Soaking it in: Montana's Yellowstone Hot Springs
A true hot springs resort in the heart of Yellowstone country
It was 1899, and Julius J. LaDuke, a French-Canadian immigrant miner, made a remarkable discovery on the banks of the Yellowstone River in Southwest Montana --- natural hot water.
A clever entrepreneur, LaDuke created a series of riverbank hot pots, and opened it to the local miner community. In 1909, a business consortium, including Dr. Frank Corwin, built a tuberculosis sanitarium facility and the Corwin Springs Hotel, again serving local miners and visitors to the first National Park, Yellowstone National Park. The hotel burned down in 1916, was rebuilt as a dude ranch in 1922-1940 (which also burned), and the property remained undeveloped until 2018, when it was rebuilt and opened to commercial tourism.
You can still see the chimneys of the Corwin Springs Hotel and get a sense of the enormous scale of the sanitarium. (below)
Lucky for us, the evolution of the hot springs is now accessible to the general public and is known as Yellowstone Hot Springs, a luxuriously bubbly, mineral-laden soaking springs about 30 minutes south of Livingston, Montana. As guests of this lovely resort, we felt completely spoiled by our accommodations, the kind and friendly staff, and the gloriously landscaped pools and grounds.
“This water is pretty special. I even call it ‘sacred’ with a small ‘s’," General Manager Erin Kennedy said. "Yellowstone is sacred. This place is sacred. The water is sacred. It begins and ends with the water."
Known for its ability to improve circulation, reduce pain and stress and add needed minerals to the skin, Yellowstone Hot Springs’ water contains a high level of lithium, leaving visitors “Relaxed and Renewed” (the Springs’ motto).
The water stays fresh with a flow-through system from pool to pool, hottest to mildest. It eventually ends up in the Yellowstone River (below,) where you can find a small, shallow, rock-surrounded pool to soak in primitively and privately.
Nestled in the heart of the 25-acre property are three hot pools. The main pool is 98.6 degrees, the hot pool runs about 105 degrees, and the cold plunge is 65 to 67 degrees. Surrounded by a fenced enclosure and immaculately manicured landscaping, the pools give visitors a view of the surrounding mountains within an oasis of privacy.
One of the special experiences of the hot springs is the Kneipp Walk, named after Sebastian Kneipp, a pioneer in naturopathic medicine and a priest in the Catholic Church.
The Kneipp Walk is two narrow side-by-side channels of shallow water (ankle deep) lined with pebbles. One channel is hot water and the other is cold water. The practice of using the Kneipp Walk is to soak for 3 to 5 minutes in the hot springs, then walk one channel of hot water, one channel of cold water, and repeat seven times.
That is followed by a cold plunge for as long as you can endure, and then a dip in the hottest of the pools. The resulting effect is a tingling and refreshing sensation that radiates across your skin from toes to nose. (Kambel, one of our travel writers, reported that he felt significant renewed sensations in his neuropathic feet.)
While soaking in the pools, you may spot local elk (a giant herd went galloping through the parking lot last year!), bighorn sheep, moose, and birds (particularly bald eagles). You can enjoy many nearby activities, including hiking, fishing, rafting, and biking (including e-bikes).
A café that faces the pool enclosure and the public parking lot welcomes guests with a simple, delicious menu of paninis and ice cream (yes, there are a few other choices as well!), and we were treated extremely kindly by the professional staff.
This kindness was mirrored in every interaction we had, from the General Manager to the housekeeping staff to the pool registrants to the groundskeeper. It was clear that they knew their jobs and found joy in them.
The property includes lodging accommodations of five suites, four cabins, two vacation homes, eight full service RV sites, 27 electric-only RV sites, and 18 tent sites. We stayed very comfortably in one of the Suites, and were extremely impressed by the size (2-bedroom, 1 bath, full kitchen and living room), the tasteful finishes of a modern lodge décor, and the cleanliness of the property.
Yellowstone Hot Springs is open year round (excluding the RV and camping sites). Yellowstone Hot Springs has a maximum capacity of 275 people, hosting 15,000 people per month in the summers, and about 8,000 people per month in the winters. Since the resort's reopening, they have grown to 40 employees and have an expansion plan that includes a stunning water feature, several modern cabins, enclosing of the café (it is currently a pavilion with picnic tables), staff housing, a new Welcome Center, and community fire pits.
Kennedy, the general manager, is easy-going and enthusiastic about Yellowstone Hot Springs. “Hospitality is in my blood,” she said, and evidences it with her warm welcome to guests and travel writers. She is proud of the bath minerals that are available in the Welcome Center for guests to take home the benefits of the healing properties of Yellowstone Hot Springs.
Kennedy is a visionary, and carries the dream of “what could be” at the front and center of her leadership. Working directly with a Board of Directors for the Hot Springs, and a second board of directors for the property owners, she is the keeper of the vision from all parties. Her ability to articulate that vision with enthusiasm and purpose provides them with the confidence required to complete their focused goals.
WHEN YOU GO
If you go to Yellowstone Hot Springs, you do not need a reservation for the pools, but may need a reservation if you require lodging. www.yellowstonehotspringsmt.com. Lodging includes several disabled-accessible offerings and a family-friendly, alcohol and smoke-free environment.
— ABOUT THE WRITERS: Jenna Justice and Kambel Wyse (below) travel Montana in search of off-beat (and on) destinations. Jenna is an artist whose works can be seen at jennajusticestudioworks.com
