HOT SPRINGS GUIDES — UPDATED FOR 2026
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State-by-state guides to natural soaks and developed hot springs pools in the American West, with access, fees and rules sourced to land managers and operators.
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Northern Rockies · Idaho
Hot Springs in Idaho: A Soak-by-Soak Guide to the Best Pools
Idaho packs roadside rock pools, a hot waterfall, riverside tubs and developed resorts into one drivable corridor. This guide sorts the Sawtooth-area springs by access, fees, camping and the river levels that decide whether a soak works.
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Pacific Northwest · Oregon
Hot Springs in Oregon: A Soaker's Guide to the Best Pools
Oregon's best-known soaks divide cleanly into two trips: the travertine terraces above the North Umpqua River deep in the Cascades, and the hand-built cedar tubs a short climb into Mt. Hood National Forest. This guide compares effort, pool style, fees, camping, and timing so you can pick the right one.
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Northern Rockies · Montana
Hot Springs in Montana: Where to Soak and Stay
Montana soaking runs on mountain lodges and small-town bathhouses rather than backcountry pools. This regional guide sorts the state's springs by drive corridor, notes published pool temperatures like Quinn's 100 to 106 degree natural pools, and pairs each cluster with camping, lodging and a sensible road-trip loop.
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Desert Southwest · New Mexico
Hot Springs in New Mexico: Which 12 Soaks to Choose
New Mexico splits its soaking into two very different trips: bathhouse tubs along the Rio Grande in Truth or Consequences, and hike-in pools in the Jemez Mountains and the Gila Wilderness. This guide sorts the resorts, the village bathhouses, and the wild soaks by what each one asks of you.
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Great Basin · Utah
Hot Springs in Utah: Developed Resorts and Wild Soaks
Utah spreads more than a hundred warm springs across its western half, and the right one depends on whether you want a lifeguarded pool with a sauna or a gravel-road soak under a desert cliff. This guide groups the state's best-known springs by trip style and region, with the access, temperatures and booking details that decide a visit.
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Northern Rockies · Wyoming
Hot Springs in Wyoming: Where to Soak in Thermopolis
Wyoming puts its hot springs in three plan-able clusters: the travertine terraces and bathhouses of Thermopolis, the mountain and riverside pools around Jackson and Teton country, and the North Platte soaks at Saratoga. This guide separates the pools you can walk into from the ones that need a snowmobile, a reservation or a resort booking.
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Desert Southwest2 guides
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Northern Rockies3 guides
NOTES FOR YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE
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GUIDE / Oct 18, 2026
Hobo Hot Springs, Wyoming: Saratoga's 24-Hour Hot Pool
Hobo Hot Springs puts a sand-floored public hot pool behind Saratoga's municipal pool, with water running from about 106°F to 119°F and the North Platte River a few steps away for cooling off. It suits late arrivals, early departures, and anyone who wants a soak without booking a room.
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GUIDE / Oct 17, 2026
Carson Hot Springs, WA: Bathhouse, Pools, Fees and Day Use
Carson Hot Springs in Washington pairs a 1901 resort hotel with a 1923 bathhouse, private mineral tubs, a communal therapy pool and a cold plunge. Here is how the two soaking options differ, what day use costs, and how to fit a soak into a Columbia Gorge road trip.
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GUIDE / Oct 16, 2026
Mystic Hot Springs, Utah: Bathtubs, Pools and Trip Planning
Mystic Hot Springs above Monroe, Utah, is a hillside of cast-iron bathtubs and mineral pools fed by a 168°F source. Here is how the soak works, where to camp, and how to pair it with Red Hill and a southern Utah road trip.
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