No More Overnight Camping at Goldbug Hot Springs in Idaho

The Salmon-Challis National Forest is no longer allowing overnight camping at Goldbug Hot Springs near Salmon Idaho. This is due to abuse; trash, tp, human flowers (blech!) and destroying of fragile vegetative areas. Let's be honest - this was only a matter of time... especially evident if you've ever visited Goldbug.

Sadly, all easy-access hot springs suffer nearly the same kind of fate. Jerry Johnson Hot Springs in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness in Idaho - nighttime closure. Skinnydipper - nighttime closure, Kirkham - nighttime closure. All of these hot springs are stellar soaks, easy to reach and get continuously thrashed. These soaks also have the unfortunate side-effect of giving hot springers that respect others and the environment a bad rap.

I cringe at the thought of the holiday weekend going on right now. Many times have I arrived after to witness the disgusting mess left behind. Oh how many bags of trash I've filled after these 'holiday' weekends.

Pine Flats Hot Springs in Idaho Trip Report

05.14.08 Trip Report

Not much new to report here... all of the pools were too cool for a soak. The hottest clocked in at 98 degrees. *sigh* I miss the days when Pine Flats was a 5 star soak. I was unable to reach the pool around the bend due to runoff conditions. However, shortly before I left, I heard a report that the 'round the bend' pool was also too cool for soaking.

Upon arrival, the campground was empty save for the newly arrived host that was visiting with people in a Forest Service truck. With approaching temps in the 80s, I imagine this will be the last time until September that you'll find the campground virtually empty.

On a side note, I took a low-clearance car instead of my truck and slammed into a rock the size of a football that came down during a rockslide on the Banks-Lowman Highway (17). Spring thaw brings about conditions ripe for slides, please drive carefully.
Rating C

View additional pictures, video clips, ratings and trip reports for Pine Flats Hot Springs in Idaho

Pine Flats Hot Spring Waterfall (pic)

Here's a pic from yesterday's excursion to Pine Flats Hot Springs in Idaho... trip report to follow.



Not bad for a cellcam pic (my camera battery died).

IdahoHotSprings.com Clean-Up and NE of Cascade Hot Springs Condition Update

Despite a redesign looming in the horizon for IdahoHotSprings.com, I took some time and did some spring cleaning. I removed a bunch of slow code, ads, and non-relevant pages. I did everything I could short of a complete redesign, which is coming, did I say that already? ;)

Last weekend I was up camping and hiking around the Warm Lake and Krassel areas. Runoff was picking up, but not quite enough to bury the pools at Trail Creek and Sugah. However, it was enough to limit access to the hot shower at Buckhorn and bury Penny and Teapot. Forest Road 474S road into Molly's, Molly's Tubbs and Vulcan was still snow-covered.

Forest Road 474N is in the worst shape I've ever witnessed. After the wildfires and before winter, crews had to quickly replace a series of over 20 large, metal culverts along the road, and unfortunately didn't have time to repave the road after installing the new culverts. That's exactly where all the rough spots are, some are tire killers! Go slow, it's only the first 20 miles.

On the way up to Cascade, passing through Banks revealed tons of people. The pass between Cascade and Warm Lake had at most 7feet of snow on the roadside, but the road itself was dry pavement. However, snow drifts, at times, covered an entire lane throughout many blind corners. I experienced a few scares with speedy oncoming drivers not paying attention on the way in and out.

All things considered; trash was low, the nights were cold, but the campfire, warm spring days and hot springs were stellar.