# Cape Horn Warm Springs, Idaho

Cape Horn Warm Springs in Idaho. 95°F (35°C). Short Walk. Boise County.

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

## Can you soak at Cape Horn Warm Springs?

The water leaves the ground at 95°F, a comfortable soaking temperature. It's a short walk from the road. We haven't confirmed whether it has a pool or charges a fee.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Source water temperature | 95°F (35°C) (USGS record; developed pools are often cooled) |
| pH | 9.6 (Alkaline) |
| Elevation | 6,555 ft |
| Access | Short Walk, 0.7 mi from the nearest road (Beaver Creek Road) |
| County | Boise County |
| Nearest town | Idaho City |
| Coordinates | 44.39800, -115.14900 |
| Best months to soak | December, January, February (largest gap between water and average air temperature) |
| Nearest campground | Thatcher Campground, 2.1 mi |

## About Cape Horn Warm Springs

Cape Horn Warm Springs comes out at a temperature a person can sit in, around body heat, the kind of warm you can sit in for a while. It is a long way from anywhere. Idaho City, the nearest town in the record, is more than fifty miles off, and the spring sits up at sixty-five hundred feet in Boise County. Public access is not documented and no land owner is listed, so treat the legal side as an open question.

You leave Beaver Creek Road and walk about seven tenths of a mile. This is high country, and the snow total is brutal, close to fifteen feet a winter, so count on the road being snowbound for a long stretch of the year. Thatcher Campground is close, around two miles. Precipitation is moderate. Nothing in the file says who manages the ground or what the walk is like.

The file rates winter highest. Square that with the snow before you plan anything. There is no burn risk at this temperature. The pH figure comes from an August 1980 sample. Access is unknown; ask before you go. Thatcher is the campground to use, and it is near enough to matter.

## Water chemistry

Lab sample from 1980-08-04 (Water Quality Portal).

| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| pH | 9.6 |
| Calcium | 1.4 mg/L |
| Magnesium | 0.1 mg/L |
| Sodium | 82 mg/L |
| Sulfate | 39 mg/L |
| Chloride | 8.7 mg/L |

## Nearby

- Nearest city page: [Hot springs near Challis](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/near/idaho/challis), 19 mi away
- State page: [Hot springs in Idaho](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/idaho)
- [Bear Valley Hot Spring, ID](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/idaho/bear-valley-hot-spring): Warm, pH 9.5, Hike, near Cascade, Valley County, primitive pools, pools 104°F, free, apr-oct
- [Dagger Creek Hot Spring, ID](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/idaho/dagger-creek-hot-spring): 110°F source, pH 9.9, Short Walk, near Cascade, Valley County, primitive pools, pools 100–104°F, late jul-oct
- [Sulphur Creek Hot Spring, ID](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/idaho/sulphur-creek-hot-spring-1): Hot, pH 9.9, Short Walk, near Cascade, Valley County
- [Sulphur Creek Hot Spring, ID](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/idaho/sulphur-creek-hot-spring-2): Hot, Hike, near Challis, Custer County
- [Sheepeater Hot Springs, ID](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/idaho/sheepeater-hot-springs): Hot, pH 9.5, Hike, near Cascade, Valley County, primitive pools, pools 103°F, free, late may-sep (river permit season)
- [Stanley Hot Spring, ID](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/idaho/stanley-hot-spring): 106°F source, pH 8.8, Roadside, near Challis, Custer County

## Questions

**What is the water temperature at Cape Horn Warm Springs?**
Cape Horn Warm Springs has a water temperature of 95°F (35°C). This is a warm thermal spring.

**Where is Cape Horn Warm Springs located?**
Cape Horn Warm Springs is located in Boise County, Idaho at 6,555 feet elevation, near Idaho City. Coordinates: 44.3980°N, 115.1490°W.

**How do I get to Cape Horn Warm Springs?**
Cape Horn Warm Springs has Short Walk road access, with the nearest road being Beaver Creek Road (0.7 mi from the road).

**Can I camp near Cape Horn Warm Springs?**
Yes, Thatcher Campground is located nearby (2.1 miles away).

**What minerals are in the water at Cape Horn Warm Springs?**
Water chemistry analysis shows the presence of pH, Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Sulfate, Chloride. The pH is 9.6 (alkaline).

## Sources

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