Trip Report: Owl Creek Hot Springs (Idaho)
Dec 7, 2016 11:06:02 GMT -8
rebeccad, tarol, and 7 more like this
Post by markweth on Dec 7, 2016 11:06:02 GMT -8
Just in case anyone wants to take a journey to a hot springs in Idaho, I thought I'd post a link to an article I wrote for TrailGroove Magazine, Issue 31 ( www.trailgroove.com ) about a backpacking trip my girlfriend, dog and I took last month.
Here's a few pictures and the intro to the article:
The Hunt for Owl Creek Hot Springs
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.
The rest of the article and more pictures are here: www.trailgroove.com/issue31.html?autoflip=83
Thanks for reading!
Here's a few pictures and the intro to the article:
The Hunt for Owl Creek Hot Springs
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.
The rest of the article and more pictures are here: www.trailgroove.com/issue31.html?autoflip=83
Thanks for reading!
