We visited Chico Hot Springs in southwestern Montana in early June 2024. The Chico Hot Springs Resort is located near Pray, Montana. It opened in 1900 and became a popular destination for those looking for a place to rest and relax. Prior to that time, miners used the springs as early as 1865. Historically, the springs have been in use by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years.
The size and shape of the pools have changed over time. There is currently a large rectangular pool with a smaller one next to it that has hotter water.
The temperature of the large pool averages 96 degrees Fahrenheit. The smaller pool averages 103 degrees.
At one time, there was a roof over the pool. It collapsed in 1957, injuring 70 people, and was never replaced. The open air pools give you great views of the nearby landscape.
The buildings surrounding the pool reflect the history of this attraction. There is a bathhouse on one side and a small cafe on the other. There is also a dining room, a saloon, and a tasting room at the resort.
The Chico Hot Springs Resort is on the National Register of Historic Places. If you want to stay here, there are several lodging options, including a main lodge, cabins, chalets, houses, Conestoga covered wagons, and a railroad caboose. Chico offers recreational opportunities on site and off including horseback riding, fishing, disc golf, biking, and hiking.
Chico Hot Springs signs & murals
The thing I liked best about this place were the signs and murals near the pools. The sign by the small pool looked like it could have been there for decades.
A more modern mural was near the other end of main pool. This great landscape painting featured lots of local critters.
The funniest sign was on another wall. It read, “Welcome to Chico ool: You notice the P is missing. We would like to keep it that way!” It’s a friendly reminder to relieve yourself in a restroom; not in the pool. 😀
Additional info
The pools are open from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm daily for resort guests. If you aren’t staying at the resort, you can visit from 8:00 am to 11:00 pm. Admission for guests ranges from $8.00 to $14.00.
As I mentioned, this is an historic resort. When we visited in 2024, the changing rooms could have used a little TLC. Door latches on the bathrooms and changing rooms were broken. The showers only had cold water and visitors were shrieking when they turned on the water. It was painfully cold after getting out of the hot springs. For people like us who were camping elsewhere and stopped here for a quick dip, a hot shower afterwards would have been great. Ironically, this facility sits atop the most geothermally active place on Earth. 🤭
I had one other pet peeve about this facility. Kids were jumping onto oversize inflatables from the side of the pool. Not only was that activity unsafe, it also affected the serenity of the setting. This is just my opinion as a former lifeguard.
We visited Chico Hot Springs as part of our Hot Springs of the West tour. There are lots of developed and undeveloped hot springs in this part of the country.
Fandango’s One Word Challenge (FOWC) – Relax
Bend Branches always appreciates your comments and likes. Comments may not appear right away since they’re screened for spam prior to posting. Thanks!
Pingback: Hot springs of the West: LAPC & WPWC - bend branches
I haven’t been here. But I am with you on that one. I wouldn’t want kids jumping in when I came to relax as that’s how I would see something like that. Just a place to relax.
Yeah, it made me nervous, and I didn’t swim in that part of the pool. It is in a scenic area.
I wouldn’t have fancied trying to relax at the side or in the pool if children kept jumping in.
Yeah, that part wasn’t as relaxing as other hot springs I’ve visited. It was in a pretty area though.
Great sign 😂
Yeah, it was pretty funny, Brian! 😁
I had never heard of this place, although I have been to other hot springs resorts. A very informative post.
Thanks! We went to several in the area. The one in Bozeman is great.
That ‘Welcome to Chico ool — the P is missing, let’s keep it that way’ sign is exactly the small-town humour that makes a place stick in your memory. And the irony of shrieking-cold showers sitting atop the most geothermally active spot on Earth had me laughing out loud. We’ve done a few stop-and-soak dips like this while camping — 96 degrees with open-air mountain views sounds worth every broken door latch. Filing away the Conestoga wagon lodging for later!
Yeah, that sign was hilarious! 😀 The ice cold showers were a big shock after such a nice warm dip. It did seem like the kind of place people returned to over the years.