Lolo Hot Springs Resort
By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026
Lolo Hot Springs Resort is a resort hot spring listed near Lolo, Montana. Reported soak temperature: 103°F. See the visit fact sheet.
Current status
Open daily on US-12 in Lolo National Forest ~25 mi west of Lolo — indoor mineral pool (~103–106°F) plus a larger outdoor pool, day passes first-come at ~$16 adult / $14 senior+military / $13 kids 5–12 / under-5 free with no reservation needed; pools run 9 AM–midnight and switch to adults-only 18+ CLOTHING-OPTIONAL 9 PM–midnight on select nights (officially Sun & Wed; some guides list Fri/Sat too); RV park, cabins, lodge, bar/restaurant and folf course on the 125-acre site.
Checked September 2026 · verified on the operator’s site · 7 sources ↓
Staying overnight?
Stay on site at the pools.
We may earn a commission from bookings through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Before you go
- Status: Open — last verified below — confirm via Lolo Hot Springs Resort — official Soak page (pool hours 9am–midnight, 18+ clothing-optional 9pm–midnight asterisk nights, address).
- Cost: Fees reported — confirm current rates before visiting.
- Getting there: Developed resort — confirm operating hours and any reservation requirement.
- Water: Reported soak temperature 103°F — always test the water before entering.
- Rules: Reported clothing required; pets reported not allowed — confirm current rules.
- Conditions: check weather, fire closures, and land-manager alerts the week you go — mountain access changes seasonally.
- Reservations/permits: None — pay the day pass at the desk.
- Best time to go: Weekday mornings for a quiet all-ages soak; winter weekday evenings after ski days at Lolo Pass; the 9 PM–midnight adults-only clothing-optional sessions are the signature late window — confirm which nights apply before planning around them.
- Clothing reality: Official: swimwear required during all family/daytime sessions; pools become adults-only 18+ and CLOTHING-OPTIONAL 9 PM–midnight on marked nights (Sun & Wed per official table; one 2026 guide also lists Fri & Sat). Customary: matches — daytime textile, late-night optional. Private property.
- Kids: Allowed.
- Cell service: spotty — download maps and tell someone your plan.
- Accessibility: Developed pools with deck access; indoor pool is a short walk from parking — no documented lifts; call ahead for mobility specifics.
- Evening rule: on designated nights 9 PM–midnight the pools are strictly 18+ and clothing-optional — families must plan daytime visits
- Children under 5 are not permitted in the INDOOR pool (state regulation) — they use the outdoor pool
- Facility runs 9 AM–2 AM but kitchen closes at 10 PM; pool hours differ from building hours
- Hours are seasonal and 'subject to change without notice' — call (406) 273-2290 before driving 25+ miles
- Day passes are first-come, first-served — no reservations needed but none held either
- Indoor pool stays ~103–106°F year-round; outdoor pool temp swings with the season — cooler in winter
- US-12 over Lolo Pass is a mountain highway — winter driving conditions Oct–Apr
- Resort vs lodge: 'Lolo Hot Springs Resort' covers the pools, RV park, bar/restaurant and folf course; the lodge hotel is the building next door — separate departments and phone lines
- Hazard: Source water surfaces at up to ~117°F — stay in the managed pools
- Hazard: Mountain-road access on US-12 — snow/ice and elk/deer at night in shoulder seasons
- Hazard: Remote site — nearest full services back in Lolo or Missoula
About this spring
Historic springs on the Lolo Trail corridor used by travelers since the Lewis & Clark era; resort developed 1885 — indoor and outdoor natural hot springs pools plus bar/restaurant, RV park, cabins and horseback rides, ~35 mi southwest of Missoula near the Idaho line. Fee: Day admission charged — verify current rate. Bar on premises — lively late hours.
Lolo Hot Springs anchors the westernmost settlement along US Highway 12 in Montana, on the Lolo Trail corridor. The Corps of Discovery reached the springs on September 13, 1805 — Clark found the water 'nearly boiling hot' where it issued from the rocks — and the party camped and bathed here again on June 29, 1806, using a pool Indigenous travelers had dammed with stone and mud along the creek. A French trapper named Lolo, working the area about 1810, gave the trail and the springs their name. Fred Lembke built the first resort in 1885; Paul Gerber bought it in 1903 and his family ran it for 60 years, when holiday weekends could ring the springs with 500 tents.
