Challis Hot Springs

Challis Hot Springs is a developed, state-run soak on the Salmon River, about 8 miles east of Challis: two outdoor pools with natural gravel and river-rock bottoms, a riverside campground, and a soaking history that runs back to 1880. If the name is new to you, the place is not. For most of its life this was the Beardsley Resort, and Beardsley is the name the old version of this site carried in its index.

The water has not changed; the management has. Since May 2023 the springs have been the Challis Hot Springs unit of Land of the Yankee Fork State Park, run by the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, and day visitors are as welcome as campers.

The setup is simple, and that is the appeal. Geothermal water rises through the bottoms of both pools around the clock, untreated and unchlorinated. The large pool is kept at swimming temperature, the smaller therapy pool runs hot, and the Salmon River rolls past the campground a short walk away.

Soak Stats

Location	On the Salmon River at 5025 Hot Springs Road, about 8 miles east of Challis, Custer County
Coordinates	About 44.523, -114.173 (USGS thermal springs list, as Beardsley Hot Springs)
Elevation	About 5,000 feet
Soak type	Developed state park pools: two outdoor pools with natural gravel and river-rock bottoms
Water temperature	Large pool about 96°F in summer and 98 to 100°F in winter; small therapy pool about 105°F year-round
Season	Year-round. Winter brings a reduced campground schedule (see Fees, Hours & Reservations)
Fee	$10 per person day-use swim pass, plus the $7 state park vehicle entry fee or an Idaho State Parks Passport. Camping is extra
Reservations	Day use is first come. Campsites are reservable through Idaho State Parks
Clothing policy	Swimwear required: these are public state park pools
Dogs	Allowed in the park and campground on a leash of 6 feet or less. Idaho state park rules bar pets from swim areas, so dogs stay out of the pools
Facilities	Two pools with changing rooms, showers, and restrooms; campground with tent and RV sites and a dump station; picnic areas on the river

Place Information

Address	5025 Hot Springs Road, Challis, ID 83226
County	Custer County
Land manager	Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, Land of the Yankee Fork State Park (Challis Hot Springs unit)
Phone	(208) 833-4442
Website	Idaho State Parks: Challis Hot Springs
YouTube	Land of the Yankee Fork State Park (official park video)

Location, Map & Directions

From the junction of U.S. 93 and Idaho 75 just south of Challis, drive about 1.5 miles east on U.S. 93 and turn left on Hot Springs Road. Follow it about 2.7 miles, then bear left on Challis Hot Springs Road and continue about 2.4 miles to the entrance. The drive is paved the whole way and any vehicle can make it.

Challis itself sits on U.S. 93, with Salmon to the north and the Idaho 75 junction to Stanley and the Sawtooths to the south, so the springs pair naturally with a Salmon River road trip or a day in the rest of the park: the Interpretive Center, the Bayhorse ghost town, and the Yankee Fork gold dredge are all part of the same state park.

The Soaking Experience

The water is the story here. Geothermal  water bubbles up through the river-rock bottoms of both pools at about 127°F, and cold artesian water is added to hold soaking temperatures. Nothing is chlorinated: both pools run on a flow-through system, so fresh spring water constantly replaces the old, and you soak in the same untreated mineral water that drew miners here in the 1880s. The large pool, 100 by 30 feet, averages about 96°F in summer and 98 to 100°F in winter, warm enough for a long, lazy float. The small pool, 25 by 18 feet, holds about 105°F year-round and is the true hot soak.

Both pools sit in full sun under Round Valley hills, so bring a hat and sunglasses on bright days.

Fees, Hours & Reservations

The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation posts the pool hours as Tuesday through Sunday, 8:30 AM to 8:30 PM, and Monday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Day use costs a $10 per person swim pass, plus the standard state park vehicle entry: $7 per vehicle, or covered by an Idaho State Parks Passport.

Campsites are reservable through Idaho State Parks reservations (1-888-922-6743); guide listings put the camping reservation season at roughly mid-March through November. In winter the campground stays open on a reduced schedule, Wednesday through Saturday nights, with the water shut off and the dump stations winterized, per the park’s October 2026 update. Check the park page before a winter trip, since winter operations shift with the weather.

Facilities, Lodging & Nearby

The campground spreads along the river a short walk from the pools: tent sites and RV sites with hookups, a dump station (winterized in the cold months), restrooms, and showers, with grassy picnic ground between the sites and the water. Changing rooms, showers, and restrooms serve the pools.

