river water, sit around 100 degrees. They lie just below roadside pullouts on US-93, down a steep forty- to sixty-foot scramble, and swimsuits are the norm.

Drive: 1h 36m from Stanley
Water: 100 °F
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: —

PoolsRiver

Garden Valley

Campground Hot Springs

Garden Valley1h 38m from Stanley

Campground Hot Springs

Three soaking pools sit by the Middle Fork Payette beside the remnants of an old bathhouse, the main one near 110 degrees in summer. Two riverside pools flood in spring. Any vehicle can reach the parking area, with a short steep trail down to the river.

Drive: 1h 38m from Stanley
Water: 110 °F
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: —

PoolsRiver

Ketchum

Frenchman's Bend Hot Springs

Ketchum1h 39m from Stanley

Frenchman's Bend Hot Springs

Rock-walled pools sit apart from Warm Springs Creek southwest of Ketchum, managed by the Forest Service for day use only, with clothing required. A 120- to 138-degree source keeps them warm, and reaching them takes about seven miles of dirt road.

Drive: 1h 39m from Stanley
Water: —
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: Required

PoolsRiver

Banks

Bronco Billy Hot Springs

Banks1h 51m from Stanley

Bronco Billy Hot Springs

A metal-box soaking pool and a rock-walled source pool sit just off the Banks-Lowman Highway by the South Fork Payette. The source runs very hot, so the soak temperature varies; watch for rock and mud slides along this stretch of road.

Drive: 1h 51m from Stanley
Water: —
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: —

PoolsRiver

Fairfield

Hot Springs Landing

Fairfield1h 55m from Stanley

Hot Springs Landing

A roadside soak in the Fairfield area, easy to drive to. Beyond its drive-up access little is documented, so its temperature and layout are worth confirming before a trip.

Drive: 1h 55m from Stanley
Water: —
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: —

PoolsRiver

Salmon

Goldbug Hot Springs

Salmon1h 57m from Stanley

Goldbug Hot Springs

Terraced pools and hot waterfalls climb a canyon near Elk Bend, ranging from warm to about 113 degrees. Clothing is optional and the soak is free, but earning it means a two-mile trail with nearly a thousand feet of climbing.

Drive: 1h 57m from Stanley
Water: 100–113 °F
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: Optional

PoolsRiverViews

Garden Valley

Terrace Lakes Resort

Garden Valley1h 58m from Stanley

Terrace Lakes Resort

Open year-round, the outdoor geothermal pool at this Garden Valley golf resort sells day passes for all ages plus a monthly pass for regulars. Swimwear is required, and lodging and RV sites sit beside the course.

Drive: 1h 58m from Stanley
Water: —
Price: Ages 12-59 $15, ages 2-11 $12, seniors 60+ $10, ages 0-1 free; monthly pass $200 (up to six)
Lodging: Resort lodging and RV, golf course
Clothing: Required

Pools

Official site →

Drive time 03

Two to three hours

Two to three hours: Idaho City, the springs around Crouch, the East Fork of the Salmon near Clayton and other longer drives.

Clayton

West Pass Hot Springs

Clayton2h 09m from Stanley

West Pass Hot Springs

Three bathtubs fed by rubber hoses from an old mine shaft sit beside West Pass Creek, next to a ruined cabin, with the temperature adjustable at the tap. The seasonal road in is open spring through fall, and primitive camping is nearby.

Drive: 2h 09m from Stanley
Water: —
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: —

PoolsRiverCamping

Idaho City

The Springs

Idaho City2h 12m from Stanley

The Springs

Reservation-only soaking near Idaho City, with two main pools and private tubs rented by the hour. Several days a week are set aside for adults, while day sessions are sold for adults and children. A studio offers massage, and lodging sits a short way off.

Drive: 2h 12m from Stanley
Water: —
Price: Adults $30, children $27 (2.5-hour soak session); private tubs $70/hour for two, additional adult $5
Lodging: —
Clothing: —

PoolsSpa

Official site →

Clayton

Lower Bowery Hot Springs

Clayton2h 13m from Stanley

Lower Bowery Hot Springs

A soak on the East Fork of the Salmon near Bowery, with little reliable documentation. Its temperature and access are worth confirming before a visit.

Drive: 2h 13m from Stanley
Water: —
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: —

PoolsRiver

Crouch

Rocky Canyon Hot Springs

Crouch2h 18m from Stanley

Rocky Canyon Hot Springs

A multi-tier waterfall feeds three cascading rock-and-sand pools on a hillside, with more pools at the river's edge. The soakable water runs around 105 degrees, hotter up top, and reaching it means fording the Middle Fork Payette.

