Jardine Hot Spring
Jardine Hot Spring emerges at 140°F near Salmon at 6,480 feet elevation in the Beaverhead Mountains along the Montana-Idaho border. The water is chemically neutral at pH 7.0, with high sodium content (230 mg/L) and moderate sulfate (45 mg/L). Access requires a short walk of 382 meters from Spring Street. The spring runs 103.1°F above the annual ambient air temperature of 36.9°F.
The spring sits high in the rugged Beaverhead Mountains, where the Continental Divide forms the Montana-Idaho border. At 6,480 feet, the terrain is steep and forested with lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir, and subalpine fir. The town of Salmon lies in the valley below along the Salmon River. Annual snowfall reaches 88 inches, and the average annual temperature is just 36.9°F, making this one of the colder settings for a hot spring in the region. Surrounding peaks exceed 9,000 feet.
Visit between July and September; snow typically blocks high-elevation access roads before and after this window. At 6,480 feet with sub-37°F annual temperatures, nights are cold even in midsummer — bring warm layers. The 140°F source is dangerously hot; approach with caution. A high-clearance vehicle is recommended. Twin Lakes Cabin, reservable through Recreation.gov, provides a nearby overnight option during vehicle-accessible months.
The spring is named for the Jardine family or associated mining claims in the area. The Beaverhead Mountains saw extensive placer and hard-rock mining in the late 1800s, and many thermal features were noted during geological surveys of that era. Twin Lakes Cabin, built in the 1920s for Forest Service trail crews and smoke chasers, sits 22.6 km away. Detailed historical documentation specific to this spring is limited in publicly available sources.
The water at Jardine Hot Spring is neutral (pH 7.0).
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Overview Twin Lakes Cabin is located in a scenic evergreen forest in the Beaverhead Mountains of western Montana. It was built in the 1920s to provide housing for trail crews, smoke chasers, timber cruisers and grazing inspectors who worked in the area. Guests have access to a number of recreational opportunities, including hiking and mountain biking in the summer and fall, and snowmobiling, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing during the winter. The cabin is accessible by vehicle du...
Jardine Hot Spring sits at 6,480 feet above sea level, way above the mile-high mark. You may not feel the altitude strongly, but hot water still dehydrates you faster at elevation. UV is about 26% stronger than at sea level, so bring sunscreen and drink more water than you normally would.
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Jardine Hot Spring is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear. The water runs hot, so extra hydration is key. Cold air temperatures make a changing robe or warm layers essential.
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