Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs & Resort
- From $17
- 48–105°F
- 7 hr 3 min from Bozeman
- Walk-in OK
A Hi-Line resort just off US 2, 17 miles east of Malta, that began in the late 1920s as the American Legion Health Resort. A 3,200-ft artesian well feeds a 60 x 80 ft indoor pool (about 92F), a 128 x 60 ft outdoor pool added in 2025 (95-100F), hot tubs and a 48F cold plunge, all non-chlorinated and flow-through. Cabins, suites, an RV park, a steakhouse and a saloon are on site, with Nelson Reservoir across the road.
- Price
- From $17
- Water
- 48–105°F
- Nearest town
- Saco
- From Bozeman
- 7 hr 3 min
- Reservations
- Walk-in OK
Plan your visit
Hours & season
| Hours |
|
|---|---|
| Season | Open year-round |
Tickets & booking
| Price |
|
|---|---|
| Access | Day pass, walk-ins welcome |
| Booking |
|
On site
| Pools | 4 |
|---|---|
| Lodging | Yes |
Not stated by the venue: swimwear, ages, dogs.
Water temperature
Soaking-pool temperatures as published by the venue or land agency; they vary with season and flow.
Mineral profile
Total dissolved minerals
3,770 mg/L
Extremely mineralized · Calcium–sulfate (gypsum-type water)
- pH
- 7
- Temp at source
- 105°F
- Lithium
- 0.34 mg/L
- Fluoride
- 3.3 mg/L
- Boron
- 1 mg/L
- Iron
- 0.44 mg/L
Lab analysis of the source water at a USGS sampling site (0.1 mi from Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs & Resort), sampled 1977 by the USGS and partners (data). Pool water may be cooled, mixed or treated, and spring chemistry is generally stable over decades. We report measurements only; we don't make health claims.
The pools
| Pool | Temp | Setting |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor Main Pool60 x 80 ft. | 92°F | Indoor |
| Indoor Hot Tub | 105°F | Indoor |
| Outdoor Main Pool128 x 60 ft; added 2025. | 95–100°F | Outdoor |
| Outdoor Hot Tubs | 103°F | Outdoor |
| Cold Plunge Poolcold | 48°F | Indoor |
As published by the venue. Temperatures shift with the seasons and the weather.
Facilities
- Non-chlorinated flow-through mineral water
- Main pools fully replaced every 5 hours, hot tubs every 30 minutes
- Changing rooms: yes
- Showers: yes
- Lockers: yes
- Towel rental: yes
- Food on site: yes
- Drinks / bar: yes
- Restrooms: yes
- Sauna: yes
What's here
- 60 x 80 ft indoor mineral pool
- 128 x 60 ft outdoor pool (added 2025)
- indoor and outdoor hot tubs
- 48F cold plunge
- dry sauna
- log and stone cabins and suites
- 31-site RV park
- 54 Prime steakhouse and Buffalo Saloon
Getting there
- From Bozeman7 hr 3 min326 mi
- From Great Falls4 hr 11 min221 mi
- From Great Falls (GTF)4 hr 38 min230 mi
Typical driving time without traffic or snow.
| Elevation | 2,232 ft |
|---|---|
| Road |
|
Things to do near Saco
Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge
Prairie wetland refuge east of Malta with a 15-mile self-guided auto tour around Lake Bowdoin.
Nearby springs
Spa Hot Springs Motel & Tenderfoot Cabins
A motel on Main Street in White Sulphur Springs with three mineral pools: a new outdoor pool at about 103F, an older outdoor pool at 98F and an indoor pool at 105F. All three are drained and cleaned every night and refilled without added chemicals. The motel has 41 rooms and 12 cabins across the street, and guests swim free.
Broadwater Hot Springs & Fitness
Helena's hot springs pool and fitness center on US 12 west of town, on a site used since 1889. A single-use pass covers five hot pools, two cool contrast pools, a sauna, a steam room and the gym, with The Springs Taproom & Grill serving poolside. The pools are lightly chlorinated as the city requires and drained and cleaned weekly.
Bozeman Hot Springs
A large soaking complex 8 miles west of Bozeman on US 191 with 12 indoor and outdoor pools from about 57F to 106F, plus a dry sauna and steam room. The indoor pools are drained nightly without chlorine; the three main outdoor pools are chlorinated. It closes from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown and does not sell or allow alcohol.
Spa Hot Springs Motel & Tenderfoot Cabins: 207 mi · Broadwater Hot Springs & Fitness: 250 mi · Bozeman Hot Springs: 260 mi
Sources (1)
· checked November 2026
Prices, hours and rules are checked against the official site and land-agency pages. Spot something out of date? Let us know.