Mores Creek Hot Spring

Ada County, Idaho · Near Boise
43.5880°N, 115.9880°W · 3,058 ft
Hot 50°F air · Good soaking weather 3,058 ft Short Walk Camping nearby (2.9 mi)

A thermal spring in Ada County a dozen or so miles from Boise. What Mores Creek Hot Spring is on the ground is thinly recorded. The temperature is listed only as hot, with no figure, and nothing is entered for who owns the land or for public access. Reaching it takes a walk of four hundred feet or so from East Spring Shores Road.

Location

Low foothill elevation for Idaho, around three thousand feet, with a mild average climate and modest precipitation. Snow comes in winter, though in amounts that do not shut the area for months the way the mountain springs get shut. The approach is short. Macks Creek Campground is close, under three miles. Beyond that the record has nothing on the surroundings.

No season is flagged as best. The short walk and low elevation make this a spring you could reach most of the year, with winter road conditions being the variable. Macks Creek Campground is the obvious place to stay. Before you plan around it, find out who owns the ground and if soaking is allowed, because neither is on record, and assume the water may be hotter than you expect since no temperature figure was filed.

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 Mores Creek Hot Spring.

Aerial view of the ground around Mores Creek Hot Spring LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Mores Creek 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.

Setting
Hillside
The spring sits on a steep slope that climbs to the north.
Highest ground nearby
257 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the north
Cross-section through the spring

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.

Heat Below
98 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's about 1½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 44% 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
30°
Jan
35°
Feb
42°
Mar
49°
Apr
59°
May
68°
Jun
79°
Jul
78°
Aug
67°
Sep
52°
Oct
40°
Nov
30°
Dec
Annual Precip: 17.0 in Annual Snow: 33.8 in
Current Conditions
50°F
Clear SE 33.2 mph 58% Good soaking weather
Today 73° Low 45° Sunny
Wednesday 77° Low 50° Sunny
Thursday 71° Low 47° Chance Rain Showers 53% precip
Friday 72° Low 45° Sunny 11% precip
Saturday 75° Low 47° Sunny 2% precip
Where to Stay

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Nearby Camping
Macks Creek Campground 2.9 mi away

Overview Macks Creek Campground is a very popular small campground just 25 miles from the Boise area along Arrowrock road off Highway 21 operated and managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The campground is reservation only May-September and closed to vehicle traffic the remainder of the year. Visitors make the trip to enjoy quality seasonal recreational activities like boating, swimming, camping, fishing, and hunting. Regular seasonal drawdowns occur each year which impact the recreation...

Reservable Yes
Reserve on Recreation.gov →
Temperature
Hot
Warm Hot Boiling
Avg Air Temp 52°F
Access
Road Access Short Walk
Nearest Road East Spring Shores Road
Distance to Road 411 ft
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Mores Creek Hot Spring?
Mores Creek Hot Spring is classified as hot. An exact temperature measurement has not been recorded.
Where is Mores Creek Hot Spring located?
Mores Creek Hot Spring is located in Ada County, Idaho at 3,058 feet elevation, near Boise. Coordinates: 43.5880°N, 115.9880°W.
How do I get to Mores Creek Hot Spring?
Mores Creek Hot Spring has Short Walk road access, with the nearest road being East Spring Shores Road (411 ft from the road).
Can I camp near Mores Creek Hot Spring?
Yes, Macks Creek Campground is located nearby (2.9 miles away).