Camas Hot Springs, Montana: Big Medicine Pool and Soak Guide

Camas Hot Springs at a Glance

Camas is a single outdoor cement pool of about 6 by 15 feet and 3 feet deep, partially covered, in the town of Hot Springs in Sanders County. It functions as a tribal public park rather than a commercial spa, and swimmers wear suits in the water.

That scale defines the visit. You come for a straightforward warm soak, a changing booth and a toilet, not for showers, a snack bar or rental gear, so pack your own towel and water. The flat ground between parking and pool means no hike and no scramble.

Where the Spring Is

The address is North Road, Hot Springs, Montana 59845, a short drive north of the town center. The town sits on the Flathead Indian Reservation and has a population of roughly 550, with basic services including fuel available in town.

Hot Springs is reached by taking Highway 28 west from its junction with Highway 93 near Elmo, on the west shore of Flathead Lake. That puts Camas on a natural north-south route between the Flathead Valley and the Missoula side of the mountains.

Getting There

From Missoula, the drive runs about 75 miles and an hour and 20 minutes via US-93 north and Highway 28 west. From Kalispell, plan roughly an hour and 30 minutes south. The nearest commercial airports are Glacier Park International about 73 miles north and Missoula Montana Airport about 71 miles south.

You drive right up to the site, with parking at the spring and no trail or hike required. The pool area sits on flat terrain, so the approach is a walk from the car rather than a backcountry route.

The Pool

The pool is a primitive outdoor cement basin about 6 feet by 15 feet and 3 feet deep, partially covered, with water maintained around 105 to 107 degrees Fahrenheit. The geothermal source feeding it reaches about 113 degrees, so the water is warmest where it enters.

One older description puts the pool in the 101 to 105 degree range depending on the season. Either way, expect water on the warm end of the soaking range, and test it before you settle in, especially at low-use periods when the pool can heat up.

Fees and Payment

Entry runs on a 5 dollar honor-system fee per visitor, paid in cash at a payment box on site. No card payment is available and no staff are present to make change, so bring exact bills before you arrive.

The cash box is the whole transaction: you drop your money, then soak. Because there is no front desk, plan your group's payment before you pull in rather than after you are wet and dressed down.

What's on Site

Facilities are a changing booth and a toilet, with the pool itself the main event. There is no snack bar, no showers and no rental equipment, so bring towels, drinking water and snacks from town.

Swimwear is required, and the shallow 3-foot depth makes the pool workable for families with children. The flat terrain near the pool is easy walking, though the steam and mineral deposits around a hot pool can leave edges slick.

Camping and Cabins

Three rental cabins and an RV and tent campground sit adjacent to the springs, which turns a soak stop into an overnight base. That layout lets you soak in the evening, sleep nearby and drive on toward Kalispell or Missoula the next morning.

One source describes the site as day use only with camping available and affordable cabins around an outdoor firepit, which is a reminder to sort your sleeping plan before you arrive. Ask about cabin and site availability when you make your booking.

Big Medicine: The Story Behind the Pool

Camas is also called Big Medicine Hot Springs, the name used by the Pend d'Oreille people for a site they had used for centuries. Kootenai, Flathead, Pend d'Oreille and Kalispel peoples inhabited the valley, and Jesuit missionary Pierre-Jean De Smet recorded their use of the springs in 1842.

When the Flathead Reservation was established, Congress set aside a 160-acre reserve around the springs. Bathhouses opened in 1911, a tribe-built facility opened in 1949, closed in 1986, and the tribe restored public park access in 1991, so a soak here sits inside a long institutional history.

Crowds and Timing

The site is open year-round, and Highway 28 is maintained in winter, though mountain driving conditions apply. The soaking park works on an honor system with no formal posted hours and no staff on site, so the timing of your visit is yours to set.

Winter brings a real trade-off: the steam is more atmospheric, but condensation and mineral deposits can leave the pool edge slick, and cold air can freeze it. Move carefully around the perimeter in any season, and especially when temperatures drop.

Safety at the Pool

The source water enters hotter than the pool, so avoid sitting right at the inflow point and test the water before you get in. There is no lifeguard on duty and no staff on site, which means each group manages its own soak.

Keep sessions moderate if you feel overheated or lightheaded, step out to rest, and stay hydrated before and after soaking. Keep your head above the water in untreated geothermal pools rather than submerging it.

Etiquette at the Park

With camping next to the springs, the campground sets the tone: pack out what you bring, keep food and gear tidy, and give other soakers room in a small pool. Anyone camping should follow posted rules and keep pets in the campground area rather than the pool.

Other Soaks in Hot Springs

The town is built around its geothermal water and packs several soaking options within a short distance of Camas, including Symes Hot Springs Hotel, Alameda's Hot Springs and Wild Horse Hot Springs. Rose's Plunge, a walk-in mineral pool with a box for entry, offers another simple in-town soak.

A one-town circuit is the practical move: soak at Camas, then compare it with a hotel spring or a communal plunge pool the same day. Styles vary enough that a single overnight in town covers several very different experiences.

Nearby Road-Trip Combinations

Camas works well as a leg on the Flathead Reservation corridor, with Kalispell and Flathead Lake to the north and Missoula to the south. Fuel and basic services in town make it a sensible pause before the next stretch of highway.

On a longer Montana loop, Quinn's Hot Springs Resort, Montana, near Plains gives you a developed alternative with a very different setting from a small tribal park pool. Pairing the two lets you trade a community soak for a resort evening without leaving the region. If you are building a wider northern Rockies circuit, a look at the hot springs in Wyoming shows similar resort-versus-primitive choices along the way.

If your route swings east through the Jefferson Valley, Renova Hot Springs is another Montana stop to line up on the same trip. Match your plan to how far you want to drive between soaks rather than trying to collect every pool in one day.

Plan Your Soak

Camas rewards planning: pack cash in exact bills for the honor box, bring your own towel and water, and decide in advance whether you are day-tripping or staying in a cabin or campsite. The 3-foot pool and flat approach make it a low-effort stop between Kalispell and Missoula.

Before you drive out, confirm current conditions with the town of Hot Springs or the tribal park, particularly in winter when Highway 28 mountain driving and icy pool edges are the main variables. Then build the rest of your route around the other soaks in town. For every soak in the state, start with our guide to Montana hot springs.