Worswick Hot Springs is a free, primitive soaking area on the Fairfield Ranger District of the Sawtooth National Forest in Camas County, Idaho. Hot water comes out of a sagebrush and timber hillside above Worswick Creek at roughly 5,600 feet and runs downhill through a string of soaking pools before it reaches Little Smoky Creek. The site sits on public Forest Service land. There is no fee, no permit, no attendant and no reservation system.

From Fairfield on US 20, head north on Soldier Creek Road (FR 094) toward Soldier Mountain. The road climbs over Couch Summit and drops into the Little Smoky Creek drainage near Five Points and Little Smoky campgrounds. Turn northeast onto FR 227 and follow Little Smoky Creek upstream for about two miles to the short FR 465 spur, where a dirt parking area with a pit toilet sits at the base of the springs. Plan on about 20 miles and an hour from Fairfield. The roads are gravel and dirt, bumpy in places, and fine for most passenger cars in dry summer conditions. There is no cell service out here.

The springs are a spread of more than ten pools built by visitors with logs and rocks, most with sand, gravel or rock bottoms. A large log-dammed pool and several smaller rock rings sit on the hillside, and a culvert pool lies just below the road with more soaking spots along the hot creek downstream. Each pool mixes hot source water with runoff or creek water, so temperatures change from pool to pool and from season to season. The lower pools near the parking area usually run about 90 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes them the easiest choice for groups and families. Temperatures climb as you walk uphill.

The source water is around 140 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to scald. Pools close to the vents can be far too hot for a soak, so test every pool with a hand before getting in and keep a close eye on children and dogs. Early in the season, when snowmelt pours through, the lower pools can be too cool to enjoy and only the hottest upper pools feel warm. Elk and deer use the hillside, and the uppermost source pool has been found fouled by animals, so look before you climb in.

Access is seasonal. The forest roads are not plowed and are generally closed by snow from about October or November until the snow melts in May or June, and the route becomes a snowmobile trail in winter with real avalanche exposure. Most visitors come between late June and October, and late summer and early fall bring the most comfortable pool temperatures and steamy mornings. Wildfire and prescribed burn closures happen on the Fairfield Ranger District in late summer and fall, so check current Sawtooth National Forest alerts before driving up.

There is no campground at the pools themselves, though people often park overnight in the dirt lot. Five Points Campground, a free seven-site primitive campground about 17 miles north of Fairfield, is a short drive away and has toilets but no drinking water. Little Smoky, Carrie Creek, Pioneer and Narrows campgrounds are also nearby, and dispersed camping is allowed on the national forest. Camp at least 200 feet from water and use existing fire rings.

Clothing is optional here and nudity is common, so expect to share the pools with people soaking without swimsuits. Keep soap and shampoo out of the water, including biodegradable kinds, and rinse off away from the pools. Pack out every piece of trash, leave glass at home, and do not dig new pools or move rocks in ways that muddy the creek. The Forest Service has flagged soil compaction and trampled vegetation around the springs as a problem, so stay on established paths and park only in the lot.