Boat Box Hot Springs: The Complete Visitor’s Guide (2025)

Quick facts about Boat Box Hot Springs

• Boat Box Hot Springs used to be known as Elkhart Hot Springs.
• The hot spring was built and is still maintained by the Stanley community. It got its current name from the old wooden box that used to hold the hot water. After a spring flood, the box was damaged and floated away, so it was replaced with the present-day metal cauldron.
• How hot is Boat Box Hot Springs? Pretty darn hot! It is around 110 degrees right from the source.

Boat Box Hot Springs Map

Boat Box Hot Springs has recently been listed on Google Maps, and it’s not difficult to find! Look at the map above for the exact location.

Boat Box Hot Springs Address

There isn’t really an official address for the hot springs, but it’s located about 3.3 miles north of Stanley. Here are the coordinates for Boat Box Hot Springs:
44°14’41.3″N 114°53’09.8″W

Directions to Boat Box Hot Springs

So how do you get to Boat Box Hot Springs?

From the town of Stanley, take a left onto Highway 75 and head north. You’ll only go about 3.3 miles and then it will be on the right-hand side.

There is a little pullout on the right-hand side of the highway with only enough space for a few cars. If it’s full, just come back later – don’t try to park somewhere else! The shoulder is narrow and it’s not safe to park at another spot.

The hot springs are not very big, so you don’t really want to visit if the parking spaces are full – you’ll end up waiting a while for your turn anyway.

How to visit Boat Box Hot Springs

Boat Box is not exactly a secret spot anymore – lots of people know about it and you more than likely will not be there by yourself unless you get there REALLY early in the morning.

Here are a few things to keep in mind in order to have a great experience and to respect the others who are also there to enjoy the springs.

Respect the hot springs

Don’t use any soaps in the water, don’t litter or leave anything behind, and keep pets out of the tub. This is a public area that is maintained by the community, so you should leave the place just as you found it (or better). You should also respect the others who have come to enjoy it.

Be considerate of others

The Boat Box tub is not very big. It will fit at most 2-3 people, so you will probably only share the tub with people in your group. Therefore, don’t hog the cauldron! If there are people waiting, be considerate and communicate how long you’d like to use the tub and follow through.

Because of this, Boat Box Hot Springs is not the best option if you just want to relax and soak for hours. If that is the experience you desire, you probably should check out a different hot spring in the area (see some other options further down).

When the river level is right, you can sometimes sit in the shallow pools next to the cauldron, but these are not very deep most of the year, so they may not be the best soaking option either.

Adjust the water temperature

Since the water that comes out of the pipe into the tub is directly from the source, it is quite hot. You can adjust the temperature in the tub by using the pipe for hot water and then grabbing the nearby bucket to get cold river water.

If you need to let some water out (or drain it because the water is dirty), you can use the valve at the bottom of the tub. The best practice is to leave the valve open a little and let it drain at a steady pace so that as some water leaves the tub, you can continue to fill it with new mineral water from the spring.

If the tub is empty when you arrive, it will take about 20 minutes to fill it up. Keep checking the water temperature as you fill it and use cold water from the river to cool it down as you go.

Wear your swimsuit

While technically the hot spring is clothing optional, it is located right next to the road, so you should be respectful and wear a swimsuit.

What to pack when visiting Boat Box Hot Springs

For the best experience, here are some things you should bring with you to the hot springs.

Swimsuit

This one might seem obvious, but due to the proximity of the road, you should not skinny dip here. So make sure you bring a suit. Since there’s really nowhere to change, I’d recommend putting it on before you go.

Towel

A towel will be a nice item to have after you get out, especially on a cooler day. A quick-dry option is even better.

Water shoes or sandals

While the hot spring is close to the road, you will need to walk on rocks to get down to the tub, so a solid pair of shoes or sandals that can get wet will work best.

Drinking water

Boat Box Hot Springs lives up to its name – the water is HOT! And you can easily become dehydrated if you sit in it too long. Make sure you bring plenty of drinking water with you to stay hydrated.

Snacks

I always travel with snacks, especially if I don’t know how long I’m going to be somewhere.

While you may not be in the spring for hours, it’s always a good idea to have something to munch on in case you get a little peckish. Or have the potential to get hangry like me. Nobody needs to deal with that (and my husband says AMEN).

Just make sure that you pack everything out with you when you leave.

Sunscreen

Even on a cooler day, you’ll be at a higher elevation (6100 feet) and therefore have a greater chance of getting burnt, so you should wear sunscreen to be safe.

