Hospital Hot Spring (Hospital Bar)
By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026
Hospital Hot Spring (Hospital Bar) is a primitive hot spring listed near remote — Middle Fork corridor, Idaho. Reported soak temperature: 105°F. See the visit fact sheet.
Current status
This is the Hospital Bar hot spring at ~river mile 52 on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River inside the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness: a small riverside pool reachable only by a permitted multi-day float trip (year-round float permit; lottery control season May 28-Sep 3); it forms a soakable pool at low water but washes out at high flows.
Checked July 2026 · verified against an official source · 7 sources ↓
Before you go
- Status: Reservation or permission required — confirm via Recreation.gov — Middle Fork Of The Salmon (4 Rivers), Salmon-Challis NF permit page (year-round permit; lottery season May 28-Sep 3; 7 launches/day).
- 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: Reported soak temperature 105°F — 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 of the Salmon float permit via recreation.gov (permit 234623); lottery applications due Jan 31 for the May 28-Sep 3 control season; permits issued by email ~5-6 days pre-launch; group size determines max trip length (1-10 people = 8 days).
- Booking: Lottery / limited reservations.
- Best time to go: Late season (Aug-early Sep) when flows are low and the pool holds; outside control season (after Sep 3) permits are first-come first-served and crowds drop.
- Clothing reality: No posted policy — wilderness river-corridor etiquette applies; nudity is not uncommon at remote Middle Fork camps but should be discreet around outfitter groups.
- Kids: Allowed.
- Cell service: none — download maps and tell someone your plan.
- Accessibility: Not accessible — wilderness whitewater trip required; no trailheads nearby.
- NO ROAD ACCESS: the only practical way in is a multi-day raft/kayak trip on the Middle Fork of the Salmon (permitted stretch Dagger Falls to the Main Salmon confluence); Hospital Bar is ~52 miles downstream of the Boundary Creek launch
- A float permit is required YEAR-ROUND; during the lottery control season (May 28-Sep 3) permits are awarded by recreation.gov lottery (applications due ~Jan 31); only 7 launches/day, ~3 for private boaters in season
- Pool washes out at high water — best formed in lower late-summer/fall flows; springs are small, fitting only a handful of people
- River corridor rules: pack out all waste incl. human, fire pan required, no mechanized/motorized equipment (Wilderness); Idaho aquatic invasive species sticker required for watercraft
- Nearest camps: Hospital Bar (Hot Springs) camp ~mile 52.1 river left; Cave Camp directly across the river
- Boundary Creek launch access road (FR 579/568 off Hwy 21 mp 109) often snowblocked until mid-June
- Hazard: Whitewater river trip required (Class III-IV) to reach the site at all
- Hazard: Pool washes out / scalding risk at high water; spring water ~115F per guidebook tables
- Hazard: Remote wilderness — no cell service, multi-day evacuation times
- Hazard: Bears and wilderness hazards; cold river immersion risk
About this spring
The last hot spring on the Middle Fork of the Salmon (~mile 52, river left, at Hospital Bar) — water cascades out of rocks directly into the river; at low flows a small soaking pool forms fitting only a handful of people. Source ~115°F. Fee: Middle Fork float permit required in season. Pool washes out at higher water; very small capacity; remote wilderness.
Hospital Bar is the last hot spring encountered on a Middle Fork of the Salmon River float trip, located at roughly river mile 52 on river left at the upstream end of the Hospital Bar camp. The spring cascades out of the rocks directly into the river; at lower flows a soaking pool forms in the upstream eddy — sometimes helped along by a few strategically stacked rocks — that fits only a handful of people. A loosely built rock wall is all that separates the thermal water from the cold river alongside. At higher water the pool washes out entirely, making late-season trips the most reliable for soaking. Soakers can reach it directly from Hospital Bar camp or by boat or inflatable kayak from Cave Camp just across the river, and the slow-moving water just upstream is noted for good fishing. Like all Middle Fork springs, it sits inside the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness and requires a float permit during the lottery control season.
Directions & trailhead access
Float the Middle Fork to Hospital Bar camp (~mile 52); spring in the upstream eddy at the top of the bar.
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 | 105°F |
|---|---|
| Source temp (historical) | Not reported |
| 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 | Recreation.gov — Middle Fork Of The Salmon (4 Rivers), Salmon-Challis NF permit page (year-round permit; lottery season May 28-Sep 3; 7 launches/day) |
Hospital Hot Spring (Hospital Bar) FAQ
Is Hospital Hot Spring (Hospital Bar) open right now?
This is the Hospital Bar hot spring at ~river mile 52 on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River inside the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness: a small riverside pool reachable only by a permitted multi-day float trip (year-round float permit; lottery control season May 28-Sep 3); it forms a soakable pool at low water but washes out at high flows. (Status verified against an official source, last checked July 2026.)
Is Hospital Hot Spring (Hospital Bar) free?
Hospital Hot Spring (Hospital Bar) is listed as free to access in Valley County, Idaho. Fees and rules change — verify current status with the land manager before visiting.
What temperature is Hospital Hot Spring (Hospital Bar)?
Hospital Hot Spring (Hospital Bar) has a reported soak temperature of 105°F. Historical data may not reflect current conditions — always test water before entering.
Is Hospital Hot Spring (Hospital Bar) clothing optional?
Hospital Hot Spring (Hospital Bar) is listed as traditionally clothing-optional in directory records. Confirm current rules before visiting, as policies change.
How do you access Hospital Hot Spring (Hospital Bar)?
Hospital Hot Spring (Hospital Bar) requires permission, a permit or advance booking — confirm the terms with the site manager before visiting.
Sources & references
- Recreation.gov — Middle Fork Of The Salmon (4 Rivers), Salmon-Challis NF permit page (year-round permit; lottery season May 28-Sep 3; 7 launches/day) — official · 2026-09
- USFS Salmon-Challis NF — Middle Fork of the Salmon River page (permit system, required equipment, Boundary Creek road opens ~mid-June) — official · 2026-09
- Northwest Rafting Co — Hot Springs on the Middle Fork (Hospital Bar at mile 52.9, pool forms at low water, washed out at high water) — operator · 2025
- Middle Fork Rapid Transit — Middle Fork hot springs guide (Hospital Bar Hot Springs camp mile 52.1 river left, two small pools) — operator · 2025
- USGS OF 82-104 — Idaho geothermal inventory listing Hospital Hot Springs — official · 1982
- TopoQuest/GNIS — Hospital Hot Spring at N44.8361 W114.7913 adjacent to Hospital Bar, Ramey Hill quad, Valley County — official · 2025
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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