Poison Springs
Poison Springs sits on BLM land near Buhl in Twin Falls County, Idaho, at 3,388 feet elevation. The original temperature was recorded only as "H" for hot, with no precise measurement available. The name itself suggests early settlers found the water chemistry disagreeable, a common label for mineral-heavy thermal sources in the 19th-century West.
Reaching the spring requires a walk of about 940 meters, roughly six-tenths of a mile, across the arid Snake River Plain landscape. The terrain is flat to gently rolling, dominated by sagebrush and dry grass under wide-open sky. This part of Twin Falls County averages just over 10 inches of rain annually with minimal snowfall of under 15 inches, making it some of Idaho's driest ground. The average air temperature of 54 degrees Fahrenheit reflects the low elevation and southern exposure. The volcanic basalt substrate is visible in exposed rock cuts and rimrock.
The Snake River Plain is an ancient track of the Yellowstone hotspot, and residual volcanic heat drives thermal features scattered across the region. "Poison" springs across the West typically contain elevated concentrations of arsenic, boron, or hydrogen sulfide, minerals dissolved from volcanic rocks during deep circulation. The BLM manages this parcel under the Burley Field Office with open public access. Without recorded temperature or chemistry data beyond the "hot" designation, the spring's precise character remains partly undocumented.
No temperature data exists beyond the historical "hot" classification, so approach with caution and test before any contact. The 940-meter walk crosses open desert with no shade. Bring water and sun protection. No campgrounds or facilities exist nearby. The spring's ominous name may reflect genuinely hazardous water chemistry. BLM land is open for access, but no maintained trail leads to the spring.