Blue Joint Hot Springs
By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026
Blue Joint Hot Springs is a primitive hot spring listed near Conner, Montana. Reported soak temperature: 84°F. See the visit fact sheet.
Current status
Little-known, LUKEWARM (~84F — below body temperature) thermal seep on Bitterroot National Forest land along Blue Joint Creek in the West Fork Bitterroot drainage southwest of Darby; roadside (~300 ft off the road) but the area gets 10+ ft of snow so access is summer/fall only, and the water is too cool for a real soak.
Checked August 2026 · inferred — not yet confirmed · 6 sources ↓
Before you go
- Status: Open — last verified below — confirm via MT DNRC — Painted Rocks Reservoir data (Blue Joint Creek gauge, West Fork drainage).
- 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 84°F — 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: None — Bitterroot National Forest, no fee.
- Best time to go: July-September after snowmelt; even then the water is only ~84F — best as a curiosity stop combined with Painted Rocks/Fales Flat rather than a destination soak.
- Clothing reality: No policy — undeveloped forest seep; essentially nobody visits.
- Cell service: none — download maps and tell someone your plan.
- Accessibility: Roughly 300 ft from the road over natural ground — short walk but uneven; not wheelchair-suitable.
- Water is only ~84F (29C) — a warm seep, NOT a hot soak; expectations should be low
- Two nearby spring points exist ('Blue Joint 1' ~45.698,-114.382 and 'Blue Joint 2' ~45.697,-114.365), both ~84F on Bitterroot NF ground
- Seasonal access only — area sees over 10 ft of snow per season; road approach is a summer/fall proposition
- Roadside spring — roughly 300 ft off the road near Blue Joint Creek in the West Fork Bitterroot River drainage; ~40 mi from Hamilton via West Fork Road past Painted Rocks
- No development, no fee, no facilities; nearest USFS campground is Fales Flat ~5 mi (reservable on recreation.gov)
- No cell service in the West Fork drainage
- Hazard: Lukewarm water (~84F) — not a hot spring experience
- Hazard: Seasonal snow closes access (10+ ft/season)
- Hazard: Remote mountain road, no cell service
- Hazard: Unverified pool condition — no recent trip reports found
About this spring
Two mapped spring points in the Bitterroot Mountains near Painted Rocks Reservoir inside the Blue Joint Wilderness Study Area (Bitterroot NF). Lukewarm (~84°F — below body temp), so more a curiosity than a soak. NOTE: in Montana, not Idaho — the WSA straddles the state line. Water only ~84°F. Remote with heavy seasonal snow — access roughly Jun-Oct.
Blue Joint Hot Springs is the name given to two mapped warm-spring points on Bitterroot National Forest land in the southern Bitterroot Mountains, roughly 40 miles southwest of Hamilton near Painted Rocks Reservoir. Both points register about 84°F — below body temperature — at elevations just under 5,000 feet, making the site more a geological curiosity than a soaking destination; the lower point sits only a few hundred feet off the forest road. The springs lie within the Blue Joint Wilderness Study Area, a roughly 61,000-acre unit studied under the Montana Wilderness Study Act, and a USGS mineral survey of the area documented hydrothermally altered Eocene volcanic rocks, local hot-spring deposits, and the granite of the Painted Rocks pluton, with anomalous gold, silver and fluorine values around Bare Cone and Jack the Ripper Creek. A contiguous roadless area continues across the Idaho line in Lemhi County. The drainage collects more than eleven feet of snow most winters, so access is essentially a June-through-October proposition; the nearest developed camping is Fales Flat Campground on the Nez Perce Fork, about five miles away.
Directions & trailhead access
West Fork Road from Conner toward Painted Rocks, then Nez Perce Fork/Blue Joint forest roads; ~40 mi southwest of Hamilton.
Montana geothermal context
Montana's springs cluster around Yellowstone's northern margin and along basin-range faults in the western half of the state. A large share of named sites sit on private ranch land or have limited legal access, which is why status notes matter here. Cold winters and heavy spring runoff reshuffle riverside pools every year.
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 Montana. Late spring through autumn offers the most comfortable road access.
Fact sheet
| Reported soak temp | 84°F |
|---|---|
| Source temp (historical) | 84°F |
| 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 | MT DNRC — Painted Rocks Reservoir data (Blue Joint Creek gauge, West Fork drainage) |
Blue Joint Hot Springs FAQ
Is Blue Joint Hot Springs open right now?
Little-known, LUKEWARM (~84F — below body temperature) thermal seep on Bitterroot National Forest land along Blue Joint Creek in the West Fork Bitterroot drainage southwest of Darby; roadside (~300 ft off the road) but the area gets 10+ ft of snow so access is summer/fall only, and the water is too cool for a real soak. (Status inferred — not yet confirmed, last checked August 2026.)
Is Blue Joint Hot Springs free?
Blue Joint Hot Springs is listed as free to access in Ravalli County, Montana. Fees and rules change — verify current status with the land manager before visiting.
What temperature is Blue Joint Hot Springs?
Blue Joint Hot Springs has a reported soak temperature of 84°F and a historical source temperature of 84°F in survey records. Historical data may not reflect current conditions — always test water before entering.
Is Blue Joint Hot Springs clothing optional?
Directory records do not confirm the clothing policy at Blue Joint Hot Springs — verify current rules before visiting.
How do you access Blue Joint Hot Springs?
Blue Joint Hot Springs is on public land — verify current road access, fees and rules with the land manager before visiting.
Sources & references
- SoakingSprings.com — Blue Joint Hot Springs 2, MT (84F, roadside, USFS land, updated Aug 2026) — community · 2026-08
- LakeQuality.org — Montana hot springs list (Blue Joint 1 & 2, both 84F) — community · 2025
- Mapcarta — Blue Joint Hot Springs, Ravalli County — community · 2025
- MT DNRC — Painted Rocks Reservoir data (Blue Joint Creek gauge, West Fork drainage) — 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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