Goldbug Hot Springs (Elk Bend Hot Springs)

Goldbug Hot Springs, also called Elk Bend Hot Springs, is a series of thermal pools and small waterfalls in a rocky side canyon east of the Salmon River in Lemhi County, Idaho. The trail to the springs is reached through the Bureau of Land Management's Salmon Field Office, and the springs themselves sit on the Salmon-Challis National Forest.

The BLM directs visitors about 23 miles south of Salmon on U.S. Highway 93. South of the community of Elk Bend, a county-maintained road leads east for 0.3 mile to the trailhead at its end. The first quarter mile of trail crosses private land on a public access easement, and dogs must be leashed on that stretch. Guides list the hike at about 2 miles one way with up to roughly 1,350 feet of elevation gain, most of it in the last half mile. The BLM charges no fee. Under Salmon-Challis National Forest Order 04-13-23-005, camping is prohibited on National Forest land within 500 feet of the springs from March 30, 2023, through March 30, 2028. Guides report that camping is also not allowed at the trailhead or on the easement.

The Forest Service issued the camping order to protect natural resources next to the springs. Elk Bend is the closest community, and Salmon, the seat of Lemhi County, is the nearest town with stores and lodging. Highway 93 follows the Salmon River through the valley between Salmon and Challis.