Marsh Creek Hot Spring
Marsh Creek Hot Spring reaches 104 degrees Fahrenheit, landing right at the threshold most soakers consider ideal. Sitting at 4,590 feet in Minidoka County south of Rupert, this spring flows 54 degrees warmer than the surrounding high desert air, maintaining comfortable bathing temperature even when ambient conditions dip well below freezing.
A quarter-mile walk from Marsh Creek Road leads across the dry, sagebrush-studded terrain of south-central Idaho where the Snake River Plain begins climbing toward the foothills. The spring emerges in a shallow draw, its warm water cutting a green ribbon through the otherwise brown and grey landscape. Annual precipitation barely reaches 13.5 inches, and the air carries the dry, clean scent of desert sage. Summer days run hot; winter nights drop hard.
The walk from Marsh Creek Road covers roughly a third of a mile, so wear sturdy shoes suited for uneven desert ground. No developed facilities exist at the spring. McClendon Spring Campground, about 10 miles away, offers basic semi-developed camping on a first-come basis. Bring all water and supplies from Rupert. Summer temperatures can exceed 100 degrees, so carry extra drinking water.
The spring rises where the volcanic basalts of the Snake River Plain meet older sedimentary formations along the Cotterel Mountain front. Deep fractures in this transitional zone allow groundwater to circulate to sufficient depth to absorb geothermal heat before returning to the surface. Emigrants traveling the California Trail once passed through this region, and McClendon Spring, 10 miles away, served as a known resting point along that route.
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Explore the Cotterel Mountains or hunt for upland birds and deer near this semi-developed camping destination. McClendon Spring was a favorite resting place for emigrants along the California Trail.
Marsh Creek Hot Spring is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear.
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