On our recent trip we stopped at several hot springs of the West. Each site was special in its own way.
Hot springs occur when geothermally heated groundwater emerges onto the earth’s surface. In areas like Yellowstone National Park, magma is present at shallow depths below the surface. Temperatures in Yellowstone’s hot springs may reach 198 degrees Fahrenheit. At the developed hot springs of the West we visited on this trip, pool temperatures are constantly monitored and modified with colder water.
Lava Hot Springs is located in the town of Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. In this picture, the scenic Portneuf Range mountains tower in the background. This post gives more details about the site.
Bozeman Hot Springs is in Bozeman, Montana. Remodeled in May 2024, this facility includes 12 indoor and outdoor pools. It’s gorgeous! The stage behind the outdoor pools will host future entertainers. Pieces of columnar basalt serve as seating and landscaping. Here is my description of this facility.
Chico Hot Springs is in Pray, Montana. This traditional style resort offers several types of lodging. Did you notice the covered wagons behind the pools on the hillside? The Conestoga wagons offer customers a glamping option.
Crystal Crane Hot Springs is located near Burns, Oregon. The large pond behind the firepit is a more natural, less developed hot spring. There are several options for lodging at this site, including suites and teepees. We camped in our van.
Yellowstone Hot Springs is near Gardiner, Montana. I featured this site in a previous post. The round pool in the foreground is hotter than the main pool. The round pool behind it is the cold pool. During our recent visit, the temperature in the cold pool was 58 degrees Fahrenheit. That is cold!
I’ll give more details about these hot springs of the West in future posts. All of them are worth visiting.
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They all look beautiful. I didn't know there were so many hot spring locations in the west!
Yes, they are beautiful, Lisa! Yellowstone is the most geothermally active place in the world so there are lots of hot springs there. :)
I hope to get there one of these days! ...it's on our list!
Gorgeous images Siobhan. I loved the colors and the serenity.
Thanks, Anne! Nice sights and great places to relax. :)
These do look wonderful to visit - I especially like the look of Bozeman Hot Springs and the less developed Crystal Crane :D
Yes, I really liked those two too, Sarah. Crystal Crane is not far from my home. We'll definitely visit the Bozeman one again.
You made me want to go to those hot springs, Siobhan. Excellent photos and post!
Thanks, Egidio! It was a fun road trip with lots of time spent relaxing in the hot springs. :D
What lovely places to visit, I enjoyed your photos from them
Thanks, Ritva! It was a fun tour of some special places.
These beautiful images make me want to go find a hot spring and jump in.
Thanks! They are a great place to unwind and relax.
What a fun choice for the week Siobhan. Fit the challenge perfectly and gave us an interesting overview of some natural wonders. We are in Montana now and then to visit good friends who summer there. I had no idea hot springs were available!
Thanks, Tina! Yes, there are several public hot springs in Montana. We were especially impressed with the one in Bozeman.