Stuart Hot Springs
By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026
Stuart Hot Springs is a primitive hot spring listed near Lowell, Idaho. No soak temperature is on record. See the visit fact sheet.
Current status
One of Idaho's least-visited documented hot springs — a seep at the edge of a meadow on West Fork Three Links Creek inside the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness (Nez Perce-Clearwater NF), reachable only by a multi-day backpacking trip on Three Links Creek Trail #405 with unbridged river/creek fords; essentially nobody goes and no temperature or pool condition has ever been reliably reported.
Checked September 2026 · inferred — not yet confirmed · 5 sources ↓
Before you go
- Status: Current status unconfirmed — confirm via USGS GNIS via TopoQuest — Stuart Hot Springs feature record (Idaho County, Big Rock Mountain quad, 2,860 ft).
- 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: Clothing policy unknown — verify locally; 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: No permit required for hiking/backpacking in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness on the Nez Perce-Clearwater NF (self-issue trailhead registration may apply); wilderness regulations apply. Lochsa/Moose Creek Ranger District administers this area.
- Best time to go: Mid-July through early September only — after snowmelt and when creek levels are low enough to ford safely. The basin gets ~200 in of snow; access roads and trails are snowbound roughly October-June.
- Clothing reality: No rules — designated wilderness; effectively whatever visitors choose, and visitors are nearly nonexistent.
- Kids: Allowed.
- Cell service: none — download maps and tell someone your plan.
- Accessibility: Not accessible — multi-day wilderness backpacking with river fords over unmaintained backcountry trail.
- This is a genuine wilderness expedition, not a day soak — expect a multi-day trip with unbridged creek/river fords; idahohotsprings describes it as a 'long, arduous, multiple-day, river fording adventure' and lists usage as 'Non-Existent'
- Almost nothing is known about the spring itself — reported only as 'hot' water at the fringe of a grassy meadow near West Fork Three Links Creek; no verified temperature, pool, or photos on record. Do NOT count on a soakable pool existing
- Nearest recorded road is Fog Mountain Road ~5.7 mi away; the usual approach is Three Links Creek Trail #405 (~8.4 mi trail) from the Selway River corridor near Lowell off US-12, then long dirt-road drives just to reach the trailhead
- Creek fords are dangerous or impossible during spring runoff and after storms — go in late summer/low water only
- Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness rules apply: no motorized/mechanized travel (no bikes technically, despite some route listings), group size limits, pack-it-out
- No cell service anywhere in the Selway backcountry; carry satellite communicator
- Idahohotsprings gives it their lowest rating 'X' — i.e., even dedicated spring hunters don't recommend the effort-to-reward
- Hazard: Unbridged creek and Selway River fords — high water is life-threatening in spring/early summer
- Hazard: Remote wilderness with no cell service; multi-day self-sufficiency required
- Hazard: Grizzly/black bear country — food storage required
- Hazard: Unverified spring condition — water temp and any pool unknown
- Hazard: Seasonal access roads (Fog Mountain Rd / Selway corridor) rough and snowbound much of the year
About this spring
One of Idaho's least-visited documented hot springs, at ~2,860 ft at the fringe of a grassy meadow near Three Links Creek in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Almost no trip reports exist — soakability is unverified; no documented pools. Multiple river fords dangerous in high water; mid-late summer window only. No documented soakable pools.
Stuart Hot Springs is among Idaho's least-documented thermal features: IdahoHotSprings.com, the long-running regional survey, assigns it an 'X' rating with 'non-existent' usage and no measured water temperature at all. What is known is its setting — the spring sits at the fringe of a grassy meadow at roughly 2,860 feet near Three Links Creek in the Lochsa Ranger District portion of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, reachable only by a multi-day route with repeated river fords best timed for mid-to-late summer low water. No soaking pools and no established campsites are documented at the site; anyone reaching it would be improvising entirely, and its soakability remains unverified.
Directions & trailhead access
Multiday wilderness routes in the Selway-Bitterroot (Lochsa corridor off US-12 east of Lowell); nearest road reference Fog Mountain Road ~5.7 mi — topo maps + GPS essential.
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) | Not reported |
| Trail access | Recorded coordinates — access unverified |
| Access fee | Reported free — verify locally |
| Clothing policy | Unknown — verify locally |
| Pet policy | Reported no pets |
| Geothermal data reference | NOAA Thermal Springs List (1980 archive) |
| Check land status | USGS GNIS via TopoQuest — Stuart Hot Springs feature record (Idaho County, Big Rock Mountain quad, 2,860 ft) |
Stuart Hot Springs FAQ
Is Stuart Hot Springs open right now?
One of Idaho's least-visited documented hot springs — a seep at the edge of a meadow on West Fork Three Links Creek inside the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness (Nez Perce-Clearwater NF), reachable only by a multi-day backpacking trip on Three Links Creek Trail #405 with unbridged river/creek fords; essentially nobody goes and no temperature or pool condition has ever been reliably reported. (Status inferred — not yet confirmed, last checked September 2026.)
Is Stuart Hot Springs free?
Stuart Hot Springs is listed as free to access in Idaho County, Idaho. Fees and rules change — verify current status with the land manager before visiting.
What temperature is Stuart Hot Springs?
No soak temperature is on record for Stuart Hot Springs. Always test water temperature before entering.
Is Stuart Hot Springs clothing optional?
Directory records do not confirm the clothing policy at Stuart Hot Springs — verify current rules before visiting.
How do you access Stuart Hot Springs?
Stuart Hot Springs is on public land — verify current road access, fees and rules with the land manager before visiting.
Sources & references
- Idaho Hot Springs — Stuart Hot Springs entry (Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, multiday river-fording trip, usage 'Non-Existent', rating X) — community · 2020
- FindASpring — Stuart Hot Springs (remote wilderness spring near Three Links Creek, multi-day backpack, weather-dependent) — community · 2024
- USGS GNIS via TopoQuest — Stuart Hot Springs feature record (Idaho County, Big Rock Mountain quad, 2,860 ft) — official · 2025
- RunGroop — Three Links Creek Trail #405 (8.4 mi trail passing Stuart Hot Springs and Three Links Point, Lowell ID) — community · 2024
- SoakingSprings.com — Stuart Hot Springs listing (USFS land, backcountry, ~5.7 mi from Fog Mountain Rd, no temp on record) — community · 2026-09
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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