Basin Creek Campground Hot Springs
Open
Pools submerge during high waterOpen seasons
- Access
- Roadside, off Highway 75 east of Stanley
- Accommodations
- No camping at the springs; the namesake campground is gone. Campgrounds line Highway 75
Basin Creek Campground Hot Springs is a small set of rocky, user-built pools on Basin Creek off Highway 75 east of Stanley, Idaho — with one big asterisk: the campground it is named for was wiped out by flooding in 2006 and never rebuilt. The pools remain, with heavily silted bottoms and temperatures that fluctuate from too cool to piping hot, but plan on dispersed camping elsewhere along Highway 75.
The Pools
Rocky user-built pools with heavy silt bottoms. Temperatures swing widely between pools and visits: on a 2005 visit the source pool ran well above 115°F, the lower pool around 109°F, and the lowest about 96°F, while other visits found the main pool too cool to soak. The pools submerge during high water and spring runoff rebuilds — and wrecks — them season after season.
Access
The springs historically sat behind campsite #4 of the old campground, reached by a trail from the site, with alternate access via the dirt road on the other side of Basin Creek. With the campground gone and the bridge washed out in the 2006 flooding, expect access conditions to differ from older descriptions.
Seasonal Notes
Pools submerge during high water. Summer and fall are the listed seasons.
Camping
There is no camping at the hot springs — the campground is gone. Plenty of official campgrounds line Highway 75, with primitive camping options in the area as well.
Basin Creek Campground Hot Springs Soak Stats
- Season: Summer, fall
- Access Type: Roadside
- Public Land: Sawtooth National Forest
- Elevation: 6,100 ft
- Water Temperature: Varies (source pool has run above 115°F; lowest pool ~96°F)
- Water Clarity: Semi-clear
- Visibility: Moderate
- Odor(s): None noticed
- Nearest Town: Stanley
- Wildlife: Deer
- Usage Level: Moderate-high
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I camp at the hot springs?
No. There is no camping at the springs, because the campground they were named for was decommissioned and never rebuilt. Highway 75 has plenty of official campgrounds, and primitive camping is available locally.
How hot are the pools?
It varies widely. On a 2005 visit, the lowest pool measured about 96°F, the lower pool about 109°F, and the source pool ran above 115°F; on other visits the main pool was too cool to soak. Those figures are from the listing’s own record and are not verified.
When is the best time to visit?
Summer and fall, once high water passes. Spring runoff puts the pools under and reshapes them, sometimes wrecking what was built, from one season to the next.
How hard is the access?
Roadside off Highway 75. Historically the pools sat behind campsite number 4 of the old campground, reached by trail, with a second approach on the dirt road across Basin Creek. With the campground gone and its bridge washed out, expect conditions to differ from older descriptions.
What happened to Basin Creek Campground?
The listing records that flooding in 2006 wiped it out and it was never rebuilt. The Forest Service's own project archive confirms the campground was decommissioned and its camping capacity replaced by rustic sites elsewhere along Basin Creek.
What are the pools like?
Rocky pools built and rebuilt by users over the years on Basin Creek, with heavily silted bottoms and semi-clear water.
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