Rush Warm Spring

Blaine County, Idaho · Near Bellevue
43.3670°N, 113.8840°W · 4,770 ft
72°F 39°F air · Good soaking weather 4,770 ft Short Walk
Aerial view of the ground around Rush Warm Spring LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Rush Warm 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.

Rush Warm Spring is a tepid spring in Blaine County, about twenty miles from Bellevue and a bit under half a mile off Austin Road. The water is only a little above room temperature, a long way from a hot soak. Nothing is on record about ownership or public access, and no campground is listed near it.

Location

Dry ground, moderately high, with scant precipitation and a snow season that rarely tops four feet, so the ground is open most of the year. The approach is a walk of under half a mile from Austin Road. Neither a land owner nor a management unit is recorded, and the record has nothing to say about the surroundings or the source itself.

Winter is the flagged season, which for water this cool seems a stretch. Warm weather would serve it better. No camping is on file anywhere near it. No fee in the record. Settle the question of land ownership before visiting. The temperature comes from a USGS site record and there is no date on it.

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 Rush Warm Spring.

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

A slice through the ground from southwest to northeast, about 0.6 miles end to end.

Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.

Heat Below
150 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's about 2½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 93% 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
20°
Jan
23°
Feb
32°
Mar
41°
Apr
52°
May
63°
Jun
73°
Jul
71°
Aug
61°
Sep
45°
Oct
31°
Nov
19°
Dec
Annual Precip: 14.3 in Annual Snow: 45.0 in
Best Time to Visit
December Air 19°F · Water 72°F · +53° contrast
January Air 20°F · Water 72°F · +52° contrast
February Air 23°F · Water 72°F · +49° contrast
December offers 54°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
39°F
Clear NW 29.0 mph Good soaking weather
Today 71° Low 44° Sunny
Spring is +1° warmer
Wednesday 78° Low 52° Sunny 13% precip
Thursday 72° Low 45° Light Rain Likely then Showers And Thunderstorms 80% precip
Friday 69° Low 42° Sunny 10% precip
Spring is +3° warmer
Saturday 71° Low 43° Sunny 2% precip
Spring is +1° warmer
Where to Stay

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Temperature
72°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 72°F (22°C)
Avg Air Temp 44°F
Above Ambient +28°F
Mild soaking conditions September
Access
Road Access Short Walk
Nearest Road Austin Road
Distance to Road 0.4 mi
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Rush Warm Spring?
Rush Warm Spring has a water temperature of 72°F (22°C). This is a warm thermal spring.
Where is Rush Warm Spring located?
Rush Warm Spring is located in Blaine County, Idaho at 4,770 feet elevation, near Bellevue. Coordinates: 43.3670°N, 113.8840°W.
How do I get to Rush Warm Spring?
Rush Warm Spring has Short Walk road access, with the nearest road being Austin Road (0.4 mi from the road).
Sources: USGS NWIS, Wikipedia