Bronco Billy Hot Springs
Open
Not a soak: source too hot, lower pool destroyed in 1996Open seasons
- Access
- Roadside pullout, Banks-Lowman Highway
- Accommodations
- Campgrounds about 10 to 15 driving minutes away
Bronco Billy Hot Springs — also known as Deer Creek — is a cautionary tale along the Banks-Lowman Highway on BLM land, in the Banks/Garden Valley area. The honest summary: the source pool is far too hot to soak, and the second pool below the highway has been gone since a 1996 mudslide. Most visitors look, and keep driving.
Pool Condition
The rock-walled source pool, with a sand/rock/gravel bottom, is shallow and extremely hot. The outflow runs down a boulder-strewn channel to a culvert, then beneath Highway 21 toward the river.
A second pool once sat on the river side of the highway, below the culvert. It went away for good when a mudslide covered the spring and most of the highway in the winter of 1996.
Seasonal Notes
Accessible year-round — but be wary of the mud and rock slides that are a common occurrence along this stretch. There is also a fair amount of poison ivy in the area.
Camping
Boise National Forest campgrounds are abundant in this area, though the close ones are around 10–15 driving minutes away.
Bronco Billy Hot Springs Soak Stats
- Access Type: Roadside
- Public Land: BLM
- Elevation: 2,925 ft
- Water Temperature: Too hot (source) / too cold (culvert pool)
- Water Clarity: Murky
- Visibility: Low to moderate
- Odor(s): None noticed
- Nearest Area: Banks / Garden Valley
- Wildlife: Deer, elk, fox
- Usage Level: Low
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you soak at Bronco Billy?
No. The shallow source pool is extremely hot, far beyond soaking temperature, and the culvert pool below the highway has not existed since the winter 1996 mudslide.
What does it cost?
The listing publishes no fee, and no official source states one, so treat the cost as not verified.
How hot is the water?
Too hot at the source and too cold below: the listing records the source as far too hot to soak and the old culvert pool water as far too cool.
What happened to the lower pool?
A mudslide in the winter of 1996 covered the spring and the highway, and the pool below the culvert on the river side was never restored; its water ran too cool for soaking in any case.
When is it accessible?
Year-round from a roadside pullout, with a caution for the mud and rock slides this highway is known for.
Can I camp nearby?
The nearest campgrounds are about 10 to 15 driving minutes away.
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