Symes Hot Springs Hotel & Mineral Baths
By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026
Symes Hot Springs Hotel & Mineral Baths is a resort hot spring listed near Hot Springs, Montana. Reported soak temperature: 106°F. See the visit fact sheet.
Current status
Historic 1930 Art Deco hotel-bathhouse in downtown Hot Springs, MT, open year-round Sun-Thu 7am-9pm, Fri-Sat 7am-10pm — day pass $15 adult / $7 kid under 12 for the outdoor flow-through pools (110/106/103F) and 20x40-ft swimming pool; clawfoot-tub bath wing, jetted tub and steam room rentable by the hour; the large pool closes Wednesdays for cleaning; walk-ins welcome.
Checked September 2026 · verified on the operator’s site · 7 sources ↓
Staying overnight?
Stay in the mineral-springs town.
Hot Springs is under a mile from the spring.
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 Symes Hot Springs Hotel official site — home (hours, pools, lodging, RV/tent rates).
- Cost: Fees reported — confirm current rates before visiting.
- Getting there: Developed resort — confirm operating hours and any reservation requirement.
- Water: Reported soak temperature 106°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 — day pass at front desk; punch pass $70/10 swims, monthly $50, annual $400
- Best time to go: Weekday mornings are quietest; avoid Wednesdays (large-pool cleaning); Fri-Sat evenings have live music and the biggest crowds
- Clothing reality: Official: swimwear required in pool areas — family venue. Customary: standard swimwear. Private property; no clothing-optional policy.
- Kids: Allowed.
- Cell service: ok — download maps and tell someone your plan.
- Accessibility: Historic 1930 building — vintage facility; pools at ground/courtyard level; no documented ADA lifts
- Large pool closed Wednesdays for cleaning — plan around it
- Kids under 14 must be accompanied by an adult AT ALL TIMES in the pool area (adult must stay in same pool area)
- No glass, no smoking, no music, no food, NO ANIMALS in the pool area
- Hotel checkout is 11am — to keep soaking after checkout you must buy a day pass
- Bring your own towel or rent ($2); robes $3 for non-guests; swim diapers $1.50
- Rooms NOT bookable via Expedia/Hotels.com/Travelocity — call (406) 741-2361 only; 48-hour cancellation or charged one full night, no refunds
- RV/tent camping is on a new lot — none allowed around pools or parking lot; rates include 2 swim passes (+8% accommodation tax)
- Live music weekends in the saloon — lively nights, not a silent retreat
- Hazard: Hottest pool ~110F — limit soak time
- Hazard: All-natural flow-through mineral water — pool surfaces can be slick
About this spring
One of the West's last surviving grand resort hotels — a 1930 Mission/Spanish Revival landmark on the National Register built over the free-flowing Lemeroux ('Big Medicine') Springs. Outdoor flow-through mineral pools ~103-110°F, a natural-water swimming pool, historic clawfoot tub bath wing, day spa, restaurant and live music. Fee: Pool access for guests; small fee for public hours. Historic/vintage condition; verify public pool hours on arrival.
The Symes is one of the last of Montana's grand-era hot springs hotels still operating, a Mission/Spanish Revival landmark built in 1929–30 in a town that owes its existence to the springs. The thermal waters — then called Lemeroux Springs — were used by the Kootenai, Flathead, Pend d'Oreille and Kalispell peoples long before settlement; Jesuit missionary Father Pierre-Jean de Smet noted in 1842 that after a long journey 'bathing in this water greatly refreshes them.' An 80-acre government reserve surrounded the springs from 1855 until the Flathead Reservation opened to homesteading in 1910, when the townsite — first platted as Pineville — took shape along Warm Springs Creek within today's Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes boundary. Businessman Fred Symes bought a three-acre tract in 1929 and built the $50,000 hotel with twenty spring-fed baths and doctors' services on the premises; it proved Depression-proof and expanded into the mid-1940s. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, the Symes still runs mineral pools, a vintage bath wing and a working hotel that remains a major local employer.
Directions & trailhead access
209 Wall St, Hot Springs, MT — on Hwy 28 between Plains and Elmo, ~75 mi NW of Missoula.
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 | 106°F |
|---|---|
| Source temp (historical) | 106°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 | Symes Hot Springs Hotel official site — home (hours, pools, lodging, RV/tent rates) |
Symes Hot Springs Hotel & Mineral Baths FAQ
Is Symes Hot Springs Hotel & Mineral Baths open right now?
Historic 1930 Art Deco hotel-bathhouse in downtown Hot Springs, MT, open year-round Sun-Thu 7am-9pm, Fri-Sat 7am-10pm — day pass $15 adult / $7 kid under 12 for the outdoor flow-through pools (110/106/103F) and 20x40-ft swimming pool; clawfoot-tub bath wing, jetted tub and steam room rentable by the hour; the large pool closes Wednesdays for cleaning; walk-ins welcome. (Status verified on the operator’s site, last checked September 2026.)
Is Symes Hot Springs Hotel & Mineral Baths free?
Symes Hot Springs Hotel & Mineral Baths is listed with reported fees near Hot Springs. Fees are reported; confirm admission, parking and permit costs with the site manager.
What temperature is Symes Hot Springs Hotel & Mineral Baths?
Symes Hot Springs Hotel & Mineral Baths has a reported soak temperature of 106°F and a historical source temperature of 106°F in survey records. Historical data may not reflect current conditions — always test water before entering.
Is Symes Hot Springs Hotel & Mineral Baths clothing optional?
Symes Hot Springs Hotel & Mineral Baths is listed as swimsuit-required in directory records. Confirm current rules before visiting, as policies change.
How do you access Symes Hot Springs Hotel & Mineral Baths?
Symes Hot Springs Hotel & Mineral Baths is a private venue with paid public admission. Confirm current hours, fees and booking requirements with the operator before visiting.
Where to stay in Hot Springs
Stay in the mineral-springs town. Pool access depends on the property or day-use pass you choose.
Hot Springs is under a mile from the spring.
We may earn a commission from bookings through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Sources & references
- Symes Hot Springs Hotel official site — home (hours, pools, lodging, RV/tent rates) — operator · 2026-09
- Symes official site — Swim Prices page (day passes, kid supervision, pool rules) — operator · 2026-09
- Symes official site — Facilities page (RV/tent pricing) — operator · 2026-09
- Hot Springs Atlas — Symes profile (historic context, day-use description) — 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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