Medicine (Sun River) Springs

Teton County, Montana · Near Choteau
47.6320°N, 112.8550°W · 4,816 ft
86°F 35°F air · Good soaking weather 4,816 ft Short Walk Camping nearby (6.2 mi)
Aerial view of the ground around Medicine (Sun River) Springs

The orange dot marks the spring, in a frame about three quarters of a mile wide.

Medicine Springs, filed as Medicine (Sun River) Springs and carrying the same name on OpenStreetMap, is a warm spring in Teton County, Montana. Choteau is the nearest town and it is some thirty-four miles away. The water is warm, short of the range where most people call a spring soakable. Who owns it and what access is like are both missing from the record, and no chemistry exists.

Location

A tenth of a mile separates the spring from an unnamed road. The ground is at middle elevation. This part of Teton County gets heavy snow, close to nine feet in a winter, and precipitation is fairly high. Home Gulch Campground is about six miles off. No trail or land unit is recorded.

Winter is flagged as the season in the record, and the snow here is deep enough that you should plan around it. Home Gulch Campground is the closest place to camp that the record knows of. No fee appears. With no access status and no owner on file, check the land before you walk in. There is no dated water sample.

Terrain

USGS hasn't flown a detailed laser scan here yet, so this view comes from aerial photos and older elevation data.

Setting
Hillside
The spring sits on a steep slope that climbs to the east.
Highest ground nearby
405 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the east
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
69 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's close to the US average of 65. It's higher than at 4% 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
24°
Jan
21°
Feb
31°
Mar
36°
Apr
45°
May
56°
Jun
65°
Jul
64°
Aug
54°
Sep
40°
Oct
29°
Nov
22°
Dec
Annual Precip: 26.3 in Annual Snow: 103.7 in
Best Time to Visit
February Air 21°F · Water 86°F · +65° contrast
December Air 22°F · Water 86°F · +64° contrast
January Air 24°F · Water 86°F · +62° contrast
February offers 44°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
35°F
Good soaking weather
Today 62° Low 39° Partly Sunny 4% precip
Spring is +24° warmer
Wednesday 60° Low 39° Partly Sunny 12% precip
Spring is +26° warmer
Thursday 75° Low 43° Sunny 6% precip
Spring is +11° warmer
Friday 69° Low 41° Chance Rain Showers 48% precip
Spring is +17° warmer
Saturday 71° Low 41° Mostly Sunny 11% precip
Spring is +15° warmer
Where to Stay

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Nearby Camping
Home Gulch Campground 6.2 mi away

15 campsites along the North Fork of the Sun River. Good fishing for rainbow and westslope cutthroat trout. Hiking nearby on the Mortimer Gulch National Recreation Trail. Motorized and non-motorized boat access at the boat launch.Bears may frequent the area; keep all food out of sight in approved containers and remove all food from area after eating. Mandatory food storage is required.

Reserve on Recreation.gov →
Temperature
86°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 86°F (30°C)
Avg Air Temp 41°F
Above Ambient +45°F
Good soaking conditions September
Access
Road Access Short Walk
Distance to Road 0.1 mi
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Medicine (Sun River) Springs?
Medicine (Sun River) Springs has a water temperature of 86°F (30°C). This is a warm thermal spring.
Where is Medicine (Sun River) Springs located?
Medicine (Sun River) Springs is located in Teton County, Montana at 4,816 feet elevation, near Choteau. Coordinates: 47.6320°N, 112.8550°W.
How do I get to Medicine (Sun River) Springs?
Medicine (Sun River) Springs has Short Walk road access (0.1 mi from the road).
Can I camp near Medicine (Sun River) Springs?
Yes, Home Gulch Campground is located nearby (6.2 miles away).
Sources: OpenStreetMap