Like many of the state’s attractions, Wyoming’s hot springs have a long history. Many American Indian tribes believed the hot springs possessed healing powers, while settlers stopped at the naturally heated pools to soak their weary feet during their travels westward. Today’s visitors flock to soaking spots throughout the state to relax, recharge and admire the surrounding scenery.
Open year-round, these steamy attractions are especially fun in chilly weather, when swirling snowflakes make the warm waters even more enchanting. Experience the wonder for yourself at one of these popular Wyoming hot springs.
Free indoor and outdoor soaking pools attract visitors to Hot Springs State Park’s State Bathhouse, which also offers private, clothing-optional tubs. Star Plunge, featuring two large mineral pools and multiple water slides, is popular with families. Other attractions in the state park include the swinging bridge across the Bighorn River and the frequently photographed Teepee Fountain, an otherworldly mound of rock shaped by the flow of mineral-rich groundwater.
Don’t miss: About 25 resident bison roam the grounds of Hot Springs State Park year-round, and 10 to 15 calves join the herd during the spring. In the winter and fall months, visitors can witness the morning feeding of the bison. Check the Wyoming State Park’s website for details
2. Hobo Pool
Free and open around the clock, Hobo Pool has two natural pools (one is aptly named the Not So Hot Pool) adjacent to the Platte River. The site, located near Saratoga’s municipal pool, is a great place to interact with locals.
Don’t miss: Walk down the small hill behind the Not So Hot Pool to wade into the Platte River, where warm agua from the springs meets the flowing river.
Saratoga Resort & Spa has a 70-foot outdoor hot springs pool and five smaller, teepee-covered soaking pools — the perfect respite after a long day of cross-country skiing and snowboarding on trails in the Snowy Range and the Sierra Madre Mountains.
Don’t Miss: Book an appointment at Healing Waters Spa, housed in its original 1902 spa building. The Couples Retreat treatment for two includes a soak in one of Saratoga Resort’s teepee-covered pools, wine and appetizers, and a massage.
Granite Hot Springs, tucked above Granite Creek Falls south of Jackson, features a waterfall-fed, 104-degree soaking pool and a man-made swimming pool. While the pools close at the end of October, the site reopens for winter soaking in December and can only be accessed by snowmobile, skies or snowshoes. Find snowmobiling guides near Jackson
Don’t Miss: The journey to Granite Hot Springs is particularly exhilarating via dog sled. Jackson Hole’s Iditarod Sled Dog Tours offers half- and full-day excursions to the area.
5. Boiling River Hot Springs
Discover a lesser-known swimming locale in Yellowstone’s Mammoth Hot Springs area. Follow large clouds of steam to the Gardner River where Boiling River Hot Springs enters the cold river, and wade in slowly to find the perfect soaking temperature.
Don’t Miss: Use boardwalks to stroll along Mammoth Hot Springs’ fascinating geothermal terrace system, which discharges about 500 gallons of hot water per minute — a super-steamy sight in the winter.
Learn more about Wyoming’s hot springs
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