Molly's Hot Spring

What to expect

Molly’s Hot Spring is a small, rough soaking pool on a hillside above the South Fork Salmon River, a few miles from Warm Lake in the Boise National Forest. It is not developed in any way. Hot water seeps out of several spots on the slope, runs downhill, and is carried by pipes into a pool that soakers have built and rebuilt over the years with a log dam and a rim of rocks.

The water at the seeps can reach about 120°F49°C. What you get in the pool depends on how the pipes are set that day. Volunteers rebuilt the pool in 2010 with valves for hot and hotter water, but no cold intake, and one visitor that summer found the pool at 115°F46°C, far too hot to sit in. Another, in the fall of 2003, found it at a comfortable 102°F39°C. Treat the temperature as unknown until you test it with your hand.

The bottom is sand and tends to collect silt and algae, and the water can look a little murky with a faint sulfur smell. This is a pool for people who like wild springs as they are. From the water you can see the trail and the river below. A wildfire burned through the area some years ago, so expect standing black snags on the slopes around you.

Do not confuse it with Molly’s Tubs, a separate roadside spring about half a mile away. The Forest Service pulled the old bathtubs out of that site after heavy use, and by 2012 only shallow natural pools were left there. Some online maps mix the two names up, so trust the footbridge: Molly’s Hot Spring is the pool across the river.

Getting there

The spring is in Valley County, east of Cascade, in the Warm Lake area.

1. From Cascade, drive about 1 mile north on State Highway 55 and turn east onto the Warm Lake Highway (Forest Highway 22).
2. Follow it roughly 24 miles east, past the Trail Creek Hot Springs pullout, to the turnoff for Stolle Meadows, between mileposts 56 and 57. Turn right (south).
3. Go about 3.2 miles to a fork, keep right on Forest Road 474, and continue about 1 mile to a pullout on the right. The trail starts on the left side of the road.

From the trailhead, walk about 300 yards to a footbridge over the South Fork Salmon River. Cross it, then look for a faint, overgrown path on the right that follows the river for about 0.1 mile to the pool. The final climb is short but steep. Total distance is about a quarter mile, though some guides round it up to 0.4 miles.

The roads are passable in a normal car once the snow is gone. They are dirt beyond the highway and they are not plowed in winter.

When to go

Late summer and early fall are the most reliable. The roads are clear, the river is lower, and the pool has usually been rebuilt after spring. Summer is the busy season, and the area sees moderate to heavy use on weekends.

Early summer brings mosquitoes and other biting insects. One June visitor reported heavy chiggers, so bring repellent and long layers.

Winter is possible only for prepared visitors. The forest roads are not plowed, so you would be skiing, snowshoeing or riding a snowmobile in from the Warm Lake Highway. Check snow and avalanche conditions before you try.

Rules and etiquette

• Swimsuits required. A Boise National Forest order bans public nudity on all forest land from August 27, 2025 through August 27, 2030. Older guides call this spring clothing optional. That no longer applies.
• No camping at the spring. Use the nearby campgrounds or a legal dispersed site away from the pool.
• No soap or shampoo, biodegradable or not. The pool is small and slow to flush.
• Pack out everything, including trash you find. There are no toilets or bins.
• Do not rebuild in the river. Work on the pool only with loose rock and logs that are already there, and leave the pipes as you found them for the next person.
• No glass near the pool.

Where to stay nearby

• South Fork Salmon River Campground sits just off FR 474 near the Warm Lake Highway, a short drive north of the trailhead. It has 11 sites under old ponderosa pines. In 2026 the Forest Service listed it as open with no fee, but with no water or trash service, so bring your own.
• Shoreline Campground on Warm Lake is about 3 miles away and has a boat ramp and access to the WeWuKiye Trail.
• Warm Lake Lodge on the north shore of Warm Lake is the closest indoor option. Cascade, about 28 miles back to the west, has motels, groceries and fuel.
• Dispersed camping is allowed in much of the forest around Warm Lake. Follow posted stay limits and fire restrictions.

Safety notes

• Scalding water: Hillside seeps run near 120°F49°C and the pool has been measured at 115°F46°C. Never step in without testing, and keep a close eye on kids.
• Footing: The last section of trail is steep and the pool edges are logs and wet rock. Wear shoes with grip.
• River crossing: Use the footbridge. Do not wade the South Fork, especially during spring runoff.
• Burned forest: Dead trees fall without warning, especially in wind. Do not park or camp under snags.
• Wildlife: Deer and elk are common. Black bears live in the area, so store food properly at camp.
• Remoteness: Cell coverage is unreliable. Carry water, a map and a basic first aid kit.

Nearby stops worth adding

Warm Lake is a few miles north, with a swim beach at Warm Lake Lodge, trout fishing and boating. In September, the South Fork Salmon River fish viewing site has a bridge walkway where you can watch chinook salmon that have travelled about 700 miles from the Pacific to spawn. Several other springs are close, including Vulcan Hot Springs to the south and Trail Creek Hot Springs right on the Warm Lake Highway.