Ultimate Guide to the Best Montana Hot Springs Experiences
Montana is home to over 50 hot springs and visitors flock to the area in droves to enjoy the experience and a relaxing soak in a majestic mountain setting.
With so many hot springs to choose from throughout the state of Montana, there’s bound to be one that suits your needs perfectly. This list of 12 tranquil and gorgeous hot springs in Montana will help you choose your next relaxing adventure with rugged natural scenery as your backdrop.
Bozeman Hot Springs
One of the most popular hot springs in Montana is Bozeman Hot Springs. It offers guests 12 pools ranging in temperature from 57 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit. The pools feature sodium, silica, bicarbonate, carbonate, chloride, and sulfate minerals, while the outdoor pools also are chlorinated.
These mineral spring locations aren’t just some pools out in the middle of nature; instead a whole complex has been built around these blissful pools with rock structures and waterfalls. You’ll feel like you’re at a spa resort as you float around in the water. There’s even live music outdoors during the summer on Thursdays and Sundays.
With both indoor and outdoor springs, lockers, a steam room, and a sauna, plus an onsite gym, Bozeman Hot Springs is an ideal family destination. My kids are obsessed with this place and it’s where they always want to go when we visit my sister in Bozeman.
Tip: The lockers only take quarters. You can ask them to add 50 cents to your total admission price if paying by credit card and they’ll ad it to your total and give you back the quarters.
Bozeman Hot Springs is located on the western edge of Bozeman, about 15 minutes from downtown Bozeman, making it easily one of the best things to do in Bozeman. Bozeman Hot Springs also an easy getaway from Big Sky.
Bozeman Hot Springs is a fun place to stay in Bozeman. It can serve as its own base, too, with campsites for RVs and cabins available to rent. Guests staying overnight can enjoy a nightly campfire, live music on the weekends and complimentary breakfasts.
Bozeman Hot Springs is a no-alcohol facility, though there are some snacks and ice cream available for purchase. It also has some abnormal opening hours so double check before arriving. For example, on Fridays it closes at sundown (when typically it’s open until 11pm or 12am) and doesn’t open until sundown on Saturdays. Their calendar has more specific times.
Read our full review of Bozeman Hot Springs here.
Yellowstone Hot Springs
Yellowstone Hot Springs is one of the newer facilities in Montana, and it has quickly become a favorite with both locals and visitors. Located in Paradise Valley less than an hour north of Yellowstone National Park, this hot springs resort has an enviable location.
The three pools at Yellowstone Hot Springs are flow-through, meaning fresh water is always coming into the pools. The hottest pool is 104 degrees F while a cold plunge pool hovers between 60 to 65 degrees. The main pool is kept around a pleasant 102 degrees.
A campground is onsite with RV hookups. Cabins are available to rent for a pretty amazing price for the area. These are newly opened in 2024 and I predict they will start booking up extremely quickly once more people catch on they exist!
Those looking to use Yellowstone Hot Springs as their base to explore Paradise Valley and Yellowstone National Park might prefer the more upscale apartment-style suites that have kitchens and more living space.
Chico Hot Springs
Chico Hot Springs Resort and Day Spa is a year-round hot spring destination in Pray, Montana, located right in the heart of the beautiful Paradise Valley roughly halfway between Livingston and the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park. It is a popular resort with both visitors and locals, and offers fine dining, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, river rafting, and (of course!) a massive hot spring pool to soak in.
The pool area is divided into two parts, one of which is covered and slightly hotter. Access to the pool at Chico Hot Springs is free of charge to those staying at the resort and are also accessible for travelers passing through who just want a day pass. From the pool area you can order drinks and food through a window that opens up to the adjacent tavern.
The history of Chico Hot Springs goes back to 1900 when it was just a boarding house that catered to gold miners who would visit the springs after the hard, grimy work of mining.
Read all about my romantic stay at Chico Hot Springs here.
Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort
Located in Paradise, MT, this resort truly does feel like paradise when you’re soaking in the thermal pools while gazing at nature and mountain peaks surrounding you. The pools at Quinn’s Hot Springs recently went under a major renovation and they are amazing now. The six pools are set up as terraces gently stacking their way down to the large main pool.
This is a family-friendly resort, but each pool has age requirements so adults can relax in the 18+ hotter pools at the top while kids splash around in the main pool.
We stayed in one of the family cabins and loved how spacious it was and close walk to the hot springs.
Quinn’s also has adult-only lodges located by the river across the rural highway, still within an easy walk from the pools or there’s a large parking area for day trippers. Day passes are offered in morning or afternoon time allotments and can sell out quickly (as do the cabins and lodges) so reserve early.
Alcohol is permitted at this pool, but you need to get it from the onsite bar, which is attached to the tavern. There is also an upscale restaurant that we had a delicious meal at. Quinn’s is also one of the closest hot springs resorts you’ll find to Glacier National Park, at just a little over two hours drive away.
Read all about our stay at Quinn’s Hot Springs here.
