Owl Creek Hot Springs
Owl Creek Hot Springs sits in Lemhi County, about thirty miles out from Salmon, and reaching it takes a walk. A USGS crew measured the water in 1980 and found it hot, the kind you would let cool a while before climbing in. Ownership is unrecorded, and so is any word on public visits. At least a photograph exists, so you can see something of the place before you go.
Getting there means close to two miles on foot from the nearest road, and the record leaves that road unnamed. Elevation is modest for this corner of Idaho. Winters drop about seven feet of snow over the season, and the rest of the year is dryish with a cool average.
December into February is the window the record singles out, which is curious for a spring reached by a two-mile walk through that much snow. Ask about conditions first. The closest camping on record is Wendover Campground, nearly twenty miles away. The temperature reading dates from 1980, when the water was hot enough to burn if you dropped straight in, so test it with a hand before anything else. Access rights are unknown.
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 Owl Creek 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.
- Setting
- Canyon floor
- Steep ground climbs away on both sides of the spring.
- Highest ground nearby
- 840 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 1½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 56% 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 Owl Creek Hot Springs is slightly alkaline (pH 8.4).
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Wendover Campground is situated on stretch of land along the Wild and Scenic Lochsa River off the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway and All American Road (US Highway 12) at mile post 158.2. With 27 campsites all positioned within a mature, moss covered pine forest and centered around a small stream, this campground offers a serene spot for camping, picnicking, fishing, hiking, nature viewing and most importantly, relaxing. Hosts are provided when campground is open. The Campground will accomod...
Owl Creek Hot Springs is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear. The water runs hot, so extra hydration is key.
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