Prospector Hot Springs
Seasonal
Realistic window is mid to late summer, once runoff drops and the fords are practicalOpen seasons
- Access
- Multiday backpack (hard to find; route-finding)
- Reservations
- None required
- Accommodations
- No known campsites near the spring; make your own camp (Leave No Trace)
Prospector Hot Springs is one of the least-documented soaks in Idaho: a remote hot spring deep in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, in the Lochsa Ranger District of North-Central Idaho. Almost nothing is published about the pools themselves — reaching them is a hard-to-find, multiday backcountry trip in its own right.
Description
Very little is known about Prospector beyond its location at the end of a difficult, multiday route. There are no published details on pool size, construction, or water temperature, and use is effectively non-existent — this is a spring for experienced wilderness travelers who are comfortable route-finding far from any trailhead support.
Seasonal Notes
Mid to late summer is the realistic window. The approach involves multiple river fords, which are only practical once runoff has dropped.
Camping
There are no known primitive campsites near the spring. Plan to find and make your own camp, following full Leave No Trace wilderness practice.
Prospector Hot Springs Soak Stats
- Season: All
- Access Type: Multiday backpack (hard to find)
- Public Land: Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness (Lochsa Ranger District)
- GPS: 46.235, -114.707
- Water Temperature: Not documented
- Water Clarity: n/a
- Visibility: None
- Odor(s): n/a
- pH: Unknown
- Usage Level: Non-existent
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to visit?
Plan on mid to late summer. Earlier, the approach's river fords run too high; they become practical only after runoff drops.
How hard is the access?
Very. Reaching Prospector means a difficult, hard-to-find multiday route, and it suits travelers who can navigate far beyond any trailhead support.
How hot is the water?
Not documented. The listing publishes no temperature, and the federal spring registries plot the spring's location with no temperature recorded either.
Can I camp nearby?
No campsites are known near the spring, so be ready to pick and build your own camp and leave no trace of it.
Where exactly is it?
Federal spring registries plot Prospector at 46.235, -114.707 in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness; that coordinate record is the firmest documentation the spring has.
What are the pools like?
Unknown: no published details on pool size or construction exist. What is documented is the journey, a remote multiday route deep in the wilderness.
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