Sunbeam Hot Springs

If you're passing

Is it plungeworthy?

—temperature

A natural thermal spring.

Scale30/60

Documentation14/20

Character10/20

The details

Soak: Temperature unrecorded
Area: Challis
Coordinates: 44.268, -114.748

Get directions →

About Sunbeam Hot Springs

Sunbeam Hot Springs is a natural hot spring in Idaho.

At that temperature it's temperature unrecorded — check current conditions and always test the water before getting in.

Plungeworthy rates Sunbeam Hot Springs 5.4/10 — if you're passing. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.

What you'll find

Rock-walled pools in the Salmon River itself, fed by a 160°F hillside source, with a 1937 CCC stone bathhouse still standing above — soak in a wild river with the Sawtooths upstream. Pool temperature is whatever the river level says it is: 100–110°F in the sweet season.

Getting there

Trailhead: Highway 75 pullout, 11–13 miles northeast of Stanley
Parking: Small gravel pullout
Road: Paved, plowed year-round
Hike: 0.1 mi round trip, 50 ft of climb (easy)
Heads up: Short steep scramble from the pullout — sturdy shoes. Suits on: you're in full view of the highway.

When to go

July through October is prime — spring runoff drowns and chills the pools, and late-season low water leaves them hot and stable. Winter soaks happen (the road stays open) but the pools run colder and the edges ice.

Rules & fees

Fee / pass: None — free forest day-use
Dogs: No official rule; keep them out of the water
Hours: None posted
Camping: Upper O'Brien Campground ~3 miles east; dispersed camping all around Stanley
Warnings: Pools nearest the source scald — test first. Traffic passes close above.

Researched from Hot Springs Map — Sunbeam · LorJorExplore — Sunbeam guide. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Sunbeam Hot Springs recently? Post a conditions report below.

Where it is

Planning a visit? We want your photo.

Sunbeam Hot Springs doesn't have a photo yet. If you make the trip, send one to hello@plungeworthy.com and we'll publish it here with credit to you.

Before you go

The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.