Five different Stanley Idaho hot springs, all within 15 minutes of Stanley. AND, they’re all easily accessible… Yes, please!
Who knew that Idaho had so many hot springs?! Okay, maybe loads of people do, but this was news to us when we got into Idaho. But, boy, oh boy, was this more than welcomed news as we were traveling through Idaho in October!
Wrapping up a week in the Boise National Forest, where we went to something like eight hot springs all on one road, we didn’t think we would be blessed with so many hot springs again. And after visiting Kirkham Hot Springs, we didnt’ know hot springs could get better… But low and behold, the Stanley Idaho hot springs proved us otherwise.
No matter what time of year you’re visiting the Stanley Idaho hot springs, there’s one perfect for you! And honestly, we’d recommend checking them all out, though SunBeam was our favorite in the area.
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5 Hot Springs Near Stanley, Idaho
Before diving into the Stanley Idaho hot springs, a quick note. Help keep these places open and beautiful! Stay on the paths. Only park in the designated parking areas. And, for the love of nature… pack out all trash! You carried it in.. carry it out!
Here’s a quick list, including distances from Stanley to the individual hot springs.. yes, they really are all within 15 minutes of town!
- Valley Creek Hot Springs (4 minutes, 1.1 miles)
- Mountain Village Hot Springs (4 minutes, 1.1 miles)
- Boat Box Hot Springs (5 minutes, 3.4 miles)
- Cove Creek Hot Springs (11 minutes, 8.4 miles)
- SunBeam Hot Springs (15 minutes, 12.2 miles)
1. VALLEY CREEK HOT SPRINGS (STANLEY HOT SPRINGS)
- Location: Valley Creek Hot Springs
- Temperature: warm, but not hot
- Access: 3 minute walk across bridge and rock/mud from parking lot
- Texture: Smooth bottom, couple larger rocks to sit on
- Depth: can sit and cover your legs, or lay back and cover body
Valley Creek Hot Springs is right in the heart of Stanley and offers some amazing soaking views. The temperature of this hot spring was a bit too cold for our liking, especially in mid-October. However, we reckon they would be a great temperature to enjoy at a warmer part of the year, or heck.. maybe even in the middle of the day instead of at night.
Access to Valley Creek Hot Springs is pretty easy. Here’s the exact pinpoint for the parking area. From there, walk across the bridge, and the hot springs are on the left on the opposite side of the river as the parking area.
{Traveler’s Tip…We’re giving you the exact geolocation to the parking area to preserve the nature in this location. Please use this parking area or the area on the road that’s already made for parking instead of ruining the vegetation. Likewise, stay on the path to the hot springs! Help keep this place beautiful by sticking to the trails already made!}
In our experience, the hot spring is really nice, and the views of the Sawtooth Mountains are great from the springs and the bridge. However, we were really cold and looking for a hot soak, and Valley Creek Hot Springs was not the place for that. With that said, Valley Creek (Stanley Hot Springs) is worth checking out simply for the views of the mountains from the bridge, and also would be lovely on a warmer day, not a freezing cold night!
2. MOUNTAIN VILLAGE RESORT HOT SPRINGS
- Location: Mountain Village Hot Spring
- Temperature: ranges between 98-104
- Access: private access, must be booked at the resort
- Texture: man-made pool
- Depth: deep enough for a proper sit and soak
We did not go to Mountain Village Resort Hot Spring because it’s a private hot spring that you have to book in advance. During the busy season in Stanley the hot springs are only open to guests. However, during the slower season, people that are not staying at the resort can also book a time slot to soak in their springs.
The views from Mountain Village Resort Hot Spring are similar to those at Valley Creek. In fact, they’re right next to each other.. one’s left after the bridge and the other right. The bonus, or maybe not bonus, side of Mountain Village Resort Hot Spring is that the springs are covered. They seem nice for those looking for more built-up, regulated hot springs vs. one completely found in nature!
Check out their hot springs, booking opportunities, and resort here.
3. BOAT BOX HOT SPRINGS
- Location: Boat Box Hot Springs
- Temperature: hot.. like super hot, although buckets available to add river water in
- Access: just a couple steps down a steep rocky path
- Texture: in a copper pot or in a pool of river rock
- Depth: sitting down, it covers the shoulders, river pools are shallow
Read More About Boat Box Hot Springs Here | more photos + tips + how to “work” the springs
Wow, Boat Box Hot Springs is a popular place to soak in Stanley. I can’t imagine how busy this hot spring would be in the higher season! But Boat Box is popular with reason. It’s a super unique soaking experience really close to town.
