Saratoga Hobo Hot Pool
By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026
Saratoga Hobo Hot Pool is a developed hot spring listed near Saratoga, Wyoming. Reported soak temperature: 112°F. See the visit fact sheet.
Current status
Saratoga's famous free municipal hot pool on the North Platte River downtown — open 24/7/365 with a 106-119F main pool (hottest end 'the Lobster Pot' ~120F), a ~100F 'Not-So-Hot' pool for kids and long soaks, and a free bathhouse with showers; swimsuits required, no alcohol or glass.
Checked September 2025 · verified against an official source · 6 sources ↓
Staying overnight?
For the town’s Hobo pool or a separately booked Saratoga resort stay.
Saratoga 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 Town of Saratoga — Hobo Pool page ('The Hobo Pool is open'; rules: bathing outfits required, no alcohol/smoking/glass).
- Cost: Reported free access — fees and permits can change, confirm before visiting.
- Getting there: No verified hike distance on record — confirm the route and road conditions.
- Water: Reported soak temperature 112°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.
- Best time to go: Weekday mornings for quiet; winter nights for steam-over-snow atmosphere. Summer weekends and hunting season draw crowds.
- Clothing reality: Swimsuits REQUIRED — official town rule posted as 'bathing outfits are required.' Nudity is not permitted.
- Kids: Allowed.
- Cell service: ok — download maps and tell someone your plan.
- Accessibility: Short paved walkway from parking to pools on flat ground; bathhouse on site. No pool lift documented — partial accessibility.
- Free, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — genuinely never closes (separate from the adjacent Municipal Swimming Pool, which is seasonal/fee-based late May–early Sep)
- Bathing suits required; no open containers/alcohol, no smoking/vaping, no glass containers
- The Lobster Pot end runs ~119-120F — too hot for kids and long soaks; use the Not-So-Hot Pool (~100F)
- Town actively manages temperature fluctuations (2025 council discussions) — pool temps can drift hotter or cooler week to week
- Police patrols and cameras at the site after past incidents; a body was found at the pools in 2024 — normal caution at 3am
- Bathhouse has free hot showers and restrooms; bring your own towel — no rentals on site
- Hazard: Very hot water at the Lobster Pot end (~119-120F)
- Hazard: Occasional late-night incidents — town has added patrols/cameras
- Hazard: Slippery deck in freezing weather
About this spring
Free town-owned soaking pool on the North Platte River in downtown Saratoga — one of the only free, always-open public hot soaks in any US town center. Main pool ~106-119°F (the hottest corner is the 'Lobster Pot' at ~120°F) plus a cooler 'Not-So-Hot Pool'; free bathhouse on site. Fee: Free 24/7/365 — town-owned. No lifeguard; hottest corner ~119-120°F — test before entering; no alcohol or glass.
The Hobo Pool is a town-owned soaking pool at the east end of Walnut Avenue on the west bank of the North Platte River — free, unstaffed, and open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The main pool runs about 106–119°F with a hottest corner nicknamed the Lobster Pot near 119–120°F, while the smaller Not-So-Hot Pool averages around 100°F; a free bathhouse stands on site. Saratoga's springs were long regarded by Native tribes as neutral ground where weapons were set down, but tribes largely stopped visiting after an 1873 smallpox outbreak. The Civilian Conservation Corps rocked in the main spring and built stone steps with a log banister that remain in use.
The pool's free status is contractual, not just tradition: when the Town of Saratoga bought the property in 1984, the sale stipulated it remain free and open to the public. The seasonal municipal swimming pool next door is a separate, fee-charging facility, and the North Platte behind the pools offers a cold plunge at soakers' own risk.
Directions & trailhead access
East end of Walnut Ave by the river, Saratoga — ~20 mi south of I-80 Exit 235 via WY-130.
Wyoming geothermal context
Wyoming holds the planet's densest geothermal field in Yellowstone — nearly all of it legally protected and off-limits to soaking. The visitable thermal water is outside the park: Thermopolis' free state bathhouse, river-edge springs along the North Platte, and scattered backcountry seeps in grizzly country where bear-aware travel is mandatory.
What a developed site means here
A developed site sits between primitive and resort: improved soaking infrastructure — built tubs, decks, stairs, sometimes changing rooms or vault toilets — often run by a land trust, nonprofit, or small operator. Expect modest fees or donation requests, posted etiquette rules, and more predictable conditions than a wild pool.
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 Wyoming. Late spring through autumn offers the most comfortable road access.
Fact sheet
| Reported soak temp | 112°F |
|---|---|
| Source temp (historical) | Not reported |
| Trail access | Recorded coordinates — access unverified |
| Access fee | Reported free — verify locally |
| Clothing policy | Reported clothing required |
| Pet policy | Reported no pets |
| Geothermal data reference | NOAA Thermal Springs List (1980 archive) |
| Check land status | Town of Saratoga — Hobo Pool page ('The Hobo Pool is open'; rules: bathing outfits required, no alcohol/smoking/glass) |
Saratoga Hobo Hot Pool FAQ
Is Saratoga Hobo Hot Pool open right now?
Saratoga's famous free municipal hot pool on the North Platte River downtown — open 24/7/365 with a 106-119F main pool (hottest end 'the Lobster Pot' ~120F), a ~100F 'Not-So-Hot' pool for kids and long soaks, and a free bathhouse with showers; swimsuits required, no alcohol or glass. (Status verified against an official source, last checked September 2025.)
Is Saratoga Hobo Hot Pool free?
Saratoga Hobo Hot Pool is listed as free to access in Carbon County, Wyoming. Fees and rules change — verify current status with the land manager before visiting.
What temperature is Saratoga Hobo Hot Pool?
Saratoga Hobo Hot Pool has a reported soak temperature of 112°F. Historical data may not reflect current conditions — always test water before entering.
Is Saratoga Hobo Hot Pool clothing optional?
Saratoga Hobo Hot Pool is listed as swimsuit-required in directory records. Confirm current rules before visiting, as policies change.
How do you access Saratoga Hobo Hot Pool?
Saratoga Hobo Hot Pool is on public land — verify current road access, fees and rules with the land manager before visiting.
Where to stay in Saratoga
For the town’s Hobo pool or a separately booked Saratoga resort stay. Public pool access and resort pools are different offers.
Saratoga 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
- Town of Saratoga — