Peaks, waterfalls, and lakes each have their own charm and allure, but there is perhaps nothing more appealing than natural hot springs as a destination for a late fall backpacking trip. It almost seems too good to be true – hike through beautiful scenery and then set up camp near pools of water as hot and comfortable as those you’d soak in at home. The Pacific Northwest, and Idaho in particular, are blessed with an abundance of hot springs, and many of them require a hike to access and are particularly enticing to backpackers.

As is the case with most other landscape features, the further from the road and the rougher the trail the fewer people you’ll find there. While Owl Creek Hot Springs is less than three miles from the trailhead on the Salmon River Road, its remote location, small pools, and under-maintained trail ensures that it sees fewer visitors than other hot springs nearby, like the legendary Goldbug (Elk Bend) Hot Springs. Not minding a bit of adventure and appreciating the solid odds for an uncrowded soak, Adel and I decided that an overnight trip to Owl Creek Hot Springs would be an appropriate way to spend an early November weekend with a favorable forecast.

In the weeks prior to the trip I pored over maps, guidebooks, and online resources about Owl Creek Hot Springs and didn’t turn up any substantial and recently published information. The book Hiking Hot Springs in the Pacific Northwest and two other hot springs guidebooks contained entries for Owl Creek, but none of the descriptions on how to reach it were more than a few sentences long. All referenced an old cabin as the distinctive landmark, with the springs being a few hundred yards past that and on the opposite side of the creek. Conversations with past and present US Forest Service employees and experienced hikers informed me that it was highly likely that the cabin had burned down in an intense forest fire a few years back and that parts of the canyon might be a mess of downed trees, eroded hillsides, and thick undergrowth. Those same conversations yielded several stories of persons who had attempted to find the hot springs over the years, but had turned back for one reason or another.

The Journey Begins

Despite the less than reassuring information we had compiled, we chatted hopefully during the beautiful two-hour drive and I felt confident we would find the hot springs if we put in the effort. Armed with a map and a photocopied guidebook description, it was just before noon when we started uphill on the Owl Creek Trail under a lovely blue sky. The crisp temperatures made for pleasant hiking and as we rounded the hillside into Owl Creek Canyon a sense of being in the right place at the right time hung thick in the air. The canyon looked both inviting and rugged; even before entering it we could tell that a beautiful challenge awaited us. Owl Creek’s rushing waters and the steep banks and rock walls which hemmed it in created an urgent and intimate charm which was a pleasure to hike beside. Most of the trees had already lost their leaves, although a few persistent shrubs held on to some color. Autumnal light gave everything that golden illumination which makes fall such a mesmerizing season for hikers.

The ranger I spoke with prior to the trip noted that the trail had experienced its fair share of fire damage, washouts, and fallen trees over the past few years and that it hadn’t seen recent trail work on its entire length in quite some time. He was confident that the first mile or so wouldn’t be too bad, but after that it was anyone’s guess. Needless to say, when we had hiked two miles and not encountered any lengthy sections of wretched trail conditions we were pretty happy. The trail had definitely seen better days, but it was easily recognizable as a path and the few washed-out sections and occasional downed trees were easily traversed. The two-mile point meant that we were nearing the final stretch to the hot springs, so we took a break in a delightful creekside meadow to snack, hydrate, and formulate a game plan for the final push to the hot springs.

We crossed the creek, as indicated in the guidebook description and on the map, and kept our eyes open for any signs of a cabin. A few rusting farm implements gave us the feeling that we were getting warm and when we spotted several rusting piles of debris – with one including what looked like the remnants of a mattress and a wood burning stove – we were nearly certain that we had located the site of the old cabin. A steep gulch with a trickle of water in it flowed beside what we had determined to be the cabin site, which matched up with the map. The hot springs were documented as being only a few hundred yards upstream from the cabin, so I set out to confirm this so we could make an educated decision on where to set up camp.

The gulch was steep, with loose soil, lots of downed trees, and an abundance of thorny vegetation. The going was slow. And the lay of the land and flow of the water didn’t really seem to jive completely with the descriptions and indicate a hot springs – or any other major source of water, for that matter – anywhere nearby. But on the whole, things seemed to add up. There was every indication of a cabin site. There was a gulch that split off from the main stream. We had hiked the approximate distance noted in the guidebook description. We spent a lot of energy, both mental and physical, trying to figure out exactly where we were in relation to the hot springs. And ultimately we came to the same conclusion: we were confident in a general sense about where we were, but were not exactly certain about the specifics.

