From misty forest pools to desert springs bubbling beneath red rock, the United States has no shortage of places where the earth quietly warms the water for you – the challenge is finding the ones you can actually soak in.
Our well-traveled editorial team has done the hard work for you, ranking the best hot spring experiences across the country. Some require a long hike, others come with spa robes and room service, but all offer naturally heated mineral water, open to anyone willing to seek them out.
Click through this gallery to discover the best hot springs in the US...
Rising from the ground like a limestone beehive, this natural crater in Midway, about an hour from Salt Lake City, hides a pool of clear, mineral-rich water that stays around 95°F all year. Deep enough for scuba diving, snorkeling, or simply floating, it offers a rare way to bathe inside the earth itself.
Sunlight filters through an opening in the domed roof, illuminating the warm, echoing space below. Visits are by timed reservation through the Homestead Resort, which provides changing rooms and life jackets. It’s an unusual, magical geothermal experience.
One of the oldest health resorts in the country, Ojo Caliente combines natural desert beauty with a spa-like atmosphere. Set among sandstone cliffs and adobe buildings north of Santa Fe, it’s one of the few places in the world where four distinct types of mineral water emerge in one location, each believed to offer different health benefits.
Pools vary from gentle warmth to 105°F, with options for private soaking or overnight stays in rustic rooms and suites. Children under 13 aren’t permitted, and silence is encouraged in most areas to preserve the serenity.
Tucked into the Salmon-Challis National Forest, Goldbug feels like a hidden gem. It’s a 3.5-mile hike each way, with big-sky views unfolding as you climb. At the top, steaming pools spill over rocky ledges, overlooking sagebrush valleys and distant mountain ridges.
The springs are entirely natural and free to access, with pools ranging from warm to almost too hot to sit in. There are no facilities, so you’ll need to pack in water, snacks, and layers. Camping is allowed below the springs, and this spot is best visited outside peak summer heat.
Just north of Yellowstone National Park, Chico Hot Springs combines Western charm with mineral-rich waters. Established in 1900, the resort features two open-air pools: a large, warm swimming pool and a smaller, hotter soaking pool.
The historic lodge offers cozy rooms, dining, a saloon, and even horseback rides and yoga sessions. Day visitors are welcome for a small fee, though staying overnight allows early-morning and late-evening use when it’s quieter.
Overlooking the Colorado River, Iron Mountain offers a polished but peaceful soak. A whopping 31 mineral pools sit at varying temperatures, with views across Glenwood Canyon and occasional trains passing below.
Facilities include changing rooms, a café, and a 21+ area featuring its own café with an expanded drinks list. Families are welcome, though children are best directed to the freshwater family pool. It’s ideal for those who want well-kept surroundings without sacrificing a natural setting.
About 60 miles from Fairbanks, Chena offers the surreal pleasure of soaking in steaming water while snow surrounds the rocky pool edges. The outdoor lake-like pool is open year-round, even in temperatures below -22°F.
It’s part of a larger resort with cabins, an ice museum, and Northern Lights viewing in winter. Day passes are available, and the road is accessible year-round, though winter driving conditions can be severe. Go after dark for the chance to see the aurora while you soak.
Deep in the Willamette National Forest, Terwilliger offers a sequence of terraced stone pools surrounded by mossy trees and constant birdsong. The water flows hottest at the top, cooling slightly as it descends through each pool.
Clothing is optional, and facilities include a vault toilet, wooden shelter, and a short trail from the parking lot. A day-use fee is required, payable at the trailhead or with a recreation pass. Go early to avoid crowds and be mindful that the site occasionally closes due to forest fires or flooding.
Set beside the Clark Fork River, Quinn’s combines mountain scenery with comfortable facilities. Five mineral pools range from 100°F to 106°F, with river and canyon views. A lodge, cabins, a saloon, and a restaurant form part of the complex, and overnight guests can access pools from early morning to late evening.
Day use is available but must be booked in advance, with timed sessions to control numbers. The resort is especially cozy in winter, when snow dusts the pine-covered hills.
Kirkham is one of Idaho’s most accessible wild springs. From the roadside parking lot, a short path leads to steaming pools carved into the rocks beside the South Fork of the Payette River.
Small waterfalls of hot water pour from the cliffs, allowing you to adjust temperatures by mixing river water with spring flow. There are basic toilets and a small day-use fee is required. It can get crowded in summer and at weekends, but winter visits offer peaceful, misty mornings.
Tucked into a meadow ringed by pine forest, this 19th-century log-built resort has barely changed, and that’s precisely its appeal. The main spring-fed pool stays pleasantly warm, with smaller, covered pools offering hotter water for those who like a stronger soak. In winter, snow gathers around the wooden edges, steam rising into the cold air and giving the whole place a quiet, timeless atmosphere.