Lolo Hot Springs Resort
A fun family-friendly hot spring in Montana is located in the Lolo National Forest. Lolo Hot Springs is about a half-hour from Missoula and offers hiking, fishing, and crystal mining. With a mix of 80 tent camping and RV sites, it is the perfect family vacation destination. The natural mineral hot springs pools are a huge draw, of course, but the camping, fishing, hiking and snowmobiling trails also bring families from all over.
But back to those hot springs. At the Lolo Hot Springs Resort, you’ll find both an indoor and outdoor mineral pool. They range in temperature from 102 to 106 degrees and are available to use year-round.
Elkhorn Hotsprings
Elkhorn Hotsprings is a lodging facility in southwest Montana, located in the Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest near Polaris, Montana. The year-round hot springs are on a resort property that offers two pools, a Grecian sauna, a fitness center, and an onsite restaurant.
You’ll relax in the pools, which range from 92 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit, while surrounded by towering pine trees and mountain scenery.
Elkhorn Hot Springs are the perfect place to head after a day skiing, which many people do at nearby Maverick Mountain, a ski resort that offers both downhill and cross-country skiing as well as snowmobiling.
Day passes are available for the Elkhorn Hotsprings. If you choose to stay at one of the cabins or at the lodge, you’ll have access to unlimited hot springs soaking throughout the length of your stay.Â
Norris Hot Springs
Norris Hot Springs is an affordable option for those looking for a relaxed vibe in the Madison River Valley. With temperatures that can get up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, the hot mineral springs provide a year-round respite from a long day’s hike.
One unique component to the hot springs pool is the original gate valve that dates back to the late 1800s. Installed by miners, it speaks of the rich history of the region.
This eco-friendly site is a popular venue for music festivals, too, with limited RV and tent camping.
Boulder Inn and Bed & Breakfast
Boulder Hot Springs Inn is a bed & breakfast historic inn that is on the national registrar of historic sites. Boulder Hot Springs Inn is also home to a number of geothermal experiences.
The property has an outdoor mineral pool, indoor mineral plunge pools, and mineral steam rooms.
Boulder Hot Springs Inn puts an emphasis on organic food and healthy living. Because of this, no alcohol or smoking is permitted onsite.
The resort also has adjacent hiking trails, wildlife, and nature viewing as well as a spa facility offering massages and other spa treatments. Boulder hot springs is the perfect location for a couples getaway, family reunion, or wedding party. Guests wishing to soak in the pools also may do so by purchasing a day pass.
Fairmont Hot Springs Resort
A popular family vacation destination, Fairmont Hot Springs Resort is a hit with families thanks to a massive, swirling waterslide that ends in the outdoor Olympic-sized swimming pool. There are also two tranquil soaking tubs while the indoor swimming pool is ideal for inclement weather.
While this is a great resort for families with children thanks to the water features and other organized children’s activities, the an onsite spa, golf course, and delicious restaurants and bars make it ideal for all ages.
Also, some guests may appreciate that the hot springs here do not have the typical sulfur smell. Fairmont Hot Springs contains minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium vs. sulfur, making them less strong-smelling than their counterparts.
Symes Hot Springs
Located in the foothills of the Cabinet Mountains just a few miles from Missoula, Montana, Symes Hot Springs Hotel has three mineral pools on site. The 31-room hotel and 15 nearby cabins and apartments allow guests access to all three spring-fed pools. Day passes are also available.
Massages can be booked at the day spa and guests can enjoy hiking trails and activities in town. These hot springs were even mentioned in the book Healing Springs: the Ultimate Guide to Taking the Waters. Â
Spa Hot Springs MotelÂ
White Sulphur Springs is home to Spa Hot Springs Motel. Unassuming accommodations provide a relaxing, understated environment. Guests are able to simply enjoy nature and the two outdoor mineral pools while the indoor pool is perfect in winter. The outdoor pools are framed by beautifully painted murals.
Spa Hot Springs Motel is a budget-friendly lodging for travelers seeking a no-fuss, peaceful hot springs experience.
Pipestone Village and Hot Springs
This is a unique hot spring getaway in Montana. Instead of one large pool, each accommodation unit has its own private vintage-style hot tub or outdoor bathtub with privacy fence. The units range from glamping domes to cabins while the tubs are filled using the thermal waters found right on the property.
Pipestone Hot Springs is run by a local couple who are excited to offer an authentic Montana hot spring experience where you are roughing it in nature without really having to rough it! This is also a pet-friendly hot springs resort, if you stay in the cabins.
Enjoy the Therapeutic Qualities of Montana’s Hot Springs
For years, Montana hot springs have been utilized for healing and pain relief. Native Americans, miners, and early homesteaders in Montana used the springs as a welcomed respite from difficult physical work. Today, visitors from all over the world come to the hot springs to experience their healing powers and relish in the beauty of Big Sky Country — and now you can, too, at one of these best hot springs in Montana. Include one (or several!) in your Montana trip itinerary for a relaxing break in your Big Sky explorations.
