Montana has 32 hot springs, including 2 free primitive soaks and 30 paid resorts, home to the largest developed hot springs pool complex in the American West (Fairmont) and the only free thermal river soak inside Yellowstone National Park (Boiling River, when open). Montana is the state where you can soak within sight of a glacier, at a working cattle ranch resort, or on the boundary of the Absaroka-Beartooth wilderness. Springs cluster in three regions: the Paradise Valley and Yellowstone corridor (Chico, Boiling River, Bozeman, Norris), the Big Hole and southwestern basins (Jackson, Elkhorn, Fairmont), and northwestern Montana (Quinn's, Symes, Lolo). Flagship sites include Chico Hot Springs, Norris Hot Springs, Jackson Hot Springs, Fairmont, and Boiling River. Montana's thermal activity is driven by the Yellowstone hotspot and Basin & Range extensional faulting through the state's southwest. Surface temperatures typically range 95-135°F. Land ownership is a mix of private resorts, National Forest (Custer Gallatin, Beaverhead-Deerlodge, Bitterroot), National Park (Yellowstone's Boiling River), and state land. Access is largely drive-up. Best season is year-round while several resorts specialize in winter soaking with snow-lined pools. Gateway airports are Bozeman, Missoula, and Billings. Clothing-optional is limited and most sites require swimwear. Reviewed and updated June 2026. Meanwhile, Boiling River status changes.
