Hot springs & thermal pools
Find the water worth the drive.
Prices, pool temperatures, clothing rules and booking details, checked against each venue’s official sources.
309 springs & pools166 with day passes89 free
Editor's soaks
A starting list across every type, from riverside stone pools to a backcountry spring at 11,200 feet.
Conundrum Hot Springs
High-elevation backcountry pools in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, about 8.5 miles one way from the Conundrum Creek trailhead near Aspen. Camping anywhere in the zone requires an advance Recreation.gov permit and use of your reserved site, and dogs are not allowed. Bear canisters are mandatory overnight, and the Forest Service asks visitors to pack out human waste.
Homestead Crater
A geothermal spring inside a beehive-shaped limestone dome on the Homestead Resort grounds in Midway, entered through a ground-level tunnel. The water is about 90-96°F and roughly 65 feet deep, so life vests are required for everyone except certified divers. Soaks are sold in one-hour slots with about 40 minutes in the water.
Buckstaff Bathhouse
A traditional bathhouse on Bathhouse Row that has offered baths continuously since 1912, with thermal water piped in from the park's springs. The classic package moves guests through a private whirlpool tub, sitz tub, steam cabinet and hot packs, with an optional short massage. Baths are walk-in only, and men and women are served on separate floors.
Chena Hot Springs Resort
A year-round resort at the end of Chena Hot Springs Road northeast of Fairbanks, built around an outdoor hot springs lake of about 106°F that is open only to guests 18 and over. The Pool House also has an indoor family pool and indoor and outdoor hot tubs, and day passes need no hotel stay. The resort has lodge rooms, cabins, summer camping and the Aurora Ice Museum.
Riverbend Hot Springs
A hot springs inn on the Rio Grande in Truth or Consequences with eight common pools of 95-107°F on a shaded river deck, and seven private pools rented in 50-minute sessions. Both the hourly Property Pass and private soaks are booked in advance, and guests must be 12 or older. The largest common pool, Sierra, has an ADA pool lift.
Scenic Hot Springs
Privately owned, minimally developed hot springs in the Cascades about 10 miles east of Skykomish, reached by a steep 2-mile trail with 1,100 feet of gain. Visits are by advance reservation only, in daylight, and the two natural stone pools are unchlorinated and clothing optional. The two springs that feed them measure about 111-114°F and 118-122°F at the source.
Where to soak
Verified one region at a time, starting with the American West.
Guides
Built from the same verified listings, so prices and closures stay current.
Ranked by lab-measured dissolved minerals in the source water, from USGS and state samples. Includes water type, lithium and silica.
Read the guideLithium Hot Springs in the US, Ranked by Lab ValuesHot springs whose source water tested highest for lithium, ranked from USGS and state lab samples.
Read the guideThe Hottest Hot Springs You Can Soak In (US)Soaking pools ranked by the hottest water temperature the venue or land agency publishes. Scalding source vents are not included.
Read the guideThe Highest-Elevation Hot Springs in the USHot springs ranked by elevation, from alpine wilderness pools to mountain-town resorts.
Read the guideFree Hot Springs You Can Drive To (No Hike)No-fee, officially published hot springs with no hike, ordered by the shortest drive from a major city.
Read the guideThe Best Hot Springs in ColoradoOur picks by what you want from a soak: iconic resorts, chemical-free pools, clothing-optional, families, wild springs, day trips from Denver and weekends away.
Read the guideThe Best Hot Springs to Visit in WinterSnowmobile-only pools, snowy mountain soaks you can drive to, Alaska in deep cold and desert springs whose season is winter, with the winter road rules for each.
Read the guideThe Colorado Historic Hot Springs LoopThe state’s official hot springs road trip, stop by stop: every member facility, drive times between towns, a 7-day itinerary and where to stay.
Read the guideHot springs near major cities
Closest soaks to the cities people search from most.