• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Top Hot Springs Logo Wide

  • Home
  • Hot Springs by State
    • Alaska
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • California
    • Colorado (redirects)
    • Florida
    • Hawaii
    • Idaho
    • Illinois
    • Massachusetts
    • Montana
    • Nevada
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • North Carolina
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • South Dakota
    • Tennessee
    • Texas
    • Utah
    • Virginia
    • Washington
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Hot Springs by Country
    • Africa
      • South Africa
    • Asia
      • China
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • South Korea
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Vietnam (redirects)
    • Australia/Oceania
      • Australia
      • New Zealand
    • Europe
      • Albania
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Croatia
      • France
      • Greece
      • Germany
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • Italy
      • Norway
      • Poland
      • Portugal
      • Romania
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
      • UK
    • North/Central America
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Dominican Republic
      • Honduras
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • United States
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Peru
      • Uruguay
  • Camping
  • Lodging
  • Search
  • Home
  • Hot Springs by State
  • Hot Springs by Country
  • Camping
  • Lodging
Scenic Views From the Salmon River in Idaho

Boat Box Hot Springs – Stanley, Idaho

October 28, 2022 By //  by Matt Thomas

Boat Box Hot Spring, formerly known as Elkhart Hot Spring, is a community-built pool in Stanley, Idaho. The spring, a popular stopping-off location for rafters over the years, is one of many hot springs located along the Salmon River.

Maintained by the local community, who are happy to provide the oasis for free, this quaint paradise must be visited during your Idaho vacation.

Natural Hot Spring Pool

Boat Box Hot Spring’s name originates from its original design. Built from wood in a square shape, the spring pool had to be replaced with a studier design due to flooding and damage. The newly created pool was constructed from an ocean buoy and is securely cabled to existing large rocks on the river’s shore.

From the highway, the spring looks like a witches cauldron situated next to the river.

A large, plastic pipe supplies a constant trickle of geothermally heated water to the tub from the spring nearby. The 110° Fahrenheit water can easily be cooled to a comfortable temperature by pouring cool water from the river into the pool using the bucket attached to the tub.

A valve lets water out when you are finished with your soak, providing each visitor with fresh, clean water to enjoy.

Nearby Activities and Camping

Scenic Views From the Salmon River in Idaho
Scenic views from the Salmon River in Stanley, Idaho. Photo by: Minka6

While visiting Boat Box, make sure you venture to a few more of Idaho’s famous hot springs in the vicinity.

A few miles down the road from Boat Box is a larger natural spring called Sunbeam Hot Springs. Stanley’s Mountain Village Hot Springs is also nearby and, although it has an entrance fee, the views are well worth your time and money.

Further away, you can also check out Kirkham and Goldbug hot springs for an entire day of adventure, soaking, and Idaho mountain exploration.

The closest campground to Boat Box Hot Spring is the Salmon River Campground in the Sawtooth National Forest. The campground is open from May-September and is first-come, first-serve. There are 30 sites available to rent providing both a bathroom and drinking water.

Getting There

From the small town of Stanley, Idaho, you can take a short drive to discover many hot springs near the river. To specifically locate Boat Box, look for the steam rising from the roadside after you have traveled the unmarked road for 4 miles east on Highway 75.

If you have difficulties finding the location, use the exact coordinates, 44.2448°N 114.8859°W, and track yourself on your mobile device. Make sure Boat Box’s address is saved ‘offline’ just in case you lose cell reception.

Details

Location: State Highway 75 S, Stanley, Idaho 83278

GPS Coordinates: 44.2448° N, 114.8861° W

Season: Year-round

Cost: Free

Matt Thomas

About Matt Thomas

Matt is an avid writer, explorer and magic maker, who loves to showcase this wild, wondrous world. Join him at Uncover Vietnam and Uncover Colorado for a local look at these captivating destinations.

Previous Post: «Poseidon Gardens Thermal Park, Ischia, Italy Poseidon Gardens Thermal Park – Ichia, Italy
Next Post: David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort – Genoa, Nevada Image of steam rising at David Walley's in Nevada»

Primary Sidebar

Hot Springs by State

  • All United States
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado (redirects)
  • Florida
  • Germany
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Massachusetts
  • Montana
  • Nevada
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wyoming

Join our community of hot springers

Enter your email below and grab our complimentary guide on the world's top hot springs.

Footer

Top Hot Springs

  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer

Travel Guide

  • Hot Springs by State
  • Hot Springs by Country
  • Africa Hot Springs
  • Asia Hot Springs
  • Europe Hot Springs
  • Oceania Hot Springs
  • North/Central America Hot Springs
  • South America Hot Springs
  • Camping at Hot Springs
  • Lodging at Hot Springs

Latest Hot Springs

  • River Mountain Resort – Everett, Pennsylvania
  • Agua Blanca Hotel – Michoacan, Mexico
  • Snorralaug Hot Spring – Reykholt, Iceland
  • Maruia Hot Springs – Lewis Pass, New Zealand
  • Reykjafjarðarlaug Hot Pool – Westfjords Region, Iceland

Disclosure: Top Hot Springs is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Copyright © 2023 · Top Hot Springs | Sitemap