The best hot springs near Missoula

At a glance

• Closest: Lolo Hot Springs Pools Resort. Indoor pool hot, outdoor pool warm.
• Over the pass: Jerry Johnson Hot Springs, Weir Creek Hot Springs, and Stanley Hot Springs, the Lochsa hike.
• West: Quinn's Hot Springs Resort, then the town of Hot Springs.
• South: Lost Trail Hot Springs. Sleeping Child is a private gated rental.
• East: Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, Boulder Hot Springs, and Jackson Hot Springs Lodge. Elkhorn Hot Springs has suspended operations. Farther into Idaho: Red River Hot Springs and Horse Creek Hot Springs.

Is there a hot spring in Missoula?

No. The city has no soak. NOAA's nearest hot vent is LOLO HOT SPRINGS, GRANITE SPRINGS, at 111°F. Lolo's pools run cooler than that vent.

Is Lolo the closest soak?

Yes. Lolo Hot Springs Pools Resort is at 38500 U.S. 12, Lolo, about 27 miles in a straight line from downtown Missoula. Temperatures and prices are on the pools page.

The indoor pool runs 104–106°F in summer and 103–105°F in winter, both hot. The outdoor pool runs 78–85°F in summer and 74–78°F in winter, both warm.

Hours are 10 a.m. to midnight Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Adults are $16. Seniors 65 and older, and military, are $14. Ages 5–12 are $13. Children under 5 are admitted at no charge and may not use the indoor hot pool.

Clothing-optional hours are Wednesday and Sunday only, 9 p.m. to midnight, ages 18 and older. The FAQ states that window. The resort and the Lodge at Lolo Hot Springs are separate businesses. The resort has the pools, the RV park, and the bar and restaurant. The lodge is the hotel next door.

What is over Lolo Pass?

U.S. 12 enters Idaho at Lolo Pass and follows the Lochsa on Pacific time. The Lolo Pass Visitor Center posts its hours in Pacific time and is open Thursday through Monday. A Winter Recreation Pass, $5 a day, covers parking there from about December through March. It is not a toll on Highway 12.

Jerry Johnson Hot Springs is about 50 miles in a straight line from downtown Missoula. The Warm Springs Trailhead is at milepost 152 on U.S. 12, open year round, day use only from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., with no overnight camping. NOAA lists the Jerry Johnson Hot Springs vent at 118°F, a hot source. The page lists no soaking fee.

Weir Creek Hot Springs is about 57 miles in a straight line from downtown Missoula. Montana Free Press reported on December 5, 2022, that the forest had closed the springs and the ground around them from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., citing sanitation, resource damage, and nighttime injuries. The alerts page, read on October 15, 2026, does not list a Weir Creek closure, so read the signs at the trailhead. NOAA lists the Weir Creek Hot Springs vent at 117°F, a hot source.

Stanley Hot Springs is about 71 miles in a straight line from downtown Missoula, in Idaho County. The town of Stanley is a different place, far south of here. Start at Wilderness Gateway Campground, milepost 122.5 on U.S. 12, and follow Boulder Creek Trail #211 about 5 miles. NOAA lists the Stanley Hot Springs vent at 120°F, a hot source. Sites are $14 from May 14 through September 30. On the October 2, 2026 update, loops B and C are closed and loop D closes October 31.

What is west on I-90 and MT-135?

Quinn's Hot Springs Resort is at 190 Highway 135, Paradise, about 49 miles in a straight line from downtown Missoula, on paved MT-135. Five flow-through pools run 100–106°F, hot, with a cold plunge at 55°F. Day swimming for guests who are not staying over needs an online reservation. NOAA lists the Quinns Hot Springs vent at 109°F, a hot source (Quinn's).

The town of Hot Springs is about 60 miles in a straight line from downtown Missoula. The plunge page counts four places to soak and says the outdoor pools stay open year-round. NOAA lists the Camas Hot Springs vent at 113°F, a hot source.

The Symes Hot Springs Hotel & Mineral Baths, 209 Wall Street, keeps outdoor pools at 110°F, 106°F, and 103°F, all hot. Hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The large pool is closed Wednesdays. The hotel is open year-round (Symes).

Alameda's Hot Springs, at 308 Spring Street, soaks in private mineral baths inside the suites. The town says there is no outdoor communal pool.

Big Medicine Hot Springs is on North Road, about half a mile east of Spring Street. The outdoor pool is open to the public for a daily fee, and the grounds take campers, tents, and tepees.

Rose's Plunge, just west of Big Medicine, is the town's fourth outdoor pool. Wild Horse Hot Springs, at 175 Camp Aqua Road, is a separate communal outdoor soak and is not one of those four. The site also prints 57808 Hot Springs Drive (Wild Horse).

What is south in the Bitterroot?

