Goldbug Hot Springs Hiking Guide – Elk Bend, Idaho

Goldbug Hot Springs is one of the more popular hot springs in Idaho – and also the most instagram-able. Located in the Salmon National Forest, getting to these hot springs requires a 3.5 mile round trip out-and-back hike. Goldbug Hot Springs is stunning – it looks like an infinity pool overlooking a valley, with a mountainous backdrop. This beautiful Idaho hike goes from desert to forest in only a few miles! Here is everything you’ve ever wanted to know about hiking to Goldbug Hot Springs in this guide.

Details

Trail Length: 3.5 miles round trip, out and back, with a 958 ft. elevation gain.
Leashed dogs are allowed on the trail.
Restroom (pit toilet) is available at the trailhead.
Terrain: Trail is dirt, but requires a small amount of rock scrambling (and I don’t know if I’d even call it that) and a small section traversing some scree. The trail is well-marked and heavily trafficked – you will not be alone on this trail!

Cost: This is completely free. You do not need any permit, pass or access code. Even the camping is free! Aren’t public lands great?

My sister and I hiked to Goldbug Hot Springs in early July. The trail is open all year; if you’re coming in winter, you’ll want to prepare accordingly, with microspikes or crampons.

Location

Where is Goldbug Hot Springs? Goldbug Hot Springs trailhead is right off of Highway 93, near Salmon, Idaho off of Warm Springs Road, right near mile marker 282. The trailhead is located at the end of the dirt road. You can put “Goldbug Hot Springs” into Google Maps and you’ll easily find directions. We did this hike as a daytrip from Stanley and it took us about 2 hours to get to the trailhead.

We hiked this on a summer weekday and had arrived at the trailhead at 11am. We didn’t have any issues with parking but there were a lot of people on the trail.

Time Commitment

About 3 hours to hike, enjoy the hot springs and maybe a quick lunch, and hike back down.

Preparing for the Goldbug Hot Springs Hike

You will need:
Proper hiking footwear
Microspikes or crampons if hiking in winter/early spring
Swimsuit and towel
Change of clothes – you will get sweaty on the way up. I don’t want to put on sweat-soaked clothes after I used a hot spring, but it’s up to you.

Hiking to Goldbug Hot Springs

The trailhead and first section of the trail is on private property – there are signs reminding you of this. The land owners graciously allow hikers to park and use the section of their land to access the hot springs – please be respectful! They could take away access to these beautiful hot springs at any time.

The hike begins with a bang – it’s straight uphill, completely exposed with a lot of switchbacks. Once you’re past the switchbacks, you’ll see a gate – this is where you leave the private property and are now on National Forest land. At this point, your heart will be pumpin’ but you’ll get a nice break as the trail levels out here, and runs against a creek, in partial shade. You’ll pass by some campsites along the way

My sister thought that this hike was strenuous – I thought it was really easy. Obviously, it’s going to depend on your individual fitness level. My sister also had a very rough time crossing the scree traverse as well as climbing up the rocks near the end. She was absolutely terrified. I didn’t think it was scary. In other words, your mileage will vary!

Once we reached the hot springs, there were a ton of people there. Lots of families. You will NOT have this place to yourself. If you want a photo of the “main” hot spring with no one else in it, you’ll have to wait it out, or get creative with the angles. The photo of the upper springs is what I’ve posted on this site, but there are plenty of other hot springs in the area at the top. They just don’t come with the epic view. There is also a notable heart-shaped pool but we did not know about it prior to our hike.

With all the people here, there is no place to change. Even with the trees, I couldn’t find any privacy, so my sister just held up a towel and I went for it, and vice versa. Of course, you could always wear your swimsuit underneath your clothes, too. Duh.

While this hot spring isn’t regulated (like this one is), you could skinny dip, but there were a lot of families here. This is a clothing optional hot springs, so you may see nudity, however, we did not.

Camping

Camping is also a great way to enjoy the area – because these campsites are on BLM land, they are free and first-come/first serve. You cannot camp at the hot springs; you’ll need to camp at one of the nearby sites you passed on your hike. These campsites come with a firering, benches and plenty of shade. I’m not a camper, but this would be a terrific way to see the hot springs with few people there. Also, the sunset has got to be fantastic!

Goldbug Hot Springs – Final Thoughts

Pros:
Fun 3.5ish mile hike to one of the most instagrammable hot springs out there!

Cons:
Crowded!
A few gnarly parts involving navigating over some rocks near the top