There is no restaurant on site; Challis, about 8 miles west, covers fuel, groceries, cafes, and motels. Fishing the Salmon River from the property is part of the stay for many campers, and the park’s other units (the Interpretive Center on Idaho 75, Bayhorse, and the Yankee Fork dredge) fill the rest of a day without any driving to speak of.

History

Indigenous communities knew these warm waters long before any homestead fence went up, in a valley the Shoshone had used for centuries, and fur trappers under Michel Bourdon passed through in 1822. The resort era began in 1880, when Robert Currie Beardsley homesteaded east of Challis and developed the springs. Idaho historian Rick Just tells it well: the water was so hot that horse teams pulling Fresno scrapers to dig the pools had to be swapped out every couple of hours so their hooves could cool. Beardsley floated logs down the Salmon to build, and the property opened as the Beardsley Resort and Hotel, serving the mining country around Bayhorse.

Beardsley drowned on June 30, 1888, crossing the Salmon with a team and wagon; his grave still sits on the mountainside above the springs. His widow Eleanor remarried and kept building the resort, and in 1931 it passed to their daughter Isabella and her husband John Hammond. The Hammonds ran it for the rest of its private life, five generations in all, until the family sold to the state. In May 2023 the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation took over, rededicating the springs as part of Land of the Yankee Fork State Park with Governor Brad Little on hand.

Safety & Health

Respect the source water. The water rising into these pools starts at about 127°F per Hot Springs Locator, hot enough to scald, and the pools are the tempered end of it: test the water as you get in, take your time entering the small pool, and keep children within arm’s reach there.

The pools are untreated flow-through spring water, part of their charm; follow any guidance the park posts on site. Away from the pools, remember that the Salmon River beside the campground is cold and swift even at the height of summer, and that both pools sit in full sun, so plan shade, drinking water, and breaks on long soaks.

Best Time to Visit

Summer is peak season: the big pool at its most swimmable, the campground green, and every park unit open. Fall is the quiet favorite, with cool air over warm water and empty weekdays.

Winter is a genuine option here, which is more than most Idaho soaks can say: the roads are paved and plowed, the pools keep their posted hours, and the therapy pool at about 105°F does its best work in January. Go in winter expecting the campground on its reduced schedule, and confirm operations on the park page before you drive.

Nearby Hot Springs

The U.S. 93 corridor stacks up soaks in both directions. North toward Salmon, Goldbug Hot Springs is the hike-in classic and Sharkey Hot Springs is a small developed BLM soak just off the same highway. Down the Salmon toward Stanley, Sunbeam Hot Springs and Mormon Bend Hot Springs wait in the South-Central listings. More East-Central Idaho hot springs →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Challis Hot Springs the same place as Beardsley Hot Springs?

Yes, the same springs. Robert Beardsley developed the property from 1880 as the Beardsley Resort and Hotel, and the USGS thermal springs list still carries the site as Beardsley Hot Springs. Challis Hot Springs is the name it has gone by in its later private years and now as a state park.

How hot are the pools at Challis Hot Springs?

The large pool averages about 96°F in summer and 98 to 100°F in winter. The small therapy pool holds about 105°F year-round. The spring water itself rises far hotter, about 127°F per Hot Springs Locator, and is tempered with cold artesian water before it reaches soaking temperature.

What does it cost to soak at Challis Hot Springs?

Day use is a $10 per person swim pass, plus the $7 state park vehicle entry fee, which an Idaho State Parks Passport covers. Camping is extra and reservable through Idaho State Parks.

What are the hours at Challis Hot Springs?

Tuesday through Sunday, 8:30 AM to 8:30 PM, and Monday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, per the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. Check the park page before a winter visit, since winter operations can shift.

Can I camp at Challis Hot Springs?

Yes. The on-site campground along the Salmon River has tent sites and RV sites with hookups, restrooms, showers, and a dump station, and sites are reservable through Idaho State Parks for most of the year. In winter the campground stays open Wednesday through Saturday nights with the water shut off.

Can I bring my dog to Challis Hot Springs?

Dogs are welcome in the park and campground on a leash of 6 feet or less, under Idaho state park rules, but those rules bar pets from swim areas, so dogs stay out of the pools.