Best Hot Springs in the USA: 15 Soaks Worth the Drive

The best hot springs in the United States include Strawberry Park in Steamboat Springs and Glenwood Hot Springs in Colorado, the historic bathhouses of Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, Ojo Caliente in New Mexico, Chena Hot Springs near Fairbanks for soaking under the northern lights, Chico Hot Springs in Montana and the free riverside pools along Idaho’s Payette River. Developed resorts usually charge $15 to $70 for a day soak and often require reservations, while primitive springs on public land are free but need a hike and good judgment. Winter is the most magical time to soak.

Hot springs form where groundwater sinks deep into the earth, gets heated by hot rock, and rises back to the surface through cracks and faults. The western United States, with its young mountains, volcanoes and fault lines, has thousands of them. Idaho alone is often said to have more soakable hot springs than any other state. Native peoples used many of these springs for centuries as places of healing and ceremony, and in the 1800s and early 1900s, entrepreneurs built grand bathhouses and resorts around them, promising cures for everything from arthritis to “nervous disorders.” Modern science is more cautious about the cures, but almost everyone agrees on the benefit of sitting in warm water surrounded by mountains, snow or desert after a long drive or hike.

This list mixes historic bathhouses, family-friendly pools, quiet resorts and wild springs you reach on foot. We’ve included what each costs, when to go and how to get in, plus the etiquette and safety basics that apply everywhere.

• $0–$70Typical day-soak cost, from wild springs to resorts
• 143°FWater temperature as it emerges in Hot Springs, Arkansas
• WinterBest season for soaking in the snow
• Keep your head upNever put your face under natural hot spring water

The best hot springs at a glance

Prices change often and many places charge more on weekends and holidays, so check current rates.

Arkansas: Hot Springs National Park

In the town of Hot Springs, water that fell as rain about 4,000 years ago, according to the National Park Service, emerges from the ground at about 143°F. The federal government set the springs aside as a reservation in 1832, decades before Yellowstone became the first national park, and Hot Springs became a national park in 1921. In the early 1900s, it was one of the most popular spas in America, attracting presidents, gangsters and baseball teams for spring training.

Today, Bathhouse Row is a line of eight grand bathhouses from the early 1900s along Central Avenue. The Fordyce Bathhouse is now the park visitor center, with restored marble tubs, stained glass and steam cabinets. The Buckstaff Bathhouse has offered traditional baths without interruption since 1912, with attendants who guide you through a bath, a sitz tub, a vapor cabinet, hot packs and a needle shower. The Quapaw Baths offer a more modern experience with large thermal pools. You can also fill jugs with hot spring water for free at public fountains around town. Our national parks guide has more on this unusual park.

Colorado: the hot springs capital

Colorado has the best-developed collection of hot springs in the country, and the state promotes a Historic Hot Springs Loop that links several of them.

Strawberry Park Hot Springs, outside Steamboat Springs, has stone-lined pools set in a forested valley where hot water mixes with a cold creek. It is rustic, beautiful and especially magical in winter, when snow piles up around the steaming pools. In winter, the last stretch of road requires four-wheel drive or a shuttle. Reservations are often required, and after dark the pools are adults only and clothing optional.

Glenwood Hot Springs Pool in Glenwood Springs has operated since 1888 and claims one of the largest hot springs pools in the world, more than a city block long. It is a family favorite with slides, a cooler swimming section and a hotter therapy pool. Next door, the more upscale Iron Mountain Hot Springs has dozens of smaller soaking pools overlooking the Colorado River, and the Yampah Vapor Caves are natural steam caves used by the Ute people.

Ouray Hot Springs Pool is a town pool in a spectacular setting, surrounded by the San Juan Mountains in a town nicknamed the “Switzerland of America.” It is inexpensive and great for families.

Pagosa Springs has The Springs Resort, with more than 20 terraced pools of different temperatures above the San Juan River. The resort’s Mother Spring has been measured as one of the deepest geothermal hot springs in the world. Nearby, smaller resorts like Healing Waters offer cheaper soaking.

Other Colorado favorites include Mount Princeton Hot Springs near Buena Vista, where you can sit in creek-side pools under the Collegiate Peaks, and Valley View Hot Springs, a clothing-optional nature preserve with pools on a mountainside. Our Colorado road trip can easily include several of these.

New Mexico: Ojo Caliente and Jemez Springs

Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort, about an hour north of Santa Fe, has been a gathering place for people seeking healing waters for centuries. It is unusual because its pools contain different minerals, including lithia, iron, soda and arsenic waters, each with its own reputed benefits. There is also a mud pool where you cover yourself in clay and let it dry in the sun. Day passes and spa treatments are available, and evenings can be booked separately. It pairs well with our Santa Fe travel guide.

In the Jemez Mountains west of Santa Fe, the village of Jemez Springs has a historic bathhouse and nearby primitive springs in the Santa Fe National Forest.

Alaska: Chena Hot Springs

Chena Hot Springs Resort, about 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks, is famous for soaking in a natural rock lake while the northern lights dance overhead. Fairbanks sits under the auroral oval, and from late August to mid-April, clear dark nights often bring aurora displays. The resort also has an ice museum built of ice sculptures, kept frozen year-round, where you can order a drink in a glass made of ice. The outdoor lake is adults only. Pair it with our northern lights guide and Alaska road trip.

