Cox Hot Springs (Whitey Cox)
By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026
Cox Hot Springs (Whitey Cox) is a primitive hot spring listed near remote — Salmon River corridor, Idaho. No soak temperature is on record. See the visit fact sheet.
Current status
Whitey Cox hot spring on the Middle Fork of the Salmon at river mile ~46.2-46.8 (right bank, on the bench above Whitey Cox camp) inside the Frank Church wilderness — the spring flows and Whitey Cox is a designated USFS 'hot springs' camp, but its sandy-bottom hillside pools have carried a red-spider-mite infestation documented by the Forest Service since at least 2004, so outfitters advise skipping the soak; the real attraction is one of the best swimming beaches on the river. No road access — permitted float trip, trail, or backcountry airstrip only.
Checked September 2026 · verified against an official source · 10 sources ↓
Before you go
- Status: Reservation or permission required — confirm via USFS Salmon-Challis NF — '2025 Middle Fork Camps for Website' (Whitey Cox camp at mile 46.2, right bank, capacity 30).
- Cost: Reported free access — fees and permits can change, confirm before visiting.
- Getting there: No verified hike distance on record — confirm the route and road conditions.
- Water: No soak temperature on record — always test the water before entering.
- Rules: Reported clothing-optional; pets reported not allowed — confirm current rules.
- Conditions: check weather, fire closures, and land-manager alerts the week you go — mountain access changes seasonally.
- Reservations/permits: Middle Fork float permit required year-round (recreation.gov 'Middle Fork Of The Salmon', permit 234623); May 28-Sep 3 launches are lottery-only (apply Dec 1-Jan 31); $6 reservation fee + $4/person/day; ~7 launches/day. Hike-in via the Middle Fork Trail or fly-in to Lower Loon airstrip needs no permit but wilderness + river-corridor rules apply (human-waste pack-out within 1/4 mi of river).
- Booking: Lottery / limited reservations.
- Best time to go: Float season late May-early Sept (control-season launches are lottery-allocated). The soak itself is generally not worth it — enjoy the beach instead; if you do soak, apply bug juice AFTER the soak (mites dig in on dry skin) and keep clothing off the ground.
- Clothing reality: No posted policy (undeveloped wilderness site); swimsuits are the norm — the camp and beach are shared with other float parties.
- Kids: Allowed.
- Cell service: none — download maps and tell someone your plan.
- Accessibility: Spring sits on a bench above the riverside camp — short but steep/uneven scramble; wilderness site, not accessible.
- RED SPIDER MITES are the story: documented on the official USFS river-camps list ('Mites in the hot springs') and in guidebooks since ~2004; also called strawberry mites — they cling to skin and to clothing left poolside and their bites leave itchy red sores lasting ~2 weeks; most float groups skip soaking here entirely
- Pools are small with hot water trickling through grass — repeatedly described as stinky and buggy; mites concentrate on the hot dry rocks around the pools
- It still counts as your trip's ONE assigned 'hot springs' camp under the USFS camp limit — many parties would rather draw Loon Creek or Hospital Bar instead
- Silver lining: one of the best sandy swimming beaches on the Middle Fork (Northwest Rafting) — come for the river swim, not the soak
- NO ROAD ACCESS — Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness; reached by permitted float trip, the Middle Fork Trail, or the Lower Loon backcountry airstrip (C53) ~3 mi downstream
- Camp is named for miner 'Whitey' Cox, who perished prospecting here in 1954 and is buried at the site (American Whitewater)
- Wild & Scenic river-corridor rules within 1/4 mi of the river: pack out ALL waste including human (porta-potty required on float trips), fires only in fire pans
- Hazard: Red spider mite bites — itchy sores lasting ~2 weeks; mites also infest clothing left beside pools
- Hazard: Hot trickling source water of unverified temperature — test before entering
- Hazard: Whitewater environment (Class III-IV Middle Fork)
- Hazard: Extreme remoteness — wilderness canyon, no cell service, help is hours-to-days away
- Hazard: Late-summer wildfire closures are common in this drainage
About this spring
The 'Whitey Cox' hot-spring camp on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River (~mile 46, river right), named for a miner buried at the camp. Hillside pools with sandy bottoms sit on a bench above one of the river's best swimming beaches; source ~131°F. Fee: Middle Fork float permit required in season. Persistent reports of red spider mites in the pools — several guides advise against soaking. Source scalding.
Whitey Cox Hot Spring sits on a bench above the Middle Fork of the Salmon River at roughly river mile 46, behind the large sandy gravel bar that forms the Whitey Cox river camp. The camp and spring are named for a miner who died while prospecting here in 1954 and is buried at the site. Despite its designation as a 'hot springs' camp — which counts toward the Forest Service's one-hot-spring-camp limit per Middle Fork trip — the spring itself is modest: hot water trickles through grass into small sandy-bottomed pools, and the site is frequently described as buggy, with persistent reports of biting red spider mites. Many outfitters advise skipping the soak and instead enjoying the camp's swimming beach, considered one of the best on the river. The spring lies within the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness and is reachable only by permitted Middle Fork float trip or long wilderness trail. Source water has been reported around 131°F — scalding at the vent.
