Cascade Reservoir Hot Spring

Valley County, Idaho · Near Cascade
44.5830°N, 116.1120°W · 4,820 ft
Hot 31°F air · Good soaking weather 4,820 ft Open Hike Bureau of Reclamation Camping nearby (3.8 mi)
Aerial view of the ground around Cascade Reservoir Hot Spring LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Cascade Reservoir Hot Spring
Aerial LiDAR bare earth

Drag the handle to compare the two views. The orange dot marks the spring, in a frame about three quarters of a mile wide.

The Bureau of Reclamation owns this one, as manager of Cascade Reservoir, and it sits on reservoir land about six miles from the town of Cascade in Valley County. All anyone wrote down is the word hot. There has never been a temperature reading, so a soak is not something to count on. Access is open. Reaching the water takes a hike of close to two miles.

Location

Call it a couple of miles on foot from a road that goes unnamed. The ground is a Reclamation recreation management area on the reservoir, a little under five thousand feet up, where a normal winter piles up eleven feet of snow and rain comes steadily through the year. French Creek is the camping on file, under four miles. There is no USGS site number for this spring.

Best season is blank in the file. So is temperature, so two of the usual questions stay open. Water chemistry was never sampled here. Public access is recorded as open on Reclamation land. Camp at French Creek if you want to be close, and walk in expecting to learn the spring's temperature yourself.

Terrain

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 Cascade Reservoir Hot Spring.

Setting
Open ground
Flat, open ground all around.
Highest ground nearby
Level with the spring
Within a quarter mile

Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.

Heat Below
125 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's about twice the US average of 65. It's higher than at 76% 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.

Heat flow estimate: Stanford Thermal Earth Model (Aljubran & Horne, 2024), CC BY 4.0.

Monthly Climate
25°
Jan
27°
Feb
33°
Mar
38°
Apr
47°
May
57°
Jun
68°
Jul
68°
Aug
58°
Sep
44°
Oct
32°
Nov
24°
Dec
Annual Precip: 34.6 in Annual Snow: 135.9 in
Current Conditions
31°F
S 5.6 mph 92% Good soaking weather
Today 63° Low 44° Mostly Sunny
Wednesday 71° Low 47° Sunny
Thursday 64° Low 46° Patchy Fog 76% precip
Friday 64° Low 45° Areas Of Fog 33% precip
Saturday 66° Low 46° Areas Of Fog then Sunny 4% precip
Where to Stay

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Nearby Camping
French Creek 3.8 mi away

Overview French Creek Campground is located next to scenic Lake Cascade in west-central Idaho. It is near the town of Donnelly, at an elevation of 4,850 feet. Boating, fishing, swimming and hiking are popular activities in this scenic region.Recreation Lake Cascade offers excellent opportunities for boating, water skiing, canoeing, windsurfing and sailing. Anglers enjoy casting for rainbow trout, coho salmon, smallmouth bass and perch. Many hiking and biking trails are in the area as well.Fac...

Reservable Yes
Reserve on Recreation.gov →
Temperature
Hot
Warm Hot Boiling
Avg Air Temp 44°F
Access
Open
Road Access Hike
Distance to Road 1.8 mi
Land
Ownership Federal
Agency Bureau of Reclamation
Designation RMA
Unit Cascade Reservoir
Manager Bureau of Reclamation
Protection 3 - Protected, subject to extractive use
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Cascade Reservoir Hot Spring?
Cascade Reservoir Hot Spring is classified as hot. An exact temperature measurement has not been recorded.
Where is Cascade Reservoir Hot Spring located?
Cascade Reservoir Hot Spring is located in Valley County, Idaho at 4,820 feet elevation, near Cascade. Coordinates: 44.5830°N, 116.1120°W.
How do I get to Cascade Reservoir Hot Spring?
Cascade Reservoir Hot Spring has Hike road access (1.8 mi from the road).
Is Cascade Reservoir Hot Spring free to visit?
Cascade Reservoir Hot Spring has Open access. It is managed by Bureau of Reclamation.
Can I camp near Cascade Reservoir Hot Spring?
Yes, French Creek is located nearby (3.8 miles away).