# Blue Joint Hot Spring 1, Montana

Blue Joint Hot Spring 1 in Montana. 84°F (29°C). Short Walk · Public Land. Ravalli County.

- Page: https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/montana/blue-joint-hot-spring-1
- Source: Soaking Springs, researched and maintained by Armen Suny
- Updated: 2026-09-14

## Can you soak at Blue Joint Hot Spring 1?

The water leaves the ground at 84°F, about as warm as a heated pool. It's a short walk from the road. It's on US Forest Service land. We haven't confirmed whether it has a pool or charges a fee.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Source water temperature | 84°F (29°C) (USGS record; developed pools are often cooled) |
| Elevation | 5,031 ft |
| Access | Short Walk · Public Land, 410 ft from the nearest road |
| Land | Bitterroot National Forest, US Forest Service |
| County | Ravalli County |
| Nearest town | Hamilton |
| Coordinates | 45.69800, -114.38200 |
| Best months to soak | December, January, February (largest gap between water and average air temperature) |
| Nearest campground | FALES FLAT CAMPGROUND, 4.5 mi |

## About Blue Joint Hot Spring 1

Blue Joint Hot Spring 1 is one of two mapped points of the same name in Ravalli County, Montana, inside Bitterroot National Forest, forty miles from Hamilton. Warm water, somewhat under body temperature, on Forest Service land that is open to the public. No one has sampled it, so temperature is the lone measurement there is.

A walk of about four hundred feet from an unnamed road. This is deep in the Bitterroot, high country, in a drainage that collects over eleven feet of snow most winters and a good deal of rain besides. Fales Flat Campground is a few miles away, the only camping in the file for this spot. No fee has been recorded.

OpenStreetMap records the site under the name Blue Joint Hot Springs, plural, which covers both mapped points.

The listed months are the three winter ones, and with that snow you would want to know the road is open first. Forest Service ground, open access. Point number 2, the other Blue Joint spring, sits closer to the road and a bit lower down. Expect warm water, under body heat.

## Nearby

- Nearest city page: [Hot springs near Hamilton](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/near/montana/hamilton), 0 mi away
- State page: [Hot springs in Montana](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/montana)
- [Blue Joint Hot Springs 2, MT](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/montana/blue-joint-hot-springs-2): 84°F source, Roadside, near Hamilton, Ravalli County
- [Horse Creek Hot Springs, ID](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/idaho/horse-creek-hot-springs): 109°F source, pH 6.4, Roadside, near Salmon, Lemhi County, primitive pools
- [Medicine Hot Springs, MT](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/montana/medicine-hot-springs): 117°F source, pH 8.6, Short Walk, near Hamilton, Ravalli County
- [Gallogly Spring, MT](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/montana/gallogly-spring): 100°F source, Short Walk, near Hamilton, Ravalli County
- [Owl Creek Hot Springs, ID](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/idaho/owl-creek-hot-springs): 122°F source, pH 8.4, Hike, near Salmon, Lemhi County, private, no public access
- [Big Creek Hot Springs, ID](https://www.soakingsprings.com/hot-springs/idaho/big-creek-hot-springs): 199°F source, pH 7.6, Short Walk, near Salmon, Lemhi County, primitive pools, free, year-round

## Questions

**What is the water temperature at Blue Joint Hot Spring 1?**
Blue Joint Hot Spring 1 has a water temperature of 84°F (29°C). This is a warm thermal spring.

**Where is Blue Joint Hot Spring 1 located?**
Blue Joint Hot Spring 1 is located in Ravalli County, Montana at 5,031 feet elevation, near Hamilton. Coordinates: 45.6980°N, 114.3820°W.

**How do I get to Blue Joint Hot Spring 1?**
Blue Joint Hot Spring 1 has Short Walk road access (410 ft from the road).

**Is Blue Joint Hot Spring 1 free to visit?**
Blue Joint Hot Spring 1 has Open access. It is managed by US Forest Service.

**Can I camp near Blue Joint Hot Spring 1?**
Yes, Fales Flat Campground is located nearby (4.5 miles away).

## Sources

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