Dry bag

If you plan to bring along your phone, camera, extra clothes, or anything else you don’t really want to get wet, a dry bag is a great choice to store your items in.

If you’re looking for a complete road trip packing list, check out this blog post.

When is the best time to visit Boat Box Hot Springs?

Boat Box Hot Springs is open for soaking year-round, so what time of year will give you the best experience?

A summertime visit is best if you’d like to take advantage of all the other outdoor activities available in the area, like hiking and rafting. This is also when most everything is open for visitors so you’ll have more things to do.

But summer is also the busy season, so if you visit Boat Box during this time of year, you’ll probably have crowds at the hot springs and will have to wait in line. You also have the chance of wildfires this time of year, so keep that in mind.

Fall has beautiful foliage, cooler weather, and fewer crowds which is ideal for soaking. This is the time of year I would love to visit on my next trip. However, things do start to close down and you do have the chance of snow in late fall, so consider those things if you’d like to visit then.

Winter can be a beautiful time of year with the fewest visitors and a good chance you’ll have the hot spring all to yourself. The downside is that you will more than likely have snow, which makes for beautiful photos but bad road conditions. Route 75 is a major road in the area and is usually open, but if a storm hits it may be closed and then you won’t have access to the spring. 

Also, the temperatures can be REALLY cold in the Sawtooth Mountains, so it might not be much fun to get in and out of the water in below-zero temperatures.

In spring the water level is at its highest which is good for the adjoining pools, and there will also be fewer people to deal with at the hot spring. But this is also the rainy season, and a lot of outdoor activities may not be available yet. You could also have lingering snow and cool weather this time of year.

So once you have decided when to go, what time of day should you visit Boat Box? My suggestion is to visit as early as you can in the morning on a weekday for the best chance to have the spring to yourself. However, keep in mind that this place is pretty popular so you’ll probably still see other people regardless of when you go.

Where should I stay when visiting Boat Box Hot Springs?

The town of Stanley is just down the road from Boat Box Hot Springs and will be the closest town with places to stay.

We stayed at Sunny Gulch Campground when we visited because we were with our friends in their RV. This campground doesn’t have hookups, but for a quick stay, it was fine. It would also work well for tent camping.

There are also some additional campgrounds south of Stanley at Redfish Lake and the surrounding areas. You can look at the cabin and camping options in the Sawtooth Mountains here.

If you want to book a hotel, Mountain Village Resort is a highly-rated, popular option that even has its own hot spring!

VRBO is also a great option if you prefer a homestay.

If you have trouble finding a place to stay near Stanley, try looking near Ketchum, which is a little over an hour south of Stanley.

Where should I eat near Boat Box Hot Springs?

There are a few options for places to eat in Stanley. Some good choices include Stanley Baking Co, Papa Brunee’s, Sawtooth Hotel Restaurant, and Redfish Lake Lodge.

Other Stanley Idaho Hot Springs

There are so many hot springs in the Sawtooth Mountains, and quite a few close to Stanley. We only got the chance to visit two, but there are enough that you could make a trip out of finding them all!

Here’s a list of the other hot springs around Stanley:

• Goldbug Hot Springs
• Mountain Village Resort
• Snake Pit Hot Springs
• Sunbeam Hot Springs
• Challis Hot Springs
• Kirkham Hot Springs
• Bonneville Hot Springs
• Pine Flats Hot Springs
• Easley Hot Springs
• Frenchman’s Hot Springs

For additional details on these hot springs, check out this post.

Other things to do near Boat Box Hot Springs

If you are visiting Boat Box Hot Springs, then you should absolutely get out and experience some of the other great things to do in the Sawtooth Mountains.

Hiking

There are lots of great hiking trails in the Sawtooth Mountains. Unfortunately, we had a pretty short visit to this area and didn’t do much hiking, but I can’t wait to go back and try out some of the trails!

I use AllTrails to find all the hiking options no matter where I am. The ones on my list for next time include Bridal Veil Falls, Sawtooth Lake, Goat Lake, and Alice Lake.

If you want to combine a good hike with hot springs and a beautiful drive through the valley, go up to Goldbug Hot Springs in Elk Bend. This was the highlight of the Sawtooth Mountains portion of our road trip to Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and Idaho.

Redfish Lake

For those who want to spend time on the water, head over to Redfish Lake for paddleboarding, kayaking, fishing, boating, and swimming.

Conclusion: Boat Box Hot Springs: The Complete Visitor’s Guide

Boat Box Hot Springs is a great activity to add to your Sawtooth Mountains itinerary. If you love hot springs and unique experiences, this is definitely something to add to your bucket list!

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