Simple cabins without electricity can be booked year-round, and reservations are essential. In snowy months, you’ll need to arrive by snowmobile or cross-country ski. Facilities are basic, but the experience feels wonderfully genuine.
Set in the Sonoran Desert, north of Phoenix, Castle Hot Springs is one of the most luxurious places in the US to bathe in geothermal water. The springs have been used for centuries and now feed three emerald-blue soaking pools framed by palm trees and jagged mountains.
The resort is adults-only and exclusively open to overnight guests, with cabins and bungalows rather than day passes. Stays include unlimited soaking, meals, and guided activities like hiking and e-bike tours. Remote, but utterly restorative.
One of the largest mineral hot spring pools in the world, Glenwood has drawn visitors since 1888. The main pool is more like a warm lake, stretching over 400 feet, and also features a separate therapy pool. The resort includes a lodge, spa, and water slides in summer, and while day passes are available, staying on-site grants early access.
Located in the town of Glenwood Springs, it’s easily reached by car or train, and is family-friendly and fully developed, so don’t expect solitude, but rather comfort and accessibility.
In the small town of Thermopolis, this state park is home to the world’s largest mineral hot spring. Visitors can soak for free at the State Bath House, where geothermal water flows at 135°F. The indoor and outdoor pools overlook colorful travertine terraces formed by mineral deposits.
There are also privately run bathhouses and spa-style pools nearby for those wanting more privacy or amenities. The terraces, bison herd, and walking trails add to the appeal.
Out on the wide-open plains of central Nevada, Spencer Hot Springs delivers that true wild-soak experience with big skies and not much else. A handful of rustic pools and old cattle troughs are fed by geothermal water, with temperatures you can adjust using simple valves.
The springs sit on Bureau of Land Management land, so soaking is free and no booking is needed. There are no facilities, only desert, sagebrush, and views of the Toquima Range in the distance.
Home to the world’s deepest geothermal hot spring, Pagosa Springs offers both wild and resort-style soaking options along the San Juan River. The Springs Resort (pictured) is the most established, featuring over 50 pools, many with river views.
Day passes are available, and guests staying overnight get 24-hour access. Across the river, free public pools offer a more natural experience, though temperatures vary and conditions can change after heavy rain.
Hidden in the forest outside Steamboat Springs, Strawberry Park features rustic stone pools with mountain scenery. The pools, ranging in temperature from cool to very hot, sit beside a fast-flowing creek, and the site is only reachable via a steep dirt road – making four-wheel drive or shuttle transport mandatory in winter.
There are cabins and campsites nearby, but limited electricity and no food services. Children are welcome during the day – after dark, clothing is optional and the atmosphere quiet.
At nearly 11,500 feet in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, this is one of the highest natural hot springs in North America. Reaching it requires an 8.5-mile hike each way, crossing streams and gaining serious elevation, so it’s best for experienced hikers. The reward is a crystal-clear pool with views of alpine meadows and dramatic peaks.
Camping permits must be booked in advance, and numbers are limited to protect the fragile environment. No amenities exist, and temperatures can drop below freezing at night, even in summer. Leave no trace rules are strictly enforced.
Fifth Water features milky-blue pools, small waterfalls, and rising steam set in a red-rock canyon. The 2.5-mile hike through forest and along the river leads to a series of terraced soaking pools, each naturally fed and varying in temperature.
The water color comes from minerals, particularly striking in winter with snow on the ground. There are no facilities, so it’s entirely pack-in, pack-out – and free to visit.
Known for its rust-colored bathtubs set into a hillside overlooking the Sevier Valley, Mystic Hot Springs is a quirky mix of frontier history and bohemian art. The water rises from the earth at around 165°F, then cools slightly before spilling into the tubs and natural basins, where minerals form sculptural, otherworldly crusts around the edges.
The atmosphere is relaxed and lived-in rather than refined, with cabins, tipis, and converted buses available for those staying overnight, and occasional live music events. Day visitors are welcome with advance booking.
Perched above the North Umpqua River in the Cascade Range, this is one of the most scenic hot springs in the country. A short but steep walk leads to a series of travertine pools, each slightly cooler as they cascade down the hill.
Wooden shelters protect some pools from rain and snow, and the raised view of the river below adds to the tranquillity. A small day-use fee applies, facilities are minimal, and the road can be inaccessible in heavy snow. Best visited early morning or off-season for quieter soaking.
Just outside Bridgeport in the Eastern Sierra, Travertine is a collection of rustic pools overlooking snow-capped mountains and high desert –and bags the top spot on this list. The springs are free to access, down a rough dirt road that can become impassable in winter.
Natural rock basins have been enhanced with stonework and pipes to help regulate temperature, and clothing is optional, but the site has no facilities, so come prepared to pack out garbage and avoid peak hours. Sunrise and sunset soaks are especially scenic.