Lost Trail Hot Springs is at 283 Lost Trail Hotsprings Road, Sula, about 77 miles in a straight line from downtown Missoula, up U.S. 93. NOAA lists the Gallogly Spring vent at 100°F, a hot source just over body temperature. From early September through the end of June the pools open Friday noon to 9 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. July and August add Thursday noon to 9 p.m., and Friday opens at 8 a.m. Hours can change (resort).

Sleeping Child is about 53 miles in a straight line from downtown Missoula, south of Hamilton. Visit Montana calls it exclusive use of a gated lodge at 2970 Sleeping Child Road, six miles from the nearest neighbor. It is a private rental, not a public soak. NOAA lists the Sleeping Child Hot Springs vent at 122°F, a hot source.

What is east on I-90?

Fairmont Hot Springs Resort is about 80 miles in a straight line from downtown Missoula, three miles off I-90 at Exit 211 between Butte and Anaconda. There is no public day soak. Registered overnight guests at the resort or condos, and pool and golf members, use the pools 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. RV Park and Chalets guests pay a daily fee, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Large pools average 88–94°F (warm). Hot pools average 100–104°F, the adult soak 102–104°F, and the family soak 100–102°F. The cold plunge is about 65°F. NOAA lists the Gregson Hot Springs vent at 158°F, a hot source (pools, directions).

Boulder Hot Springs is at 31 Hot Springs Road, Boulder, about 101 miles in a straight line from downtown Missoula, east toward Helena. Day use is 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The property is alcohol-, drug-, and smoke-free. NOAA lists the Boulder Hot Springs vent at 169°F, a hot source (inn).

Jackson Hot Springs Lodge is at 108 Jardine Avenue, Jackson, about 108 miles in a straight line from downtown Missoula, south in the Big Hole. Thursday the pool runs 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday through Sunday it runs 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Wednesday the pool, restaurant, and lodge are closed. Children under five are not allowed in the hot spring. NOAA lists the Jardine Hot Spring vent at 140°F, a hot source (lodge).

Elkhorn Hot Springs, near Polaris, is about 107 miles in a straight line from downtown Missoula. Operations are suspended because of the Sand Creek Fire, less than a mile from the lodge. NOAA lists the Elkhorn Hot Springs vent at 118°F (elkhornhotsprings.com). Do not plan a soak there. Open soaks toward the park are in Hot springs near Yellowstone.

How much farther into Idaho are Red River and Horse Creek?

Red River Hot Springs is at 3827 Red River Road, Elk City, about 94 miles in a straight line from downtown Missoula. Adults are $20, seniors and veterans $17, children under 12 are $15, and ages 4 and under are free. The pool is not chlorinated. Nudity, glass, smoking, and vaping are banned in the pool area. Open Wednesday through Monday, closed Tuesday. Registered guests may soak from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. NOAA lists the Red River Hot Springs vent at 131°F, a hot source (Red River).

Horse Creek Hot Springs is about 97 miles in a straight line from downtown Missoula. From North Fork, the Forest Service route is 14 miles west on Forest Road 030, 8 miles north on Forest Road 038, and 14 miles northwest on Forest Road 044 and Forest Road 065, at about 6,200 feet. Bring water. The same page mentions restrooms and also says none are available. NOAA lists the Horse Creek Hot Springs vent at 109°F, a hot source. It does not describe a winter road, so do not count on those forest roads in snow (Horse Creek).

Which soaks are free, and which are clothing-optional?

Jerry Johnson's trailhead page and the Horse Creek page print no soaking fee. The 2022 Weir Creek closure sets hours and names no fee. Stanley's page prices the campground and does not price the springs. Lolo, Quinn's, the Symes, Lost Trail, Fairmont, Boulder, Jackson, and Red River charge. Alameda's bath comes with a suite. Big Medicine charges a daily fee. Wild Horse is a private plunge. Sleeping Child is a booked rental. Elkhorn is closed.

Lolo is the only soak in this guide with published clothing-optional hours: Wednesday and Sunday, 9 p.m. to midnight, ages 18 and older. Red River forbids nudity. Read the etiquette guide before that window.

What should you check before a winter drive?

Check MDT 511 on the Montana approach and Idaho 511 for U.S. 12 in Idaho. The visitor center page links an MDT camera at the state line. West of the pass, use Pacific time.

Use Lolo's winter pool bands, Jerry Johnson's 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. rule, and Lost Trail's Friday-through-Sunday hours from early September through June. The 2022 Weir report describes ice and a drop to the creek. Stanley's campground season ends September 30. Fairmont may close outdoor pools on icy decks. Leave Horse Creek for open forest roads. Hot Springs and the Symes keep year-round hours, and the Symes still closes its large pool on Wednesdays.

The Montana hot springs road trip continues to resorts past this radius. The Idaho hot springs road trip is the longer loop after Highway 12.