Hopkins Hot Springs
Drag the handle to compare the two views. The orange dot marks the spring, in a frame about three quarters of a mile wide.
Hopkins Hot Springs is a thermal spring in Franklin County, Idaho, about seventeen miles out of Preston. Wikipedia records the same spring under the name Maple Grove Hot Springs and places it along the Bear River near Thatcher. No temperature appears in the record, so nothing here should be read as a promise of a soak. Chemistry was sampled once, back in 1972, and that is the only measurement on file.
Maple Grove Road passes about five hundred feet shy of the source, a short walk. The surrounding land has no owner or unit on record. This is southeastern Idaho at moderate elevation, with winters that bring roughly eighty inches of snow and moderate rainfall overall. Past the road and the river Wikipedia mentions, the record describes nothing of the setting.
No best season is recorded for Hopkins. Maple Grove Campground is a couple of miles away. No temperature is on file, so do not count on warm water. Public access is unrecorded too; find out who controls the ground before walking in. Treat the 1972 chemistry reading as historical.
Wikipedia notes that Hopkins Hot Springs also goes by Maple Grove Hot Springs and sits on the Bear River near Thatcher, Idaho. A USGS thermal listing covers it as well.
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 Hopkins Hot Springs.
- Setting
- Canyon floor
- Steep ground climbs away on both sides of the spring.
- Highest ground nearby
- 508 ft above the spring
- Within a quarter mile, to the west
A slice through the ground from west to east, 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 83% 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 Hopkins Hot Springs is slightly alkaline (pH 7.3). It is notably rich in sodium (supports circulation and skin hydration), sulfate (traditionally used for skin conditions and inflammation), and chloride (natural antiseptic with skin health benefits).
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Campground rules and regulations are posted at the site. There are no dumpsters on site, visitors must pack in and out their trash. Campsites: 12 developed sites--- At this time, there is not a reservation system in place for the campsites. Campsites are on a first come first serve basis. Overnight Camping Fees: $5.00 per vehicle/ per night This site is equipped picnic tables, fire rings, vault toilets, horseshoe pits, and boat ramp with a dock. There is no Day-use allowed and facilities a...
Hopkins Hot Springs is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear.
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Springs Near Hopkins Hot Springs
Slightly Alkaline Springs (pH ~7.3)
Hike 1 waterfall near Hopkins Hot Springs
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