Dagger Creek Hot Springs
Dagger Creek Hot Springs is a set of three rock-walled pools above the mouth of Dagger Creek, near Dagger Falls on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in the Salmon-Challis National Forest. It is a beautiful corner of Idaho — but go in with calibrated expectations: the pools are silty, and the one documented visit was swarmed by biting horse and deer flies.
Pool Condition
Three rock-walled pools with silt bottoms; the hot spring water rises up through the silty bottoms. Water runs 100–104°F, but clarity is low — tons of silt and algae. Find the pools by finding Dagger Falls first, then looking above the mouth of Dagger Creek.
Seasonal Notes
The seasonal forest road is closed from October through mid-May (the exact May opening depends on snow). Prime soaking season runs from late July to late October, after spring runoff.
Camping
There is an official campground at the trailhead, plus plenty of other campgrounds and primitive sites in the surrounding Salmon-Challis and Sawtooth National Forests.
Dagger Creek Hot Springs Soak Stats
- Access Type: Forest road + short approach
- Public Land: Salmon-Challis National Forest
- Elevation: 5,800 ft
- GPS: 44.516, -115.295
- Water Temperature: 100–104°F
- Water Clarity: Low (silt and algae)
- Visibility: Low
- Odor(s): Slight
- Nearest Area: Stanley / Lowman area
- Wildlife: Bull trout, deer, elk
- Caution: Biting horse/deer flies documented as extreme
- Usage Level: Low
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