Lost Trail Hot Springs, Montana: Pool, Cabins and Access

Where Lost Trail Hot Springs is

The resort sits at 283 Lost Trail Hotsprings Rd in Sula, Montana, tucked into the Bitterroot National Forest about a quarter mile off Highway 93. The address and forest setting come straight from Lost Trail Hot Springs and the state tourism office, so plug the full street name rather than a town-only search into your maps app. Sula is a small Bitterroot Valley community, and the springs are the nearest developed soak-and-stay base to Lost Trail Pass.

Getting there

From Missoula, the drive runs about 85 miles south on Highway 93, and the resort is roughly 6 miles north of the Idaho line and the Lost Trail Ski Area. Watch for the sign at the base of the pass, then turn off the highway for the short run to the property. Drivers coming from the east can approach from Butte via Highway 43, which makes the springs a practical stop between Yellowstone and Glacier country.

The access road is short, so you are not committing to a forest-road grind or a hike-in approach. That makes it a workable winter stop as well as a summer one, though mountain weather over Lost Trail Pass can change the drive quickly. Plan fuel and food in the Bitterroot Valley towns before the final stretch, since services thin out near the pass.

The pools

The centerpiece is a natural hot spring-fed outdoor pool, paired with a hot tub and a dry sauna. This is a developed soak, not a primitive riverside pool, so you get concrete, decking and a managed facility rather than rock scrambling. Families tend to gravitate to the pool while couples and tired skiers claim the hot tub as the closer-to-the-source option.

Soaking in a developed pool means Lost Trail Hot Springs controls the temperature and water quality, which is the trade-off for losing the wild setting. Keep your head above water in geothermal water, and watch kids around the hot tub, which runs hotter than the main pool. Bring your own towel if you want to avoid renting or buying one, and pack flip-flops for the walk between pool and cabin.

Hours and season

The resort runs year-round on a seasonal schedule, with the pool open on a Friday-through-Sunday core in winter and a longer summer pattern. In July and August the posted hours are Thursday noon to 9pm, Friday and Saturday 8am to 9pm, and Sunday 8am to 7:30pm. From early September through the end of June, hours drop to Friday noon to 9pm, Saturday 8am to 9pm, and Sunday 8am to 7:30pm.

Pool hours and restaurant hours do not match, and the operator notes both can shift around holidays, so a dinner reservation does not guarantee a late soak. Build your evening backward from the pool closing time, then slot dinner in. Call the resort at (406) 821-3574 during business hours if you are driving a long distance to arrive near closing.

Fees and reservations

Lost Trail Hot Springs handles pool access, lodging and dining as separate bookings, so the cleanest plan is to reserve your room first and sort the soak when you arrive. The dining room is only an option during the summer months and ski season, and the resort asks guests to reserve if they hope to eat there. Confirm the current pool fee and towel arrangements with the resort when you book.

Lodging on site

The property sleeps up to 100 guests across cabins and lodges, including a lodge that holds 42, all with electric heat and private bathrooms. Some cabins come with jacuzzi tubs, and some have kitchen supplies, which makes them useful for families or groups staying more than one night. Cabin and lodge buildings date to the mid-1900s, so expect rustic character rather than a modern hotel finish.

A wooded RV park serves travelers carrying their own lodging, with hookups for rigs. Some cabins and the RV park accept pets, but keep pets out of the pool area and check which unit you are booking before you arrive with a dog. The named Sacajawea and Meriwether lodges plus numbered cabins give groups a way to stay near each other rather than scattering across town.

Rules and posted policies

Pool and hot tub policies are set by Lost Trail Hot Springs and posted at the facility, so read the signs at the entrance before you jump in. Typical resort expectations apply here: shower before soaking, supervise children, and follow whatever the resort states about glass, alcohol and lap swimming. If a specific rule matters to your group, ask when you call to book your cabin.

Winter versus summer

Winter here revolves around snow: Lost Trail Powder Mountain downhill skiing and the Chief Joseph cross-country ski trails are both close, and the resort markets itself as the closest lodging to each. A ski day followed by a hot tub soak and a cabin bed is the core winter trip. Check road conditions over Lost Trail Pass before committing to the drive from Missoula or Butte.

Summer shifts the appeal to hiking, fishing, bird watching and wildlife viewing in the Bitterroot National Forest. The longer summer pool hours make an afternoon arrival realistic, and the nearby ridge to the west follows the descent route of the 1805 Lewis and Clark Expedition, with trail access about a mile and a half from the springs. That combination of easy soak and historic hike gives non-skiers a reason to book outside winter.

Crowds and timing

Weekends and ski-season evenings are the busiest stretches, when day-trippers and lodge guests converge on a pool and hot tub that are modest in size. Aim for a weekday opening or the first hour after the gate opens if you want space in the hot tub. Overnight guests have the advantage of soaking after day visitors clear out, so a cabin booking buys you quieter water as much as a bed.

Nearby springs and road trips

Lost Trail works well as one stop on a western Montana hot springs circuit, since Highway 93 runs north through the Bitterroot Valley toward Missoula and a cluster of developed resorts. Quinn's Hot Springs Resort, Montana sits near Paradise along the Clark Fork and pairs a similar soak-and-stay model with river views, making a natural second night. Farther afield, Yellowstone Hot Springs, Montana near Corwin Springs and Bozeman Hot Springs, Montana along Gallatin Road give a northern loop more soaking options. If your route crosses a state line, the hot springs in Wyoming are a short detour south of Montana's border country.

If your trip is built around soaking, start with the broader guide to hot springs in Montana, which maps the developed resorts and the more primitive soaks by region. That overview helps you decide whether Lost Trail is your base or just a night between ski days and longer drives.

Plan Your Soak-and-Stay Night

Book the cabin first, then shape your day around the pool schedule, which runs Thursday through Sunday in July and August and Friday through Sunday from early September through June. Bring a towel, sandals and a warm layer for the walk back to your room, and reserve the dining room if you plan to eat on site in summer or ski season. Call the resort at (406) 821-3574 to lock in your dates and current pool details before you drive the Highway 93 corridor.