Sunbeam Hot Springs
Open
Riverside rock-walled pools below the historic bathhouse. The pools submerge during spring runoff.Open seasons
- Access
- Roadside pools just off Highway 75 on the Salmon River. The historic bathhouse has a restroom and changing room but no soaking. Pools mix hot spring water with cold river water, so temperatures vary by pool and season.
- Accommodations
- No camping at the springs; National Forest primitive and developed campgrounds line Highway 75.
Sunbeam Hot Springs is a set of riverside, rock-walled pools just off Highway 75 near Sunbeam, Idaho, below the historic Sunbeam bathhouse on the Salmon River. It’s one of the most popular public soaks in the Stanley area — heavy use, extreme in summer — and one of the rare non-commercial hot springs with a restroom and changing room.
Description
User-built rock-walled pools in a range of sizes and temperatures, with rock, gravel, and sand bottoms. Like Sacajawea, the pools mix hot spring water with cold river water, so temperatures vary pool to pool and season to season, with hot and cold swirling through each pool. The pools sit below the restored remains of the old bathhouse once used by settlers of the area — you can still go inside and see where the baths once were, though the bathhouse itself holds no soaking. The Sunbeam natural dam is nearby. Bring a suit: this is a busy, social, roadside soak.
Seasonal Notes
Pools submerge during spring runoff.
Camping
Plenty of National Forest primitive and official campgrounds along Highway 75.
Sunbeam Hot Springs Soak Stats
- Access Type: Roadside
- Public Land: Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Sawtooth National Forest
- Elevation: 6,100 ft
- GPS: 44.268, -114.748
- Water Temperature: Varies per pool and season
- Water Clarity: Clear
- Visibility: High
- Odor(s): Slight
- Nearest Area: Sunbeam / Salmon River, Highway 75
- Wildlife: Deer, elk
- Usage Level: Heavy (extreme during summer)
Frequently Asked Questions
How hot is Sunbeam Hot Springs?
It varies pool to pool and season to season. The rock-walled pools mix hot spring water with cold Salmon River water, so each pool finds its own temperature.
Can I soak in the Sunbeam bathhouse?
No. The historic bathhouse holds a restroom and changing room but no soaking; the soaking is in the riverside pools below it.
When can I soak at Sunbeam Hot Springs?
In spring the pools submerge under Salmon River runoff. They are a low-water season soak.
Can I camp at Sunbeam Hot Springs?
There is no camping at the springs. National Forest primitive and developed campgrounds line Highway 75 nearby.
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