Trail Creek Hot Spring

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: 44.626, -115.749

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About Trail Creek Hot Spring

Trail Creek Hot Spring 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 Trail Creek Hot Spring 5.4/10 — if you're passing. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.

What you'll find

Two or three boulder-and-cement pools tucked in a creek gully a hundred yards below Warm Lake Road — the locals' quick soak. A PVC pipe delivers 125°F source water; swing it out or scoop creek water to tune your pool.

Getting there

Trailhead: Unmarked pullout near milepost 60.6 on Warm Lake Road, ~19 miles east of Cascade
Parking: Small dirt pullout, no facilities
Road: Paved
Hike: 0.2 mi round trip, 50 ft of climb (moderate)
Heads up: The path down is short but steep — in winter it's a luge run; microspikes are not a joke.

When to go

Famously a winter soak — steam in the pines, snow to your ankles, pool to your neck. Runoff season can flood or chill the lower pool; late summer runs hottest.

Rules & fees

Fee / pass: None — dispersed forest site
Dogs: No official rule; keep them out of the pools
Hours: None posted
Camping: Not at the springs; Trail Creek, Shoreline, and Warm Lake campgrounds are minutes away
Warnings: Algae-slick rocks; pack out everything; no glass.

Researched from Hot Springs Locator — Trail Creek · The Mandagies — Trail Creek guide. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Trail Creek Hot Spring recently? Post a conditions report below.

Where it is

Planning a visit? We want your photo.

Trail Creek Hot Spring 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.