Jerry Johnson Hot Springs
Jerry Johnson Hot Springs is one of Idaho's most visited backcountry soaks, flowing at 118 degrees Fahrenheit along the Lochsa Wild and Scenic River corridor in the Clearwater National Forest. Multiple pools, including a well-known big pool mapped on OpenStreetMap, sit at 3,238 feet elevation roughly a mile from Highway 12.
The trail drops through dense old-growth cedar and fir forest along Warm Springs Creek before reaching the pools scattered along the creek bank. This is one of Idaho's wettest mountain corridors, receiving nearly 43 inches of rain and an extraordinary 199 inches of snow annually. The forest canopy filters light onto the pools, and the sound of the Lochsa River carries through the trees. In winter, deep snow buries the trail, and steam rises through the frozen landscape in dramatic columns.
The springs emerge along a fault zone where the Bitterroot Range meets the Lochsa River canyon. The highly alkaline pH of 9.5 and sodium-dominant chemistry with minimal chloride suggest deep circulation through the Idaho Batholith granitic rock. Lewis and Clark passed through this corridor in 1805, and the Nez Perce people used these springs long before European contact. The springs remain undeveloped, protected within national forest land.
The trailhead sits along Highway 12 at roughly mile marker 152, with Whitehouse Campground nine kilometers east offering 13 first-come sites on the Lochsa River. The one-mile hike is moderate and well-traveled. Source water at 118 degrees is too hot for direct entry, but multiple pools along the creek offer varied temperatures as hot water mixes with cold creek flow. Expect company on summer weekends. Practice Leave No Trace.
Is Jerry Johnson Hot Springs worth visiting?
Best for
- Hot spring soaking
- Overnight camping trips
The water at Jerry Johnson Hot Springs is alkaline (pH 9.5).
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Approximately an hour west of Lolo, MT at mile post 158.5 of the famous Northwest Passage Scenic Byway and All American Road (US Highway 12), directly across from the Lochsa Wild and Scenic River, rests the Whitehouse Campground. This riverside campground has 13 sites and due to its close proximity to the Lewis and Clark Trail, has much more to offer than just camping. It's an ideal location for fishing, hiking, back packing, nature viewing or as a place to stop and have a picnic while enjo...