In 1965 University of Montana students built what is credited as the first luge run in North America here, training toward the 1968 Olympics; the resort also appears in a poker scene in the 1999 film 'A River Runs Through It.' Today it operates indoor and outdoor natural hot springs pools with a bar/restaurant and RV park.
Directions & trailhead access
38500 US Hwy 12, Lolo — on US-12 west of town toward Lolo Pass.
Montana geothermal context
Montana's springs cluster around Yellowstone's northern margin and along basin-range faults in the western half of the state. A large share of named sites sit on private ranch land or have limited legal access, which is why status notes matter here. Cold winters and heavy spring runoff reshuffle riverside pools every year.
What a resort site means here
A resort spring is a commercial operation: developed pools or tubs with controlled temperatures, changing facilities, and usually day-use fees or lodging packages. Expect posted rules (swimsuits, quiet hours, age limits), staff on site, and in many cases required reservations — especially on weekends and holidays.
Best time to visit
Year-Round (Best: May – October)Pool temperatures and access can change with weather and season. Outdoor ambient temperatures fluctuate significantly across Montana. Late spring through autumn offers the most comfortable road access.
Fact sheet
| Reported soak temp | 103°F |
|---|---|
| Source temp (historical) | 103°F |
| Trail access | Recorded coordinates — access unverified |
| Access fee | Fees reported |
| Clothing policy | Reported clothing required |
| Pet policy | Reported no pets |
| Geothermal data reference | NOAA Thermal Springs List (1980 archive) |
| Check land status | Lolo Hot Springs Resort — official Soak page (pool hours 9am–midnight, 18+ clothing-optional 9pm–midnight asterisk nights, address) |
Lolo Hot Springs Resort FAQ
Is Lolo Hot Springs Resort open right now?
Open daily on US-12 in Lolo National Forest ~25 mi west of Lolo — indoor mineral pool (~103–106°F) plus a larger outdoor pool, day passes first-come at ~$16 adult / $14 senior+military / $13 kids 5–12 / under-5 free with no reservation needed; pools run 9 AM–midnight and switch to adults-only 18+ CLOTHING-OPTIONAL 9 PM–midnight on select nights (officially Sun & Wed; some guides list Fri/Sat too); RV park, cabins, lodge, bar/restaurant and folf course on the 125-acre site. (Status verified on the operator’s site, last checked September 2026.)
Is Lolo Hot Springs Resort free?
Lolo Hot Springs Resort is listed with reported fees near Lolo. Fees are reported; confirm admission, parking and permit costs with the site manager.
What temperature is Lolo Hot Springs Resort?
Lolo Hot Springs Resort has a reported soak temperature of 103°F and a historical source temperature of 103°F in survey records. Historical data may not reflect current conditions — always test water before entering.
Is Lolo Hot Springs Resort clothing optional?
Lolo Hot Springs Resort is listed as swimsuit-required in directory records. Confirm current rules before visiting, as policies change.
How do you access Lolo Hot Springs Resort?
Lolo Hot Springs Resort is a private venue with paid public admission. Confirm current hours, fees and booking requirements with the operator before visiting.
Stay at Lolo Hot Springs
Stays are on site at the pools on US-12.
We may earn a commission from bookings through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Sources & references
- Lolo Hot Springs Resort — official Soak page (pool hours 9am–midnight, 18+ clothing-optional 9pm–midnight asterisk nights, address) — operator · 2026-09
- Lolo Hot Springs Resort — official Hours page (facility 9am–2am daily, kitchen ends 10pm) — operator · 2026-09
- Lolo Hot Springs Resort — official homepage (indoor+outdoor pools, Lolo NF location, RV/pools/bar/folf scope) — operator · 2026-09
- CA Travel Times — Lolo Hot Springs Pools Resort 2026 guide ($16/$14/$13/free pricing, under-5 indoor-pool ban, source up to 117°F, indoor pool 103–106°F) — community · 2026
- Soak Destinations — Lolo Hot Springs Resort 2026 guide (clothing-optional nights claim Sun/Wed/Fri/Sat) — community · 2026
Additional references for this record; a source link does not guarantee current conditions.
Details above were verified against the named sources on their listed dates — conditions change, so recheck before traveling. · How we verify our data · Report a correction
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