Cronks Canyon Hot Spring
Cronks Canyon Hot Spring sits beside the Salmon River Scenic Byway in Custer County, about 18 miles from Challis, on BLM land managed by the Challis Field Office. The water surfaces at 115, right at the line between hot and soaking warm. Access is open. The record includes a picture. Nothing on file says what the soaking arrangement looks like or whether there is one.
A short walk of about 350 feet from the byway. The elevation is moderate and the climate dry with warm summers; snow totals run around five feet a winter, lighter than the forests further west. Iron Lake Campground, the closest listed, is about 15 miles off.
Midwinter carries the best-months tag. Five feet of snow along a highway corridor is usually manageable, though the byway itself is the thing to check in a storm. Water at 115 is soakable for most people with a little care. A 1980 sample put the water near neutral.
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 Cronks Canyon 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.
- Setting
- Canyon floor
- Steep ground climbs away on both sides of the spring.
- Highest ground nearby
- 942 ft above the spring
- Within a quarter mile, to the north
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 1½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 63% 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.
The water at Cronks Canyon Hot Spring is slightly alkaline (pH 7.9).
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Eight campsites with picnic tables and fire rings are along the shores of this high alpine lake. the campground has piped drinking water and vault toilets but no garbage services are available. The trail from campground leads to more lake fishing, at the Hat Lakes to the south. Carry-down access for non motorized boats to the lakes. The drive in along Salmon River Mountain Road, offers spectacular views of craggy peaks and deep pine forests.
Cronks Canyon Hot Spring is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear. The water runs hot, so extra hydration is key. Cold air temperatures make a changing robe or warm layers essential.
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Springs Near Cronks Canyon Hot Spring
More Springs Around 115°F
Slightly Alkaline Springs (pH ~7.9)
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