Drive: 2h 18m from Stanley
Water: 105–115 °F
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: —

PoolsRiverViews

Carey

Wild Rose Hot Springs

Carey2h 22m from Stanley

Wild Rose Hot Springs

An eight-by-fifteen-foot pool bubbles up through a gravel bottom in dark volcanic rock near Carey, around 100 degrees, with no facilities. A short walk leads from a gravel turnout, though the land boundaries here are uncertain and access could change.

Drive: 2h 22m from Stanley
Water: 100 °F
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: —

PoolsViews

Sweet

Roystone Hot Springs

Sweet2h 27m from Stanley

Roystone Hot Springs

Near Sweet, a covered 50-foot mineral pool and a jetted hot tub are booked privately by the group rather than shared, the water running about 95 to 104 degrees. Swimwear is required, and the grounds include a campground and an event center.

Drive: 2h 27m from Stanley
Water: 95–104 °F
Price: —
Lodging: RV sites, tent camping, guest house, event center
Clothing: Required

PoolsCamping

Garden Valley

Silver Creek Plunge

Garden Valley2h 44m from Stanley

Silver Creek Plunge

A single flow-through geothermal pool with the original mine-shaft entrance still visible in it, near Garden Valley. The water sits around 97 to 100 degrees, swimwear is required, and day passes are sold. Cabins, A-frames and campsites make an easy overnight.

Drive: 2h 44m from Stanley
Water: 97–100 °F
Price: Adults 13-59 $15, ages 2-12 $12, seniors 60+ $10, under 2 free; evening swim $10
Lodging: A-frames, family cabins, deluxe units, tent/RV sites
Clothing: Required

PoolsCabinsCampingKids Ok

Official site →

Crouch

Boiling Springs

Crouch2h 50m from Stanley

Boiling Springs

At the end of the Middle Fork Payette road, 175-degree water cools into a rock-and-concrete pool below a cliff, a short walk from the campground. Swimwear is required, and a historic Forest Service guard station beside it now rents as a cabin.

Drive: 2h 50m from Stanley
Water: —
Price: Free
Lodging: Historic guard-station cabins (reservation)
Clothing: Required

PoolsRiverCabins

Cascade

Trail Creek Hot Springs

Cascade2h 51m from Stanley

Trail Creek Hot Springs

Two rock-and-cement pools sit near the Warm Lake Highway, fed by a 125-degree source that soakers cool with creek water. A short, steep path drops to the canyon floor, and it is popular with families, so swimwear is the norm.

Drive: 2h 51m from Stanley
Water: —
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: —

PoolsRiver

Cascade

Molly's Hot Springs

Cascade2h 55m from Stanley

Molly's Hot Springs

Seasonal pipe-fed pools cling to a steep hillside above the South Fork Salmon River, with a faint sulfur scent and clothing-optional soaking. A short trail and a footbridge lead in; the source runs to about 120 degrees, cooled to taste in the pools.

Drive: 2h 55m from Stanley
Water: —
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: Optional

PoolsRiverViews

Fairfield

Worswick Hot Springs

Fairfield2h 57m from Stanley

Worswick Hot Springs

Dozens of log- and rock-dammed pools and a hot creek spread across a hillside in the Smoky Mountains, with a larger pool at the base. Temperatures vary widely from pool to pool, and the forest road in is closed through the winter.

Drive: 2h 57m from Stanley
Water: —
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: —

PoolsRiver

Tendoy

Sharkey Hot Springs

Tendoy2h 59m from Stanley

Sharkey Hot Springs

Two concrete BLM soaking pools near Tendoy, kept around 103 degrees, with restrooms and a fire pit at the end of a gravel road. Swimwear is required, and a high-clearance vehicle helps when the road is wet.

Drive: 2h 59m from Stanley
Water: 103 °F
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: Required

PoolsViews

Reference

Frequently asked

Quick answers on soaking near Stanley — the closest springs, free versus paid, where to stay and how far to drive.

What is the closest hot spring to Stanley?

Mountain Village Resort Hot Springs is the closest, about 2m from town. Along Highway 75 northeast of Stanley, Boat Box and Sunbeam are free roadside soaks where hot spring water is mixed with river water.

Are the hot springs near Stanley free?

26 of the 37 places on this page are free, undeveloped soaks. The developed options charge: the private soaking pools at Mountain Village Resort take non-guests for a fee, and Easley Hot Springs near Ketchum sells day passes. Each listing gives prices where they are published.

Where can I stay with a hot spring near Stanley?

Mountain Village Resort in Stanley has lodge rooms and its own soaking pools. Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch and Sawtooth Lodge keep their hot spring pools for overnight guests. Challis Hot Springs, about 1h 23m away, has a campground on the Salmon River next to its pools.

How many hot springs are within a day trip of Stanley?

25 of the 37 springs on this page are within a two-hour drive. The rest — toward Idaho City, Crouch and Clayton — are better as a long day out or an overnight.