{Traveler’s Tip… There is only parking here for about three to four cars, which is fantastic for keeping the crowds down. If the parking area is full, come back another time! It’s close enough to town to make it worth going back to your hotel for a bit before trying again!}
The temperature of the hot spring mixed with river water in the rock-formed pool is just perfect to lay in for hours and hours (as long as there aren’t people waiting)! The kettle pot hot spring is one that is highly sought after.
Common courtesy is to soak for about 30 minutes then jump out if people are waiting to get in too. But don’t worry, with how hot the water is, 30 minutes provides a long enough soak to relax and get warmed up.
4. COVE CREEK HOT SPRINGS
- Location: Cove Creek Hot Springs
- Temperature: warm, not hot
- Access: 3-4 minute walk downhill from the large car park
- Texture: river rock and fine dirt
- Depth: shallow, though about a foot in some sitting spots
Cove Creek Hot Springs is one of those good for the summer days hot springs. When we visited in October, the temperature wasn’t very warm. They’re right on the water, and there are a couple of rock pools of just river water nearby… again, great for the warmer weather or ice baths after a long day on the trails!
The springs themselves are tucked down at the bottom of a river bend, quite a ways down from the busy road above. There are bathrooms at the parking area, and picnic tables and fire rings in a number of day-use spots near the hot springs. There’s also plenty of space to play in the grass and enjoy a day down on the water, dipping in and out of the springs.
{Traveler’s Tip… Coming from Stanley, just before the big parking area, there is a road to the left called Basin Creek Road. There are supposedly hot springs up that road too called Basin Creek Hot Springs. However, the road was steep and not appealing to attempt driving it without high clearance. If you fancy an adventure, check out Basin Creek road/hot spring and let us know what you find!!}
5. SUNBEAM HOT SPRINGS
- Location: SunBeam Hot Springs
- Temperature: just perfect! Piping hot coming out of the moveable pipe to regulate temperature
- Access: walk down a semi-steep hillside about a minute from the car park
- Texture: river rock and fine dirt in rock pools and two sitting pots
- Depth: river pools about a foot, sitting pots 3-4 feet deep
SunBeam Hot Springs were our favorite Stanley, Idaho hot springs. It’s a little bit further out of town, roughly 15 minutes, but that makes there be less of a crowd. The temperature is just right, it’s far enough off the road that the road noise isn’t bothersome, and with two sitting pots, it’s great for individual soaking close to a loved one!
It seems like SunBeam Hot Springs are a bit of a hidden gem near Stanley, as we were the only people at the hot springs for the entire two hours we were soaking and enjoying them! There’s an old bathhouse on-site, a pit toilet, and three information boards telling about the history of the area.
SunBeam Hot Springs has been a popular place for hundreds of years. There used to be a home at the hot springs heated with copper pipes piping the hot spring water beneath the home!
Like Boat Box Hot Springs, SunBeam has two large pots that fill with hot spring water piped from under the road. This water is boiling hot, so you have to mix a bit of river water in the pot, or move the piping off the pot to cool down the water. There are a couple of rock pools just below the two pots too.
Heading past the old bathhouse and pit toilet, there are rock pools from another tunnel of hot spring water. These were pretty shallow when we visited, and with how nice the other ones were, we didn’t even bother getting into these springs.
Where to Stay When Visiting Stanley Idaho Hot Springs
When we were in the Stanley, we stayed in our converted minivan campervan at multiple different free campsites around Stanley. With that said, we did keep our eyes out for alternative places to stay when you’re not up for camping, and these are ones that stuck out to us.
{Traveler’s Tip…Be sure to book well in advance if you plan on visiting Stanley in the summer months. The town is very small and is a very popular place for tourists!}
If You’re Looking for a Hotel Stay in Stanley
The Mountain Village Resort is a great place to stay in the heart of Stanley. And as a bonus, if you stay at the resort, the Mountain Village Hot Springs mentioned above are free to use! The resort is easily accessible with a large parking area, and, has a killer restaurant to indulge at. Think, churro ice cream, delicious biscuits and gravy, and classic mountain village decor!
Fancy a Cabin Stay in Stanley?
Triangle C Cabins are cabins right next to Stanley’s grocery store, offering private cabins with individual bathrooms. These cabins are postcard-perfect with the Sawtooth Range just behind them!
Camping Near Stanley
Stanley offers many different places to camp from RV sites to small campgrounds in town, and larger campgrounds in the Sawtooth Mountains. The campgrounds fill up quickly, so be sure to book well in advance, or arrive early to those that don’t allow reservation!
There are so many primitive campgrounds all around Stanley that offer fantastic free camping oftentimes with proper fire fings, toilets, and even picnic benches. With that said, I’m sure they fill up super fast as well! In October, you’ll find loads of hunters at most of the primitive campgrounds, and in the summer, we’ve heard how jam-packed they can be. So be sure to get there early to secure a spot — or visit in the off-season to avoid the crowds!
