Sunbeam Hot Springs
Way too hot to hold a hand in, that is Sunbeam Hot Springs at the source. It rises in Challis National Forest, Custer County, thirty miles or so down the Salmon River Scenic Byway from Challis, and the Forest Service has it open to the public. Anyone soaking has to let the water cool first. Dissolved solids are low for a hot spring. The water is strongly alkaline.
The Salmon River Scenic Byway passes within about fifty yards, which makes this about as easy to reach as a hot spring gets. You are on national forest land at a bit over six thousand feet. Winters pile up a lot of snow here, and the climate is on the dry side the rest of the year.
The record flags December through February as the best months. Pole Flat Campground is about three miles away. The spring is at the roadside, so no walking to speak of. Treat the source as dangerous: at that temperature the water will burn skin on contact, and only where it has cooled should anyone think about getting in. The chemistry sample dates from late 1983.
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 Sunbeam 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
- 623 ft above the spring
- Within a quarter mile, to the north
A slice through the ground from north to south, 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 85% 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 Sunbeam Hot Springs is alkaline (pH 9.0) with 291 mg/L total dissolved solids.
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This campground is away from the main road and up the hill overlooking the river and the dredge ponds. Campsites include picnic tables tent pads fire rings with cooking grills. Campground amenities include a vault toilet and drinking water. Sites accommodate trailers and motorhomes up to 32 feet long.
Sunbeam Hot Springs sits at 6,160 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 25% stronger than at sea level, so bring sunscreen and drink more water than you normally would.
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Sunbeam Hot Springs is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear. The water is dangerously hot, so bring water shoes and test pools carefully. Cold air temperatures make a changing robe or warm layers essential.
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