Resolving to give it one last shot before setting up camp, we followed the most distinct trail we could find (there was supposed to be a junction, but we had only seen the faintest indication of a split in the path) a hundred feet or so uphill to gain some perspective. Looking down into the valley from our new vantage point, we spotted the East Fork of Owl Creek flowing toward Owl Creek and came to the tentative realization that we had perhaps been over-eager in matching certain landforms on the map with those on the ground. Combined with the inconvenient coincidence of evidence of a cabin site (our main relative landmark) it was easy to understand why we had felt we were in the right place, but we had actually been about a quarter-mile off the mark.

Maps were put in pockets and smiles were put on faces, and we scrambled down the steep hillside, crossed the East Fork of Owl Creek, and set up camp in a creekside grove of ponderosa pines. Our orienteering accomplishment had energized us significantly, but we remained humbled by our mistake and decided that rather than push on as twilight approached that postponing any further search for the hot springs until the next day would be the prudent thing to do. As a consolation prize, we warmed ourselves by a cozy campfire, sipped tea, and watched moonlit silhouettes of the pines stretch across the steep bank on the opposite side of the creek until we headed to bed.

A Leisurely Next Day

A cloudy sky greeted us in the morning and it was chilly enough that we opted to enjoy cups of coffee from the comfort of our sleeping bags. Once sufficiently caffeinated, we began to pack up camp and planned to explore further up Owl Creek before throwing in the towel and heading home to join the ranks of others who had been stymied in their search for the hot springs. Anxious to see what was around the upstream bend in the creek, I walked briskly along the fading trail as Adel attended to putting the last few items in her pack. The section of trail past the campsite was in noticeably worse condition than the previous section, but the scenery increased in quality, which was a characteristic it hadn't exactly been lacking in.

The Owl Creek Trail provides access to rugged and scenic terrain.

After a few minutes of hiking up the canyon several large pieces of rusted tin in a pile of flood-strewn wood caught my eye. Could this be signs of the remains of the cabin that served as the landmark to the hot springs? My pace quickened and I furtively glanced around for any other clues. A few more pieces of tin roof appeared in another cluster of diluvial debris just before an unmistakable flat spot where the cabin had stood appeared.

Absolutely enthused at this point, I sprinted up the path and was soon glancing across the creek at a small, seeping cliff with a steaming pool of hot water at its base. A slippery log gave me access to the other side and I dipped my hand in the pool – which confirmed its perfect temperature – and then headed back to share the good news with Adel. My excitement was contagious, and perhaps a bit overwhelming, and we made our way back up to the hot springs to enjoy our well-earned soak.

We soaked in the main pool, which was about the size of a normal bathtub, and explored around some of the other pools located at a few other sources of hot water along the creekside. One pool was in the creek and would’ve been a nice soak, but the water was just a bit too high and lowered the temperature until it was out of the comfort zone. Upstream a bit were two other pools, but these were much smaller and we stumbled upon them too late in our stay to put them to use. And I suppose we didn’t want to get greedy; it’s nice to leave some things unused and give yourself a reason to return.

Between soaks we enjoyed coffee and snacks and enjoyed the sunshine beaming down after the chilly and overcast morning. The weather was perfect for soaking in hot water and the scenery was terrific. A rushing creek, a rugged canyon, and the vivid bark of ponderosa pines were the dominant features and created a landscape that was much more beautiful than the sum of its parts. Add in the relaxing pools of naturally heated water and the location started to seem more myth than reality.

Reluctant to leave but not wishing to hike out in the dark, we packed up and bid the hot springs farewell around 3 p.m. The exquisite lighting of the sun through the pines and the downstream perspective on our hike out made for a visual feast. After such a restful afternoon, it was nice to put in a bit of exercise before sitting in a car for two hours. The slight downhill grade helped us make good time and we arrived back at the trailhead a half-hour or so before sunset. Given that the first hour of our drive was on a riverside gravel road with no guardrails, the extra daylight was much appreciated.

Final Thoughts

Research and perseverance provided results on this adventure, while good attitudes and loving companionship made the journey almost as rewarding as the destination itself. There was just enough mystery to keep things interesting, and the weather was just cool enough to make us grateful for down sleeping bags and warm water. Most trips have certain high points and certain mundane stretches, but this was one of those rare trips where every minute seemed captivating and necessary, even when we were scratching our heads and hiking up the wrong gulch.

Information

Finding Hot Springs

The best way to plan a backpacking trip to hot springs is by looking in books specific to the region you plan to visit. There are currently several guidebooks available for Idaho and the Northwest. Some sample guides that cover hot springs in the West include Hiking Hot Springs in the Pacific Northwest by Evie Litton and Sally Jackson, and Hiking Hot Springs in the Southwest by Chris Andrews.

Best Time of Year to Visit

Hot springs are especially enjoyable in the cooler months, so fall and winter are the ideal times to visit. Soaking in a hot spring surrounded by snow is a particularly enjoyable experience.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in Issue 31 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read the original article here for more photos and content.