Goldbug ( Elk Bend) Hot Springs

General Description: A gem in a beautiful valley next to Goldbug Ridge
General Location: Eastern Idaho south of Salmon
Pool Type: Rock and Sand and Gravel
Pool Temps: Extremely Hot (106° - 110° F), Very Hot (104° - 106° F), Hot (102° - 104° F), Slightly Hot (100° - 102° F), Warm (Below 100° F)
(Click to enlarge.)
Accessibility: year round
Restrictions: No camping within 500 feet of the springs
Elevation: 5200 feet.
Distance from road: 2.00 miles.
Map Reference: Salmon-Challis National Forest (springs not marked) or Goldbug Ridge ID USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle (springs not marked)

Videos

The Hot Spring:

  Goldbug Hot Spring is a gem at the end of a strenuous 2 mile hike with a beautiful view of a desert valley.  People told us about these springs all over the western US before we visited and after soaking for 4 hours we know why.  This is one of those springs that make you feel good afterward and its one of the few places that has hot, warm, and cold water in one place.  Therefore you can do hot-cold therapy by rotating between the extremely hot, the cold, and the warm pool with an amazing view.  Because of Goldbug's popularity there is no camping within 500 feet of the springs and the parking area is surrounded by residential homes so camping is not allowed there either.

  The hot springs emerge on both sides of Warm Springs Creek in a very steep portion of the valley where the cold water is cascading down.  The first hot spring is on the trail side of the creek and has the lowest flow but is the hottest keeping the water temperature at about 110 degrees F.  The pool is kinda shallow with about one foot of water and is 7 feet long by 5 feet wide.  The other springs are on the opposite side of the creek and have very heavy flow.  The hot water mixes with the cold water and fills multiple large pools with about 101 degree F water.  This water continues down the valley creating several warm pools and warm waterfalls.  Between the hot pools is the cascading cold water where there are a couple places to emerge you body in the cold water or have it shower over you from a waterfall.  Combine all the different water temperatures and you can soak for hours and feel rejuvenated afterward.

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I own and reside on the first

I own and reside on the first 1/4 mile of the Goldbug trail.  Your post speaks to the biggest problem I have regarding living next to a heavily used trail: dogs that are brought to the springs by hikers.  The rule that all pets must be on leads in the parking area and while crossing private property is not regularly followed.  Pets frequently leave the trail on private property (my yard), course up and down the hillside reflecting the often excited state of mind that the dog owners are experiencing as they anticipate the hot soak ahead.  These frenzied pets then get my own two dogs excited (acoustics in the canyon allow quiet conversations on the trail to be heard clearly inside my home...the dogs hear also).  Earlier this summer (2014), while I was soaking at the springs, a pet owner brought his black lab into the hot pool.  Much to my dismay, this dog bit me as I was soaking!  This was a totally unprovoked attack.  I immediately realized that I should forbid dogs from crossing my private property, as it is within my legal right to do so.  With this idea in mind I called a meeting with the FS, BLM and the Lemhi County Sheriff to discuss this change.  I was urged at this meeting to proceed slowly and the final outcome of this meeting is yet to be known.  But, the Sheriff said that hikers who cross private property without leads for their pets were trespassing and that I could prosecute.  Prosecution is not what I want.  I am fine with hikers crossing the trail in my yard, but I want them to cross quietly without getting my pets excited.  Is this too much to ask?  Beware that a move to prohibit dogs on the trail is in motion.  Further disregard of the dog-lead rule will only speed this process.  Thanks for reading... David   

Do you think the temps and

Do you think the temps and trail will be ok for a trip this weekend?

I am about to take a weekend

I am about to take a weekend trip to Salmon, ID this weekend (4/27/2013). I am just wondering if the trail is hike-able this time of year. I also saw on some websites that the water temperatures vary throughout the year, does anyone know if they are warm enough to soak at this point in the year? Any help on this would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Thank you for the beautiful

Thank you for the beautiful write up...I am a weekly "gold Bug" soaker. Recently, My fiance' and I were soaking and a young couple hopped in with us, but unfortunately, they included their dog. While some people find this perfectly ok, they didn't bother to ask those who were already in the pool. Although we pointed out that there was several other pools (downstream), they insisted on allowing the dog in the pool. Please help bring awareness to the risks of those actions. If you weren't aware of any risks, Please visit the link and decide for yourself. I highly recommend all health-minded fellow hot springs lovers to speak out about this disgusting, disrespectful behavior. http://oregonvma.org/care-health/zoonotic-diseases-dogs P.S. I am a dog lover and owner of 3.

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