Montana has more developed hot springs than almost any other state, from a 1900 resort in Paradise Valley to a one-pool plank-floored soak beside a highway in the Madison Valley. Most are walk-in, cost $12 to $34 for a day, and stay open in winter, when a soak after skiing or a day in Yellowstone makes the most sense.
Several things changed in 2026 that older guides miss. Fairmont no longer sells day passes. Quinn's now requires an online booking for every soaker. Chico closed for two months of renovation. Elkhorn reopened for pools only after an August wildfire. And Yellowstone's Boiling River is still closed four years after the 2022 flood. This guide lists the main springs by region with their 2026 prices, temperatures and rules.
Near Yellowstone and Bozeman
Chico Hot Springs, Pray. The classic overnight soak, south of Livingston in Paradise Valley. A miner's diary recorded the spring in 1865 and the hotel opened in 1900; since 2023 it has been owned by DiamondRock Hospitality, which paid $33 million. Two open-air pools average 96°F (large) and 103°F (small), with no added chemicals. Day passes are $14 for adults and children 7 and up, $8 for ages 3–6 and seniors 65+, plus $2.50 for a towel; day guests can soak from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Hotel guests get pool access from 7 a.m. The pools closed for upgrades from March 30 to May 21, 2026.
Yellowstone Hot Springs, Corwin Springs. The nearest legal soak to the park, 8 miles north of the North Entrance at Gardiner. Three pools: 103–105°F, 98–100°F and a 60–65°F cold plunge. Adults (13+) pay $18 for the day with re-entry, children 4–12 $10, seniors 62+ and veterans $15, and you soak free on your birthday. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; closed Mondays. No reservations, no alcohol.
Bozeman Hot Springs, Four Corners. Twelve pools from 57°F to 106°F, plus a steam room and sauna, 8 miles west of Bozeman on US-191. It is the most expensive soak in the state for visitors: $28 for adults on weekdays and $34 at weekends and holidays without a Montana ID, or $21 and $28 with one. Its hours catch out weekend visitors: open Monday to Thursday 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., then closed from sundown Friday until sundown Saturday, reopening Saturday evening until midnight. Pools close when lightning is within 10 miles or it is colder than −10°F. Live music plays Thursdays and Sundays.
Norris Hot Springs ("Water of the Gods"), Norris. One 40 ft by 40 ft pool with a fir-plank floor laid directly over the spring, which flows at 129°F; the pool is kept below 100°F in summer and up to 106°F in winter. It is drained nightly and uses no chemicals. Adults pay $12, seniors and children 12 and under $5. Public hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday to Monday; Wednesday is for private bookings and Tuesday it is closed for cleaning. Outside alcohol is confiscated. It is west of Bozeman, on the road to Ennis and Virginia City.
Helena, Boulder and the south-west
Broadwater Hot Springs, Helena. A modern rebuild on the site of the historic Broadwater on US-12 west of Helena: five hot pools, two cool pools, a sauna, a steam room and a gym. Adults pay $17 Monday to Thursday and $22 Friday to Sunday; a single pass doesn't allow re-entry. Hot tubs are 101–104°F, cold plunges 50–59°F.
Boulder Hot Springs, Boulder. A red-roofed Spanish Mission-style hotel between Butte and Helena, with an outdoor pool of 96–100°F and indoor plunges of 103–106°F. It is the only bathhouse in this guide with a women-only side, which has a hot plunge and a cool one under 70°F. Day use is 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; adults pay $12 on weekdays and $14 at weekends. The site is alcohol-, drug- and smoke-free.
Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, near Anaconda. Older guides describe it as a family water park with a 350 ft waterslide. It no longer sells day passes: only resort and condo guests, members and paying RV-park and chalet guests can use the pools, which the resort blames on staff shortages. A rebuild is half done. Phase 1 opened with tiered adults-only soaking pools at 102–104°F, a family soaking pool and a cold plunge. Phase 2 has no completion date, and the waterslide is closed this autumn while it is built. The indoor pools close November 1–6, 2026 for maintenance. It is between Butte and Anaconda.
