The drive in and out may be a little long, but it sure is spectacular.

This beauty of a hot spring is one of our new favourites. Recommended to us by one of our fellow bathers at Saratoga Hot Springs, we decided to check this place out on our way back North toward home. The winding road into the springs offers glimpses of beautiful scenery: snow capped mountains and narrow valleys; slate creek running parallel to the gravel road. As we drove in, there were several pull offs for some quiet camping on either side of the road. We were tempted to pick one of these to set up camp and follow the water towards the spring, but luckily chose to drive further in. As it turns out, the spring was at least twelve kilometers away from the first appealing camp site. Soon, we found ourselves at the last site, closest to the springs, but we were still about a kilometer walk away from the tub itself. No matter! We happily set up camp (aka, trying to park the van in the most level spot possible, and calling it a day) and changed into our bathing suits, towels, water bottles and a joint packed in our cloth grocery bag.

The treacherous hike to the springs seemed way more dangerous on the trail than it does in this picture.

The hike into the springs is beautiful. As you emerge from the wooded road and onto the trail itself, the trees disperse and before you rises a large, craggy peak. The trail itself get a little treacherous as it passes alongside Slate Creek which lies at the bottom of a steep, twenty foot drop. The trail here gets super narrow and forces you to walk balance beam style, pebbles crumbling away beneath you into the rushing water below. It took everything in me to keep from looking down at the steep drop. As it turns out, I’m quite the pussy when it comes to heights.

Crystal clear water pours into the rustic tub. Like goldilocks, we finally got it “just right!”

Before you reach the tub, you’ll notice man made pools built into the creek: cold tubs to plunge into between steamy soaks. When we arrived, we had the small, wooden tub all to ourselves. It was a grimy mess, and the temperature was way too cold (as with all wild hot springs, its cleanliness relies entirely on the people who soak in them). The setup was also something we’d never seen before. Several PVC pipes, some more than thirty feet long, filled the tub from varying sources that stretched out through the valley. Some tubes fed cold water from the creek, while others pumped in scalding hot water from burbling nearby sources. It took us some time to get just the right amount of hot and cold flowing consistently into the leaky tub. We plugged the cracks in the tub as best we could and reclined onto the rustic wooden bench as the water crept up our legs. Before we knew it, we were chest deep in hot water, leaning back and angling our faces to the warm sun. Snowy mountains were visible at both ends of the valley, and rolling green grass surrounded both sides of the creek. Despite the green algae covering the inside of the tub and the top of the wooden bench, the water was crystal clear. After hours of solitude, we “unplugged” the tub and allowed it to drain as we scrubbed the algae from the ancient looking wooden box. After about a half hour, the pool still looked rustic but it also looked clean. As we were about to head back to camp for dinner and a good night’s sleep another group arrived for a late night soak. We said a silent prayer that our “perfect setup” would be intact by morning.

Our campsite was great. A bit into the woods next to the gravel road leading into the spring, we had a wide, flat site with access to the creek for gathering water to do our dishes and to provide the ambient white noise of rushing water that we’ve come to associate with the best sleeps! The night was very dark and very quiet, and after a long soak, we were asleep before our heads hit the pillow.

Sun and a soak. Who could ask for anything more?!

In the morning, we returned to the tub for a soak - thermoses of coffee in hand - and discovered that our setup was only slightly altered; an easy fix. That morning, we met a really nice young man who also lived full time in his campervan. We chatted with him at length about his favourite places to camp, and were surprised to find that he spent most of his winters hunkered down in Quartzsite, AZ, taking silver-smith courses and vanlife tutorials at the annual RTR (Rubber Tramp Reunion). After a time, we found ourselves alone again and decided to take advantage of our solitude by taking off our clothing. After all, what’s a wild hot spring without a little nudity?

Rustic, sure, but this water is as clean as it gets, folks!

Pulling ourselves away from Slate Creek was as difficult as pulling ourselves away from some of the best hot springs we’ve ever visited. We relished the seclusion of the place, and appreciated that the type of people this spring attracted were our type of people. No rowdy partiers, no large groups with rambunctious little rascals running around, just down to earth hot water seekers looking for a relaxing soak and some quality conversation.

We literally couldn’t ask for more. If you find yourself in the middle of Idaho, near the Salmon-Challis National Forest, and you’re in need of some quality R&R, we strongly suggest checking this gem of a place out. The tub itself is not fancy, or even pretty, and you may have to put a little work in to get the flow just right, but once you’ve got it, you’ll be glad you stopped by. Just remember to give the tub a little scrub-love before you leave, and make sure the place is cleaner than you found it!

Cleanliness - 4
Amenities - 1
Exclusivity - 4
Scenery - 5
Community - 3
Camping - 5

A great way to wake up! There’s nothing better than an early morning soak…except when your soak includes views like these!