Boat Box Hot Springs in Stanley, Idaho is undeniably dreamy- imagine enjoying Mother Nature’s own hot tub, as you overlook a pine-strewn valley and a rushing river. And best of all- it’s totally free!
So grab your swimsuit and get ready to soak in Boat Box Hot Springs, one of the most quirky and idyllic natural springs that Idaho has to offer.
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What is Boat Box Hot Springs?
Boat Box Hot Springs is located in the teeny mountain town of Stanley, Idaho, home to a whopping 63 residents. This little town is known for being the gateway to the Sawtooths, an absolutely incredible mountain range known for its jagged peaks, and for its plethora of stunning hot springs.
Boat Box Hot Springs is the closest natural hot spring you can enjoy from Stanley’s downtown area.
You might notice, in the photos in this article, Boat Box featured an old mining cauldron, that had hot water piped in from a nearby geothermal source.
Unfortunately, this vessel was recently washed away by heavy spring runoff. Accordingly, you’ll find the hot water piped into little manmade pools, constructed of rocks in the Salmon River, similar to other natural hot springs around Stanley, like Buckeye or Goldbug Hot Springs.
Still, given its convenient proximity to Stanley and its idyllic location along the Salmon River, Boat Box is a must-see (or should I say must-soak?) while visiting the area.
How do I get to Boat Box Hot Springs?
You can reach Stanley from either Boise (about 130 miles away) or Salt Lake City (380 miles away). If you’re flying in, I’d recommend starting from Boise, given that it’s a significantly shorter drive and you’ll be cruising to Stanley along the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway, a stunning scenic drive winding through dense pine forests and high mountain valleys.
There aren’t really any public transit options to or around Stanley, so you’ll also need to pick up a rental car at the airport. Unless you’re visiting in the wintertime, you should be able to get by just fine in any passenger car, as the roads in Stanley are paved and well-maintained.
Come wintertime, the Stanley area can get a LOT of ice and snow. In fact, my husband, Justin, and I have canceled a few winter time trips here because several of the roads were closed due to “high avalanche risk”- yikes! So, if you’re visiting in the winter, I’d recommend looking into renting an SUV with four-wheel drive.
You can find Boat Box Hot Springs just six minutes north of downtown Stanley, located here, along the Salmon River. Boat Box isn’t listed on Google Maps, so I’d recommend saving the location in your app and downloading offline maps before you head there (cell signal is spotty, at best, here).
There’s no parking lot- just a narrow shoulder to park along that holds a handful of cars.
If parking along the shoulder is full, do not park on the road, as it’s a windy and narrow highway to begin with. Just find something else in Stanley to explore for the time being and come back another time. Boat Box only holds a couple of people, so if the parking area is full, you won’t really be able to enjoy the hot spring anyway.
If you can snag a parking spot, there’s no sign for the spring and the springs can easily blend in with the scenery (even when you know what you’re looking for). Keep an eye out for steam rising to the right of the parking area and a narrow boot trail leading from the shoulder to the riverbed below, which will lead you straight to it!
When should I visit Boat Box Hot Springs?
Stanley is a great destination to visit most of the year. Each season, however, has its pros and cons, so here’s some things to think about if you plan on doing things near Stanley besides soaking in Boat Box Hot Springs during your visit (which, despite how awesome Boat Box is, you probably should consider):
Summer (June through September)
If you want to hike or backpack in the Sawtooths or white water raft along Stanley’s Salmon River (that’s on my bucketlist for sure!), summertime is your best bet. Unfortunately, it’s also the busiest time of the year to visit Stanley, so you’re more likely going to have to share hot springs with others (more on that later!) during your stay.
Additionally, you may have to contend with wildfire smoke in the later summer months. That being said, Justin and I have visited Stanley in both July and August and had an awesome experience each time.
Fall (October through November)
Enjoy the Sawtooth’s fall foliage and fewer crowds in Stanley during this season. On the flipside, you still have a chance of encountering smoky air (wildfire season usually lasts through October) and, as autumn wears on, most of the high elevation hiking trails in the Sawtooths may become inaccessible due to snow.
Winter (December through February):
If you’re as into #cozyvibes as me, winter is a spectacular time to visit, with the gorgeous alpine landscape covered in a thick blanket of snow (and might I add, Boat Box is especially photogenic come wintertime).
But word to the wise- in addition to the icy, snowy roads (which, did I mention, are extra curvy around Stanley?), the area also gets COLD due to dense, frigid air blown from the surrounding mountain peaks into Stanley’s valley. In fact, the lowest recorded temperature in town was 54 degrees BELOW ZERO in 1983.
I am the hot springs enthusiast and even my hot springs-loving booty isn’t going to be in Boat Box when it’s below zero outside!
Spring (March through May)
Spring is the rainiest season, so the water level of the Salmon River will be high (which, for Boat Box, may be a good thing, which I’ll explain further below) and the valley’s greenery will be lush. Hiking at high elevations and white water rafting still will not be available for a couple of months, though, so this isn’t the best time to enjoy all of Stanley’s outdoor activities.
