Basset Hot Spring
Drag the handle to compare the two views. The orange dot marks the spring, in a frame about three quarters of a mile wide.
Fifteen miles from Idaho City, on Boise National Forest land in Boise County, Basset Hot Spring goes into the record as hot with no number attached, so no figure can be quoted. Access is open on Forest Service ground. You walk in, a bit under two miles from Middle Fork Road. Ninemeyer Campground is the listed camping, a couple of miles off.
Under four thousand feet, and still a big snow total, around ten feet each winter, and a wet year by precipitation total. National forest, no designation beyond that. The approach is on foot, a hike of a mile and three quarters. Ninemeyer Campground is close to the spring by the record's numbers.
No season ranking exists for this spring because no temperature does. Ten feet of snow a year says winter access on foot will be hard. Ninemeyer is the campground to aim for. The spring is called hot in the source, so treat the water with respect until you have felt it. Open access on national forest land.
Aircraft with laser scanners measured this ground to within inches. The scan strips out trees and buildings, leaving the bare shape of the land around Basset Hot Spring.
- Setting
- Hillside
- The spring sits on a steep slope that climbs to the west.
- Highest ground nearby
- 485 ft above the spring
- Within a quarter mile, to the west
A slice through the ground from south to north, about 0.6 miles end to end.
Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.
That's about twice the US average of 65. It's higher than at 65% of the springs on this site.
Heat flow measures the warmth working its way up through the ground from deep inside the earth. Where it runs high, rain and snowmelt that seep down through cracks in the rock come back up hot.
See every spring on the geothermal heat map →
Heat flow estimate: Stanford Thermal Earth Model (Aljubran & Horne, 2024), CC BY 4.0.
Overview:Due to a wildfire, there are no amenities at the campground. Currently there are no developed campfire rings therefore when Stage 1 fire restrictions area in effect, no fires are permitted.A stay at Ninemeyer Campground enables guests to enjoy all the beauty and recreation offered along the (Middle Fork Boise River Road) Forest Service (FS) Road 268. Weather is usually good from mid-May through late September and is easily accessible by car in good weather, although the road is some...
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