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Every Hot Spring

Red River Hot Springs

Red River Hot Springs is a resort hot spring near Elk City in Idaho. Water at the source is recorded at 131°F (55°C), hot enough to scald.

131°F55°C recorded at the source
Scalding at the source. Do not enter without a cooled, mixed pool.

Red River Hot Springs is a Forest Service permitted commercial resort at the end of Red River Hot Springs Road 234 in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest, with lodge rooms, cabins, a hot tub and a swimming pool fed by the springs. It has been reopened by new owners and renovations are ongoing.

Facts

Coordinates
45.7880, -115.1980 (Google Maps, OSM)
Source temperature
131°F (55°C)
Access
Resort or commercial
Type
Resort
Fee
Not recorded
Clothing optional
Not recorded
Nearest town
Elk City
State
Idaho
Data sources
NOAA NCEI, Official sources (linked below). See sources

Map

Larger marker is Red River Hot Springs; smaller markers are other springs within 50 miles.

Quick answers

Can you soak at Red River Hot Springs?
Red River Hot Springs is a resort or commercial operation, so soaking is on the operator’s terms. Check the operator’s website for hours, prices and reservations.
How hot is Red River Hot Springs?
The hottest recorded reading at the source is 131°F (55°C). That is the outlet temperature, not a pool temperature; water cools as it flows away from the source. Water this hot can cause serious burns, so test any pool by hand first.
Where is Red River Hot Springs?
Red River Hot Springs is near Elk City in Idaho, at coordinates 45.7880, -115.1980.
What other hot springs are near Red River Hot Springs?
The closest listed springs, in straight-line distance, are Running Warm Springs, 13 mi; Warm Springs (Idaho County), 13 mi; and Marten Hot Springs, 17 mi.

Before you go

  • Temperatures are measured at the source and can be far hotter than any soaking pool. Test with a hand before stepping in.
  • Access, fees, and road conditions change. Verify with the land manager or owner; "public" here reflects survey records, not a current right of entry.
  • Water in natural springs is untreated. Keep your head above water and avoid soaking with open wounds. Some springs carry Naegleria fowleri risk.
  • Pack out everything, including soap residue. Many springs have been closed because of trash and overcrowding.

Sources

Dataset last rebuilt October 11, 2026. Not yet checked on site by a person. Access, fee, clothing and closure details appear only when a source below states them. How this data is built.

Checked against

  1. USDA Forest Servicefs.usda.gov/r01/nezperce-clearwater/recreation/red-river-ho…

Merged from

  1. NOAA NCEI Thermal Springs List (archived 2025): survey location and source temperature, public domain