Slate Creek Hot Spring (Hoodoo Hot Springs)

What to expect

Slate Creek Hot Spring is a mining-era soak in the White Cloud Mountains, inside the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. It sits at about 7,040 feet at the site of the old Hoodoo mines, which is why many people call it Hoodoo Hot Springs. The two names refer to the same place.

This is not a natural rock pool. The hot water rises inside a mine shaft that has been boarded up, and a hose carries it to a sunken wooden box beside the old workings. The box is roughly 6 feet square and 3 feet deep, reinforced with rebar, and fits about six people. It has a hot line, a cold line and a drain plug, and a valve added in the mid-2000s lets you control how much hot water runs in. Visitors have reported that filling the box and getting the temperature right takes about 30 minutes, so plan to wait a little before you get in.

Older reports also describe two small natural pools near the box and an old metal shack on the site. The water is clear and smells strongly of sulfur.

One honest caution: most detailed descriptions of the box come from trip reports in the late 2000s. The box is user-maintained and has been damaged by spring runoff before. We found no closure notice for the site, but we could not confirm its current condition. Go prepared for the box to be in rough shape, and treat a working soak as the payoff for a scenic drive.

Getting there

The spring is up Forest Road 666 (Slate Creek Road), which leaves Idaho Highway 75 in the Salmon River canyon east of Stanley, between Sunbeam and Clayton. On the map, Slate Creek Road runs south from the highway into the White Clouds. Check the Sawtooth National Forest motor vehicle use map or the SNRA visitor map for the exact turn before you go.

The road is the hard part of this trip:

• It is unpaved, rocky and slow. One visitor called it a tire killer after three of the six vehicles on the road that day got flat tires.
• Spring runoff has damaged both the road and the soaking box more than once.
• Summer thunderstorms can turn it to mud, and sections have washed out badly enough to strand people.
• In winter snow builds up quickly. Locals sometimes plow the road, but there is no guarantee.

A high-clearance vehicle with a full-size spare is the sensible choice. Drive it slowly.

From the parking area near the end of the road, a short trail of about a quarter mile leads to the spring. It is a little steep in places, and one stretch has been reported as partly washed out, but it is not hard.

When to go

Late July to September is the reliable window. The road has dried out after runoff, and August is a good month in the White Clouds. Bugs can be bad during the day in late summer, then thin out after dark.

Spring is the riskiest season. Snowmelt runs high and the road and box are most likely to be damaged.

Winter is only for people prepared for a snowbound road that may not be plowed. The spring is at over 7,000 feet, and snow builds quickly.

The site sees heavy use, and campers often stay right at the trailhead. Come midweek for a better chance at the box.

Rules and etiquette

• Swimsuits are required. Sawtooth National Forest Order 0414-00-033 bans public nudity on all Sawtooth National Forest land and roads from September 9, 2026, to September 9, 2031. A violation is a Class B misdemeanor, with fines of up to $5,000 for individuals and up to six months in jail. Trip reports written before September 2026 do not reflect this rule.
• Drain the box when you leave and pull the plastic hot water line out of it. Leaving hot water standing in the box speeds up rot in the wood.
• No soap or shampoo, including biodegradable products. Fines can apply.
• Pack out all trash. There are no bins or toilets at the spring.
• Do not enter the mine workings. The shaft is boarded up for a reason.

No fee is listed for the spring or the road.

Where to stay nearby

• At the trailhead: a small campsite was set up next to the trailhead in the mid-2000s. It has had visitors at all hours, so it is not a quiet night.
• Along FR 666: primitive national forest sites line the road below the spring.
• Along Highway 75: Forest Service campgrounds and primitive sites are spread along the Salmon River between Stanley and Clayton.
• Towns: Clayton is the nearest small settlement. Stanley, to the west, has lodges, motels, food and fuel.

Safety notes

• Tires and the road: Most trouble here happens on the drive. Carry a full-size spare, a jack that works on dirt, and extra water and food in case a storm closes the road behind you.
• Hot water: Mix the box before you get in and test it with your hand. Hot water from a hose can be much hotter than the box.
• Old mine site: Stay out of shafts and away from old timbers, rusted metal and holes.
• Altitude and weather: At over 7,000 feet, nights are cold even in August, and afternoon storms build fast.
• Remoteness: Expect no cell service. Tell someone where you are going.

Nearby stops worth adding

Hoodoo Lake sits upstream and southwest of the spring at 8,678 feet, a small glacial lake that drains into Slate Creek. Wikipedia notes that no official trail leads to it. Visitors describe a rough, unmaintained route of about 2 miles with roughly 2,000 feet of climbing, deadfall and boulders. It is a hard scramble, and the soak afterwards is well earned.

The Salmon River corridor along Highway 75 also has other hot springs between Stanley and Clayton, including the roadside pools at Sunbeam. Check their own pages for current status.