Panther Hot Springs

What to expect

Panther Hot Springs is about as far from a developed soak as Idaho gets while still being reachable by road. It sits on a hillside above lower Panther Creek in the Salmon-Challis National Forest, in the steep canyon country south of the Salmon River and the tiny settlement of Shoup. You will see it called Panther Creek Hot Springs and Big Creek Hot Springs as well. Panther Creek was known as Big Creek until the 1920s, and the spring changed names along with it. The USGS still lists it simply as “Hot Springs,” with Big Creek Hot Springs as a variant. Do not confuse it with the better-known Big Creek Hot Springs in the Frank Church Wilderness.

Hot water seeps out of small caves at the top of the site and forms a warm stream that runs down through a few dug-out pools. The pools are small and simple: rock walls, gravel and rock bottoms, roughly 4 to 6 feet across and no more than about 3 feet deep. Most hold two or three people. Because few people visit and no one maintains them, their shape and condition change with each season. Spring runoff and stream blowouts have buried old pools in debris more than once, and a visitor report from 2003 found the main pool full of mud and tadpoles and too cool to use, while a smaller lower pool was in good shape.

The feature that sets this spring apart is a rock sauna, a small hut built from stacked stone over the vents at the top so that it traps the steam. Expect spiders inside.

There are no toilets, no trash cans and no signs. Bring what you need and pack everything out.

Getting there

The spring is roughly 50 miles northwest of Salmon by road, deep in the Salmon River canyon. Federal maps put it at about 4,250 feet, 5.7 miles south-southwest of Shoup, near the junction of Hot Springs Creek and Clear Creek with Panther Creek.

1. To North Fork: From Salmon, drive north on US Highway 93 along the Salmon River to North Fork.
2. Salmon River Road: Turn west at North Fork onto the Salmon River Road (Forest Road 030), the road toward Shoup and Corn Creek. It follows the river downstream.
3. Panther Creek Road: Past Shoup, turn south onto Panther Creek Road (Forest Road 055), a gravel road that runs up Panther Creek toward Cobalt.
4. Hot Springs Road: Near the Clear Creek Trailhead, Hot Springs Road (Forest Road 060) climbs away from Panther Creek. The spring lies along this track.

The last part is the hard part. OpenStreetMap rates Hot Springs Road as a rough, low-grade track, and earlier visitors describe a narrow road with a steep drop-off. A high-clearance vehicle is the safer choice, and four-wheel drive helps when it is wet. The Challis Chamber of Commerce lists the access as a rough road plus a short hike. In winter, ice on the hill means most people park at the bottom and walk up.

Get a current Salmon-Challis National Forest map before you go. Turn-by-turn directions for the final mile are hard to find in official sources, and phone maps are unreliable here. Fill up on fuel in Salmon or North Fork; there are no services on Panther Creek.

When to go

Late spring and early summer are usually the best bet. Snow is gone from the canyon roads, and the cool side stream that keeps the pools at a usable temperature is still flowing.

Late summer can be risky. In August 2015, during a drought, the water became hot enough to kill two dogs that jumped in and to badly burn their owner, who went in after them. A forest spokeswoman said drought may have reduced the cooler flows that normally mix with the hot groundwater.

Fall is quiet and pretty in the canyon, but the days are short and the Panther Creek corridor is fire country. Check for fire closures before you drive in.

Winter is possible for experienced, well-equipped visitors only. The roads are long, remote and icy, and help is far away.

Rules and etiquette

• No fee: No fee or permit is mentioned by any of the sources checked. It is undeveloped national forest land.
• No soap: Do not use soap or shampoo in the pools, even biodegradable products. These pools are tiny and have very little flow.
• Clothing: There is no posted rule. Visitors here are few, and both swimsuits and nude soaking turn up. Be ready for either.
• Leave it better: Visitors have used old sleeping bags and other junk to dam the pools, and it rots in place. If you rebuild a rock wall, use only rock and gravel, and carry out any trash you find.
• Pack it out: There are no facilities at the spring.

Where to stay nearby

• Primitive camping: There are primitive sites near the spring. Follow Forest Service dispersed camping rules and fire restrictions.
• Clear Creek Recreation Site: Mapped at the Clear Creek Trailhead on Panther Creek Road, at the foot of Hot Springs Road. Clear Creek is also a trailhead into the backcountry, including the Bighorn Crags Trail.
• Ebenezer Bar Campground: A Forest Service fee campground on the Salmon River Road, west of the Panther Creek turnoff.
• Spring Creek Campground: Mapped on the Salmon River Road near Shoup.
• Salmon: The nearest town with motels, restaurants, groceries and fuel, roughly 50 miles and a long, slow drive away.

Check with the Salmon-Challis National Forest for the current status and fees of any campground before relying on it.

Safety notes

• Scalding water: This is the big one. Temperatures at Panther shift with the seasons and with drought. Test every pool with your hand before you get in, and never let dogs or children near the water unattended. The 2015 incident here is the reason local officials keep repeating that advice.
• Dogs: Keep dogs leashed around the pools. Dogs do not sense dangerous heat before they jump.
• Road: Narrow, rough and exposed, with a steep drop-off. Drive slowly, and do not try it in a low car or on ice.
• Remoteness: There is no cell service in the canyon. Tell someone your plan, carry a spare tire, extra water and a map, and consider a satellite messenger.
• Footing: Rocks around the pools are uneven and slick. Wear shoes.
• Wildlife: Deer and elk are common. Store food properly at camp.

Nearby stops worth adding

The Salmon River Road west of North Fork is one of the classic river drives in Idaho, following the Salmon River toward Corn Creek, the launch point for float trips through the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. Back toward Salmon, Goldbug Hot Springs is a much busier, better-known hike-in soak south of town off US-93.