Molly's Tubs
Also known as South Fork Plunge
129°F
Source water (NOAA)
Short walk
Easy access
Free
No fee reported
This is a primitive riverside hot spring near Warm Lake on the South Fork Salmon River. It is reached by a short walk from forest road 474. The pools are hand-managed and mixed with river water, and they are free to use. The NOAA 'South Fork Plunge' record (129°F) is probably this spring, but that identification is unconfirmed.
01 · Before you go
Plan your visit
What to expect on the ground: rules, facilities and when to go.
- Clothing optionalCommon here, not official policy
- Camping nearbyCamping is not allowed at the springs. There are developed and dispersed Boise National Forest campgrounds nearby. Shoreline Campground is about 3.4 miles from Molly's Tubs.
- ModerateLate summer and fall, when the river is low and the pools are usable.
- SeasonThe dirt forest road (FR 474) is not plowed in winter, so access then is by snowshoe or horseback. The Forest Service restricts heavy vehicles on the South Fork Salmon River Road from March 15 to June 1 each year.
- Free to soakNo day-use fee reported.
Best time to go. Late summer and fall, when the river is low and the pools are usable. Early morning or evening is quieter at the tubs.
02 · Live
Conditions
Access status, weather and hazards. Closure feeds are checked automatically every morning.
Access
No closures reported
No closure, fire or weather warning found in Forest Service, wildfire (NIFC) or National Weather Service feeds. That isn't confirmation it's open, so check with Boise National Forest.
Checked 14 Oct · updated daily
The Forest Service removed the old bathtubs around 2009, leaving two shallow, silty pools by the river. A landslide closed the South Fork Salmon River Road between Poverty Overlook and Poverty Flat Campground in January 2026. That section is north of the Warm Lake approach, but check conditions before going.
Red spider mites and chiggers have been reported at times. The pools are cooled with river water, so check the temperature before getting in. The site is steep and the spring is hot. The area burned in a wildfire, so there may be dead trees. Sensitive area: pack out trash.
03 · Route
Getting there
Nearest town: Cascade.
- 1
From Cascade on Highway 55, take Warm Lake Road to FR 474 (the South Fork Salmon River Road) and drive toward Stolle Meadows. Molly's Tubs is about 1.3 miles south of Stolle Meadows.
- 2
A pullout on the right has a short, steep path of about 200 feet down to the river. Molly's Hot Spring is about half a mile south of the tubs along the road.
- 3
It has a roughly quarter-mile trail from the dirt road to a pool above the river.
44.6320, −115.6970 · nearest town Cascade, ID
04 · Where to stay
Stay nearby
Start early and stay close. Places to stay near Cascade, from campgrounds to cabins.
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