Montana and Wyoming

Chico Hot Springs, in Montana’s Paradise Valley about 35 miles north of Yellowstone’s Gardiner entrance, has operated as a resort since 1900. Its two outdoor pools stay open late, and the historic lodge restaurant is a destination itself. It is a perfect end to a day in the park, especially since soaking in Yellowstone’s own thermal features is illegal and dangerous. The park’s Boiling River swimming area has been closed since floods in 2022. Our Yellowstone itinerary explains how to fit Chico in.

In Wyoming, Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis offers a free soak of about 20 minutes in the State Bath House, a tradition tied to an 1896 agreement with the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes that the springs would remain available to the public. Rainbow-colored terraces of travertine flow down to the Bighorn River nearby. In Saratoga, the free Hobo Pool is open around the clock.

Idaho: wild springs by the river

Idaho has hundreds of hot springs, many of them primitive pools on public land. Along the South Fork of the Payette River near Lowman, Kirkham Hot Springs has small pools and waterfalls of hot water right next to the river and a national forest campground; there is a parking fee, and it is very popular on weekends. Further afield, Goldbug Hot Springs near Salmon requires a hike of about two miles uphill to reach a series of pools between waterfalls. Burgdorf Hot Springs, a rustic resort near McCall with rental cabins, can only be reached by snowmobile in winter.

Wild springs come with responsibility. Pack out everything you bring, don’t use soap, don’t bring glass and expect to share small pools with strangers. Many are clothing optional by custom.

California, Oregon and Utah

Calistoga, at the north end of Napa Valley, is famous for volcanic mud baths, mineral pools and spa resorts, along with a geyser that erupts regularly. It makes an easy add-on to a Napa Valley weekend.

Travertine Hot Springs near Bridgeport, in the Eastern Sierra, has free primitive pools on a ridge with views of the Sierra Nevada. It is a classic stop on a road trip down US-395.

In Oregon, Bagby Hot Springs in the Mount Hood National Forest is reached by a short forest hike, about 1.5 miles each way, and has a historic bathhouse with hollowed-out cedar log tubs. Policies, fees and access have changed over the years, so check the current status. Breitenbush Hot Springs is a retreat center in the forest with natural pools.

In Utah, Homestead Crater in Midway is a 55-foot-tall limestone dome with a hole in the top. Inside, a pool of mineral water at 90 to 96°F fills the crater, and you can swim, snorkel or even scuba dive. Reservations are required.

Back East: Virginia

East of the Mississippi, hot springs are rare. In Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains, the Jefferson Pools in Warm Springs, wooden bathhouses dating to the 1700s and 1800s, were restored and reopened by the nearby Omni Homestead Resort. Thomas Jefferson soaked here, as the name suggests. The water is warm rather than hot, and it is a lovely, historic experience.

Etiquette

• Shower before entering pools at resorts.
• Keep your voice down; most people come to relax.
• Don’t bring glass anywhere near the water.
• Respect clothing rules. Some places require swimsuits; some are clothing optional after dark or always.
• Leave no trace at wild springs. Pack out all trash, including other people’s if you can.
• Don’t dig new pools or move rocks to change water flow at natural springs.
• Don’t stay too long in a crowded pool when others are waiting.

Safety rules everyone should know

Keep your head above water. Warm, untreated natural water can contain Naegleria fowleri, an amoeba that can cause a rare but almost always fatal brain infection if water goes up your nose. Don’t dunk your head or jump into natural hot springs. Treated resort pools are lower risk, but follow posted rules.

Know the temperature. Water above about 104°F can be dangerous for long soaks. Test the water with your hand first, and get out if you feel dizzy, nauseous or overheated. Limit soaks to about 15 to 20 minutes at a time and drink plenty of water. Avoid alcohol, which increases the risk of overheating and dehydration.

Never enter thermal features in national parks. In Yellowstone and other geothermal areas, water can be boiling and highly acidic, and the ground near features can be thin crust over scalding water. People have died after leaving boardwalks.

Be careful in the cold. In winter, walking between pools and changing rooms can be icy. Wear sandals with grip.

Health concerns. Pregnant people and anyone with heart conditions or high blood pressure should talk to a doctor before soaking in hot water.

When to go

Winter is the most magical time for hot springs, when steam rises into cold air and snow surrounds the pools. It is also peak season at many resorts, especially on weekends and holidays. Spring and fall are quieter and good for combining soaks with hiking. Summer is pleasant at higher elevations, but low-elevation springs can be too hot to enjoy, and some desert hot springs, like those near Lake Mead, close in summer because of extreme heat on the trails. Weekdays are always calmer than weekends.

Where to stay

Many hot springs resorts offer lodging, and staying overnight often gives you early-morning or late-night access when the pools are quiet. Chico, Chena, Ojo Caliente, The Springs in Pagosa and Mount Princeton all have on-site rooms or cabins, and Burgdorf has rustic cabins. For wild springs, look for nearby national forest campgrounds. Book ahead for winter weekends. Our guide to cabin getaways includes several near hot springs.

Frequently asked questions

Plan your soak

1. Choose a developed resort or a wild spring based on your comfort and the season.
2. Check reservation rules, prices and age or clothing policies.
3. Pack a swimsuit, sandals, a towel, water and a dry bag.
4. Keep your head above water and limit soaks to 20 minutes.
5. Leave the spring cleaner than you found it.