Frenchman's Bend Hot Springs is a set of shallow, rock-walled soaking pools on both banks of Warm Springs Creek in the Sawtooth National Forest, about 11 miles west of Ketchum. The land is managed by the U.S. Forest Service and there is no fee. Older maps and the U.S. Geological Survey list the site as Warfield Hot Springs, but the Forest Service and most locals use the Frenchman's name.

To get there, take Warm Springs Road west out of Ketchum, past the Warm Springs base of Bald Mountain, and keep going. The pavement ends near the Board Ranch area and the last 7 miles or so are a maintained dirt road that most passenger cars can handle in summer. It gets icy in winter and muddy and rutted in spring and fall. The pools sit right beside the road at about 6,400 feet. Parking is limited to a small pullout that holds only a handful of cars, and parking along the road next to the pools has been banned since 1990, so plan on a short walk from wherever you find a spot.

There are three main pools with sand and gravel bottoms. One is on the road side of the creek and is easy to reach. The other two are across Warm Springs Creek, and you have to wade to get to them, which can be cold and slippery. The source water comes out of the ground at around 124°F, and some of the flow on the far hillside has been reported hotter than that. Soaking temperature depends on how much cold creek water mixes in, so it changes with the season and the creek level. The roadside pool often runs only warm, while the pools across the creek can be much hotter. Test the water with a hand before you get in. The water is clear, alkaline and has no sulfur smell.

The Forest Service rules here are strict. The springs are open for day use only, from 4am to 10pm, and camping is not allowed at or near the pools. Swimsuits are required. Alcohol, glass containers, soap and shampoo are all prohibited, and so are pets. These rules came out of a 1990 agreement between the Forest Service and local residents after complaints about nudity, drinking, noise and trash, and the Forest Service chose them over closing the springs. The same agreement added patrols by Forest Service officers and Blaine County sheriff's deputies.

Timing matters here. The dirt section of Warm Springs Road is closed during spring runoff, usually from about mid-March to the end of June, and even when the road is open the pools are often buried under high, cold creek water in late spring. Winter access is unreliable. The drainage is steep and prone to avalanches, and slides near Frenchman's have blocked the road more than once, including a run of large avalanches in December 2022. Most people visit in summer and early fall.

Frenchman's is popular with Wood River Valley locals and fills up fast on summer evenings, weekends and holidays. Going early on a weekday gives you the best chance at a pool to yourself. Because the pools are next to the road there is not much privacy. Share the space, keep the noise down, and remember that people live farther up the canyon. Don't build new pools or move the rock walls, stay on existing paths so the stream banks can recover, and pack out everything you bring, including other people's trash if you can. Elk, moose and deer use the creek bottom, so give wildlife room.