The Hot Spring:

  Council Mountain Hot Springs are in a forested valley at the end of a beautiful 2 mile hike in the Payette National Forest.  Extremely hot water emerges from several springs on the side of a steep river bank cascading into Warm Springs Creek.  Large portions of the hillside are colored with an orange algae that we have learned to associate with hot springs.  The soaking situation changes throughout the year depending on the season but there is enough hot water that a soak is always possible.  During the winter and spring the hot water mixes with the cold creek water in rock lined sand and gravel pools along the edge of the creek.  The temperature can be controlled by moving the rocks around on the walls.  During the summer and fall the entire creek is hot.  Sometimes it is so hot that you can not soak near the springs and need to go further down the creek.  Volunteer built log dams create pools along the creek at different locations.  There are even a couple bedrock slides into bedrock pools that can be the perfect temperature at the right time of year.