# Buckaroo Hot Spring, Idaho

Buckaroo Hot Spring in Idaho. 109°F (43°C). Roadside. Elmore County.

- Page: https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/idaho/buckaroo-hot-spring
- Source: Soaking Springs, researched and maintained by Armen Suny
- Updated: 2026-09-14

## Can you soak at Buckaroo Hot Spring?

The water leaves the ground at 109°F, a comfortable soaking temperature. You can drive right up to it. We haven't confirmed whether it has a pool or charges a fee.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Source water temperature | 109°F (43°C) (USGS record; developed pools are often cooled) |
| pH | 8.2 (Slightly Alkaline) |
| Elevation | 2,620 ft |
| Access | Roadside, 215 ft from the nearest road |
| County | Elmore County |
| Nearest town | Mountain Home Air Force Base |
| Coordinates | 42.77900, -115.71500 |
| Best months to soak | January, December, February (largest gap between water and average air temperature) |

## About Buckaroo Hot Spring

Another Elmore County spring within walking distance of Mountain Home Air Force Base, Buckaroo Hot Spring comes out a little warmer than its neighbor at Hot Creek, in the upper 100s, a temperature most people would call a hot bath. The road it sits beside is not named on file, and no land owner is listed. There is a photograph.

Desert floor, low and dry. You would be standing about 200 feet from the road at low elevation, with roughly ten inches of precipitation a year and almost no snow. Summer heat is the main weather here. The road name is missing from the record, so the coordinates on the map are what you have to work with.

The cold months are the ones flagged as best. Since snow barely registers here, getting in is rarely a weather problem in any season. No campground appears nearby. The chemistry dates from a 1989 sample. Public access is not recorded, and with the air base so close it would be worth confirming ownership before treating this as a place to soak.

## Water chemistry

Lab sample from 1989-03-28 (Water Quality Portal).

| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| pH | 8.2 |
| Calcium | 13 mg/L |
| Magnesium | 1.8 mg/L |
| Sodium | 43 mg/L |
| Sulfate | 15 mg/L |
| Chloride | 8.7 mg/L |

## Nearby

- Nearest city page: [Hot springs near Mountain Home Air Force Base](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/near/idaho/mountain-home-air-force-base), 1 mi away
- State page: [Hot springs in Idaho](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/idaho)
- [Lower Indian Bathtub Hot Springs, ID](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/idaho/lower-indian-bathtub-hot-springs): 108°F source, pH 8.7, Short Walk, near Mountain Home Air Force Base, Elmore County, primitive pools, pools 102°F, free, year-round
- [Bat Hot Spring, Pence Hot Spring, ID](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/idaho/bat-hot-spring-pence-hot-spring): 117°F source, pH 8.2, TDS 243 mg/L, Short Walk, near Mountain Home Air Force Base, Elmore County
- [Indian Bathtub Hot Springs, ID](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/idaho/indian-bathtub-hot-springs): 99°F source, pH 8.6, TDS 248 mg/L, Short Walk, near Mountain Home Air Force Base, Elmore County, primitive pools, pools 93–96°F, free
- [Bruneau Hot Spring, ID](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/idaho/bruneau-hot-spring): 106°F source, pH 8.6, Roadside, near Mountain Home Air Force Base, Elmore County
- [Hot Springs, ID](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/idaho/hot-springs-elmore-county): 158°F source, pH 9.4, TDS 286 mg/L, Short Walk, near Mountain Home, Elmore County
- [Coyote Hot Spring, ID](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/idaho/coyote-hot-spring): 135°F source, TDS 250 mg/L, Roadside, near Glenns Ferry, Elmore County, primitive pools, pools 100–104°F, free, may–oct

## Questions

**What is the water temperature at Buckaroo Hot Spring?**
Buckaroo Hot Spring has a water temperature of 109°F (43°C). This is considered a hot spring, well above body temperature.

**Where is Buckaroo Hot Spring located?**
Buckaroo Hot Spring is located in Elmore County, Idaho at 2,620 feet elevation, near Mountain Home Air Force Base. Coordinates: 42.7790°N, 115.7150°W.

**How do I get to Buckaroo Hot Spring?**
Buckaroo Hot Spring has Roadside road access (215 ft from the road).

**What minerals are in the water at Buckaroo Hot Spring?**
Water chemistry analysis shows the presence of pH, Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Sulfate, Chloride. The pH is 8.2 (slightly alkaline).

## Sources

- USGS thermal springs records, Water Quality Portal lab analyses, OpenStreetMap, Wikipedia/Wikidata, NOAA climate normals