The Best Day Hikes in America: Goldbug Hot Springs
Salmon-Challis National Forest, Idaho
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Idaho shares famous pow and peaks with plenty of other states, but it has one ace they don’t: the country’s best backcountry hot springs. (Lots of them, too.) Goldbug is the wildest and best: A steaming waterfall cascades into 10 sandy-bottomed pools that terrace down the mountainside. The hottest hovers around 110°F and—lucky you—also offers a view of the craggy Lemhi Range. Best part: 2 miles and 1,350 feet of climbing keep pikers away.
Distance 4 miles (out and back) Trailhead 44.898124, -113.956367 Drive time 2:45 from Idaho Falls Season Year-round Contact