Dagger Creek Hot Springs
OpenOpen seasons
- Access
- Forest road plus a short approach, above the mouth of Dagger Creek near Dagger Falls on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River.
- Price
- No fee is published for this undeveloped spring.
- Accommodations
- Dagger Falls Campground, an official Forest Service campground, sits at the trailhead, with other campgrounds and primitive sites in the surrounding national forests.
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
Frequently Asked Questions
How hot is Dagger Creek Hot Springs?
The three rock-walled pools run about 100–104 °F, with hot water rising through their silt bottoms.
When can you go?
The seasonal forest road is closed from October through mid-May, and the exact May opening depends on snow. Prime soaking season runs from late July to late October, after spring runoff.
Where is it?
Above the mouth of Dagger Creek near Dagger Falls, on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in the Salmon-Challis National Forest.
Can you camp?
There is an official Forest Service campground at the trailhead, Dagger Falls Campground, plus other campgrounds and primitive sites in the surrounding national forests.
Anything to watch for?
The one documented visit was swarmed by biting horse and deer flies, documented as extreme. The pools have heavy silt and algae and low water clarity.
Does it cost anything?
No fee is published for this undeveloped spring.
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