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Camping Notes
Bonneville is an actual National Forest
Campground, the hot springs are a short hike north of the camping
area. Other NF
camping sites/areas are also available nearby.
Briefings
01.15.07
I had to break the chain; the last 2 times I've been here were both
in April. No more. January proved to be the perfect time visit
Bonneville Hot Springs. We could have snow shoed or cross country
skied into the hot springs, but boots were our selected mode of
transportation. Luckily there's almost always a well-packed trail .
In the past, the entrance to the campground was plowed just enough
for a couple vehicles to park. This time the only place to park was
at the Warm Springs Trailhead parking area shortly before the
Bonneville campground entrance, which is also an alternative route
to the hot springs.
The hike out was brisk,
air temperatures were in the low 20s, but the blue sky and snow
covered forests more than made up for it. We passed a couple on skis
and snowshoes on the way in, and arrived in time to greet a sole
soaker and his dog on their way out. The big news of this visit was
most definately the rebuilding of the large pool. The south side of
the pool had been dug out more, and a new rock holding wall replaced
the old, leaky rock pile wall. The result? Excellent. I've never
seen the pool look and feel better. Temps were around 104 in the
large pool and 105 in the soak shack. The other pools around the
bend clocked in around 103. Sweet.
Rating: A+
04.20.06
What a trip! I feel a little sad that is has been 4 years since I've
been back here to qualify for a soak. The campground is still closed
and gated, but there was a sign posted on the gate stating that it
would open on April 15th... hmmm today is the 20th. My best guess is
that it will take the snow another couple weeks to melt, plus time
for the forest service crews to come in and prep the grounds - so
the campground should be open in May sometime.
It was a very scenic
hike through the snow while basking in the warm glow of the sun.
Spring is just beginning here. We passed a friendly guy on the hike
to the hot springs. He opted to not soak, citing large amounts of
silt as the reason. Our soaking party discovered quite the opposite.
The soak shack, mega-pool and waterfall pool were all in great
soaking condition. There was silt in the mega-pool, but there was
also a good sized silt-free zone - optimal for soaking.
This is the best time of
the year to visit Bonneville. Warmer months bring in a steady stream
of campers, and by the end of the summer expect ORVs and other
vehicle traffic to kick up enough dust to coat the inside of your
tent or camping device. During the core of winter Bonneville sees a
steady stream of Nordic and snowshoe recreational enthusiasts. It is
only during this time of the year, while the snow is melting and the
ground features a smattering of bare spots, can you soak in solitude
and truly enjoy this hot springs haven.
We did just that.
Rating: A
Early 04.2002
The main pool was a little cool even despite some minor attempts to block some of the cold creek water. The attempts were minor because we made the mistake of getting in before testing the temperature and were subsequently freezing while climbing around and shifting rocks. It wasn't too bad right next to the pipe. The rustic shack with the single tub was good to go, but had the distinct look of being un-used for quite some time. The campground
of the same name off Highway 21 was closed, which just made for a nice
hike through the snow. According to Evie Litton's Book "Hiking Hot
Springs in the Pacific Northwest" there is another pool located
just below the source large enough for 2 that we missed. We did notice
submerged pools in the creek that might have potential during the right time
of year.
We soaked all by ourselves for about 15 minutes before being joined by a
friendly FS Stream Surveyor lady. Kudos to her for carting the dirty
diaper out along with other trash. We filled all of our extra plastic
bags with garbage and believe it or not even got dirty looks from a
couple groups of people approaching the pool while doing so. Shame
shame! They had GUILTY written all over their faces.
Rating: C+
Average Rating:
B
Traffic Updates
01.01.06
Despite hwy 21 being closed from Grandjean to Stanley (Banner Summit
Area) this place was jam packed! There were
approx. 10 cars in the parking area and another couple parked just
off the site of the road. This place was snowshoe city!
01.30.05
The campground was closed/gated, there was one grocery grabber
leaving and another either unloading or loading up composed of a
couple cute snowboarder girls around 11:30am.
04.24.04
A moderate amount of people were camping and soaking.
04.08.04
The campground and hot springs were closed because the National
Forest crews were busy reconditioning the roads.
05.13.03
Wow! Even in mid-May this place was packed! Textile city! A quick look at
all of the people was enough to spur us on to another soaking destination.
08.21.02
Full campground = full soaking pools. [TOP] |