Elkhorn Hot Springs, Polaris. Two outdoor pools and rustic cabins in the Pioneer Mountains, 40 miles north-west of Dillon. The Sand Creek Fire burned through nearby Maverick Mountain ski area in August 2026, and crews dropped retardant around the resort. In October it had reopened for pools only, Thursday to Sunday; call 406-834-3551 before driving out, as prices and lodging dates aren't published.
Jackson Hot Springs, Jackson. A log lodge in the Big Hole Valley with one pool at 100–106°F. Adults $12, children $9. Open Thursday to Sunday; closed Monday to Wednesday, December 24–25 and December 29. Children five and under aren't allowed in the pool.
The north-west
Quinn's Hot Springs, Paradise. Seven pools on the Clark Fork River north-west of Missoula, from a 55°F cold plunge to 106°F. Since May 28, 2026, every day soaker must book online, whatever their age: three 4-hour sessions a day (8–12, 12–4, 4–8), $21 Monday to Thursday and $23 Friday to Sunday. There are no walk-ups. Each month opens for booking on the 1st at noon, up to four months ahead. Bring your own towel and no food. Pools are zoned by age, with pool 1 for adults only. Lodge and cabin guests can soak from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Lolo Hot Springs, US-12. On US-12 on the way to Lolo Pass: an outdoor pool of 74–85°F and an indoor hot pool of 103–106°F. Adults pay $16, children 5–12 $13. From 9 p.m. to midnight it is adults-only and clothing-optional. No booking needed.
Hot Springs (the town). A small town in Sanders County with four places to soak, all open year-round. Wild Horse Hot Springs has communal outdoor plunges fed by an artesian well, open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; adults pay $18, with a two-hour limit when it is busy, and cabins (from $95) include unlimited soaking. The art deco Symes Hotel has outdoor pools and private tubs, and Big Medicine has an outdoor pool on the Flathead Reservation. Call ahead: hours and prices change, and not all are published.
Spa Hot Springs, White Sulphur Springs. Three pools of 98–105°F behind a motel on Main Street, open 365 days a year from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Adults pay $16, and motel guests soak free. It is a good stop on US-89 between Livingston and Great Falls.
Yellowstone: no soaking
Before the June 2022 flood, the Boiling River near Gardiner was the one place in Yellowstone where you could legally soak, where a hot spring met the Gardner River. The flood moved the river away from the spring. The National Park Service says swimming there "is not possible", gives no reopening date, and still listed it as closed on September 29, 2026. Soaking in any of the park's hot springs is illegal, both to protect them and because many are near boiling. For a soak near the North Entrance, use Yellowstone Hot Springs or Chico.
Primitive springs
Montana has undeveloped springs, but many are on private or tribal land, and we couldn't confirm legal public access to any of them with an agency source. We don't give directions to them. Several famous "Montana" wild springs, such as Jerry Johnson and Weir Creek, are actually across the border in Idaho.
Safety and rules
- 106°F is the legal maximum for flow-through hot spring pools in Montana.
- Under-5s are kept out of the hottest pools at most venues, citing state rules (Jackson, Lolo, Quinn's).
- Keep your head above water. The CDC advises it in all natural hot water because of the rare brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri, which enters through the nose.
- There are no lifeguards at most springs. Drink water and get out if you feel faint, especially at altitude.
- Leave jewellery behind. Mineral water tarnishes anything that isn't gold.
- Check the day before you drive. Norris closes on Tuesdays, Yellowstone Hot Springs on Mondays, Jackson on Monday to Wednesday, and Bozeman from Friday to Saturday evening.
Which one?
- One night, historic and romantic: Chico.
- After Yellowstone's North Entrance: Yellowstone Hot Springs, then Chico.
- Cheapest good soak: Norris or Boulder, $12.
- After skiing at Big Sky or Bridger: Bozeman Hot Springs, Norris, or Chico.
- Glacier and Missoula trip: Quinn's (book ahead) or Lolo.
- Staying the weekend with a family: Fairmont, as resort guests only.
Details checked October 2026.