Tips for visiting Boat Box Hot Springs
Follow the Leave No Trace principles
Boat Box is truly unique in a couple of ways. First, it’s a really distinctive hot spring that was built by hand by locals for others to enjoy and second, part of its magic is its location in a stunning natural setting.
For these reasons, it’s super important that all visitors (yes, including you!) follow the Leave No Trace principles while you’re visiting, especially:
Leave what you find
Treat the hot spring with respect and care while you’re enjoying it. Since the spring was built by locals and not maintained by state or federal funds, one person mistreating it could result in Boat Box being indefinitely closed to all future visitors.
Dispose of waste properly
Pack it in, pack it out.
You wouldn’t leave a bunch of crushed up beer cans and cigarette butts laying around your favorite grandmother’s living room, would you? Treat these springs just as good, if not better, than how you’d want Grandma’s house to be treated.
Be considerate of others
The springs are meant for all to enjoy. Please follow the rules you learned in kindergarten and share them with others.
Okay, so besides all of the “respect Boat Box and others using it” mumbojumbo, are there other tips that are helpful to know? You bet!
Get here early
If you’re looking to enjoy Boat Box by yourself and relax uninterrupted for a bit, I’d suggest showing up REALLY early (like sunrise early), preferably on a weekday. As mentioned above, the pools are pretty small, so unless you visit during the off-season or at an unusual time (like at an ungodly early hour), it’s unlikely you’ll have the springs to yourself.
Justin and I visited on a Thursday right around sunrise in the summertime and only got the hot springs to ourselves for about 10 minutes. If having a long, relaxing soak in a hot spring is your main priority, Boat Box probably isn’t the right choice for you.
Bring a swimsuit
Many hot springs around Idaho are treated as clothing optional (i.e., you may just see some strangers’ junk while you’re visiting!).
But given that Boat Box is literally RIGHT off the highway and quite popular, I’d recommend bringing along a swimsuit. Idaho is really quite lovely and you probably don’t want to soil your experience by getting arrested for indecent exposure (yes, public nudity is illegal in Idaho).
What should I bring to Boat Box Hot Springs?
Luckily, you don’t need much to enjoy the springs, but here are a few things that might make your visit a bit better:
Swimsuit
As mentioned above, let’s not be that one weird naked dude and pack a swimsuit!
Quick-drying towel
Remember to bring an easy-to-pack towel, like this one.
I perpetually forget to bring towels to hot springs and, can confirm, it’s no fun getting out of a warm, cozy hot spring and plodding back to your car, cold and soaking wet (especially if the weather happens to be below freezing!).
Hiking sandals
You’ll need to walk along the jagged river stones to reach the pools, which can be quite stabby. Instead of having a bunch of tiny knife-rocks jab your feet, bring along a pair of hiking sandals that can double as water shoes and provide some protection for your soles. For example, Justin has a pair of Tevas that he absolutely loves and here‘s the pair that I have.
Water bottle
Sitting in a steamy hot spring like Boat Box can be super dehydrating, especially if you’re drinking any kind of alcoholic beverages. To be good to the planet and to cut down on wasting money on bottled water, Justin and I both have comically giant Nalgene bottles that we take everywhere, from international trips to hiking excursions and, yup, even hot springs!
Dry bag
When we visited Boat Box, we packed all of our electronics (our camera, tripod, and cell phones), our towels, and other odds and ends into our dry bag. This little bag makes carrying all of our stuff to and from the spring super easy and, more importantly, also eliminated the fear that we’d drop all of our expensive electronics into the water.
We wind up using our dry bag a ton, from using it as a bear bag when we go backcountry camping to kayaking excursions, so if you’re an outdoorsy person, I’d definitely recommend picking one up!
Where should I stay when visiting Boat Box Hot Springs?
If you’re interested in camping (either tent or RV), great news!
Stanley has a ton of affordable and GORGEOUS campsites. There’s plenty of free dispersed camping options, like Forest Road 210 Dispersed Camping and Nip & Tuck Road, with incredible views of the Sawtooths.
Prefer to camp with full hookups? Check out Valley Creek Lodge and RV Park for affordable rates, proximity to Stanley, and the Sawtooths as your backyard.
If you prefer lodging, Stanley has a few options, but word of caution- given its remoteness, most of its limited accommodations aren’t exactly luxurious and while comfortable and clean, they tend to be a tad on the outdated side.
With that in mind (you come to Stanley to explore its hot springs and mountains, not your hotel room, anyway!), consider:
- Valley Creek Lodge: A hotel with clean and spacious rooms, each with giant picture windows overlooking the Sawtooth Mountains.
- Redwood Cabins: A collection of 13 private cabins right on the Salmon River (you can literally rent stand-up paddleboards and kayaks here!).
- Bluebird Cabin: If you’re traveling as a group or with a larger family, consider renting this cozy cabin, complete with a full kitchen, porch swing to swing life away as you watch wildlife, and a sweet creek running through your backyard.
Now, go forth and enjoy Boat Box Hot Springs! Are there any other tips or tricks I missed about it? Is Boat Box your favorite of the many amazing hot springs in Stanley? Let me know in the comments below!
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