Pierson 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.
Thirty miles from Ketchum in Blaine County, Pierson Hot Springs sits right off Valley Road, close enough to count as roadside. The temperature is right at the top of comfortable soaking, a touch under hot. No owner or access entry exists for it in the record. Alturas Lake Picnic Area is about five miles away.
High. Close to seven thousand feet, where the year runs cold on average and winters bring thirteen feet of snow. That snow is the main fact about getting here. The spring is right beside Valley Road, so once you can drive the road you can reach the water. The land manager is not on file.
The record points to winter, and the water would suit that, but the snowpack means you need to know Valley Road is open. Alturas Lake Picnic Area is the closest camping on record. There is no fee information. The chemistry comes from a 1979 sample. Check land ownership and access before you go. Neither is recorded.
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 Pierson Hot Springs.
- Setting
- Open ground
- Flat, open ground all around.
- Highest ground nearby
- 56 ft above the spring
- Within a quarter mile, to the north
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 89% 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 Pierson Hot Springs is alkaline (pH 9.3).
Overview Alturas Area Picnic B is located along the sandy shoreline of scenic Alturas Lake, at the foot of the Sawtooth Mountain Range.Recreation The site is part of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, where outdoor activities abound. Alturas Lake offers excellent boating, water skiing, canoeing, kayaking and fishing for bull trout and Kokanee salmon. Alturas Creek runs through the adjacent campground. The 10-mile round trip Alpine Meadows Trail begins nearby, with spectacular canyon, mea...
Pierson Hot Springs sits at 6,900 feet above sea level, way above the mile-high mark. You may not feel the altitude strongly, but hot water still dehydrates you faster at elevation. UV is about 28% stronger than at sea level, so bring sunscreen and drink more water than you normally would.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Springs Near Pierson Hot Springs
More Springs Around 109°F
Alkaline Springs (pH ~9.3)
Hike 6 waterfalls near Pierson Hot Springs
Looking for more outdoor adventures? Explore waterfall hikes near Pierson Hot Springs, Idaho.