Directions & trailhead access
Float the Middle Fork Salmon; hot spring at ~river mile 46.2 on river right above Whitey Cox camp.
Idaho geothermal context
Idaho's thermal water rides the old track of the Yellowstone hotspot across the Snake River Plain and surfaces along faults in the surrounding mountains. Many of the best soaks are roadside or river-access pools inside national forests — including springs that only emerge when river levels drop. Backcountry sites demand real navigation skills and long dirt-road drives.
What a primitive site means here
Primitive springs have no facilities: no changing rooms, no trash service, often no maintained road to the pool. Expect natural rock or gravel bottoms, water temperature that varies by spot and season, and other visitors who may treat the site informally. Pack out everything you bring, test the water before entering, and leave the pool cleaner than you found it.
Best time to visit
Year-Round (Best: May – October)Pool temperatures and access can change with weather and season. Outdoor ambient temperatures fluctuate significantly across Idaho. Late spring through autumn offers the most comfortable road access.
Fact sheet
| Reported soak temp | Not reported |
|---|---|
| Source temp (historical) | 131°F |
| Trail access | Recorded coordinates — access unverified |
| Access fee | Reported free — verify locally |
| Clothing policy | Reported clothing-optional |
| Pet policy | Reported no pets |
| Geothermal data reference | NOAA Thermal Springs List (1980 archive) |
| Check land status | USFS Salmon-Challis NF — '2025 Middle Fork Camps for Website' (Whitey Cox camp at mile 46.2, right bank, capacity 30) |
Cox Hot Springs (Whitey Cox) FAQ
Is Cox Hot Springs (Whitey Cox) open right now?
Whitey Cox hot spring on the Middle Fork of the Salmon at river mile ~46.2-46.8 (right bank, on the bench above Whitey Cox camp) inside the Frank Church wilderness — the spring flows and Whitey Cox is a designated USFS 'hot springs' camp, but its sandy-bottom hillside pools have carried a red-spider-mite infestation documented by the Forest Service since at least 2004, so outfitters advise skipping the soak; the real attraction is one of the best swimming beaches on the river. No road access — permitted float trip, trail, or backcountry airstrip only. (Status verified against an official source, last checked September 2026.)
Is Cox Hot Springs (Whitey Cox) free?
Cox Hot Springs (Whitey Cox) is listed as free to access in Custer County, Idaho. Fees and rules change — verify current status with the land manager before visiting.
What temperature is Cox Hot Springs (Whitey Cox)?
No soak temperature is on record for Cox Hot Springs (Whitey Cox); the geothermal source is reported around 131°F. Always test water temperature before entering.
Is Cox Hot Springs (Whitey Cox) clothing optional?
Cox Hot Springs (Whitey Cox) is listed as traditionally clothing-optional in directory records. Confirm current rules before visiting, as policies change.
How do you access Cox Hot Springs (Whitey Cox)?
Cox Hot Springs (Whitey Cox) is on public land — verify current road access, fees and rules with the land manager before visiting.
Sources & references
- USFS Salmon-Challis NF — '2025 Middle Fork Camps for Website' (Whitey Cox camp at mile 46.2, right bank, capacity 30) — official · 2025
- USFS — 'River Camps on the Middle Fork of the Salmon' campsite list ('46.2 Whitey Cox ... Mites in the hot springs'; archived 2013) — fs.usda.gov blocks direct fetch; text via search index — official · 2013
- Recreation.gov — Middle Fork Of The Salmon permit page (year-round permit; lottery control season May 28-Sep 3; fees) — official · 2026-09
- Northwest Rafting Co. — Hot Springs on the Middle Fork ('Whitie Cox Hot Spring – Mile 46.8': small pool, spider mites, stinky/buggy, best swimming beach) — operator · 2025
- Middle Fork Rapid Transit — Middle Fork Hot Springs: Locations & Etiquette (Whitey Cox ~mile 46.2 right bank; hillside sandy-bottom pools; mites; many trips skip soaking) — operator · 2025
- American Whitewater — Whitie Cox Camp POI (sandy-bar camp at 44.783,-114.856; spring on bench above; named for miner buried 1954) — community · 2020
- Wikipedia — Middle Fork Salmon River (Whitey Cox: hillside sandy-bottom pools; red spider mites since at least 2004; not recommended for soaking) — community · 2025
- GoLightOutdoors — Middle Fork Salmon trip report, undated (group member 'eaten alive' by strawberry mites at Whitey Cox) — community · 2020
- TopoQuest — GNIS 'Cox Hot Springs' at N44.785255 W114.855639, 0.2 mi from Whitey Cox Campground (confirms DB name/coords) — community · 2024
Additional references for this record; a source link does not guarantee current conditions.
Details above were verified against the named sources on their listed dates — conditions change, so recheck before traveling. · How we verify our data · Report a correction
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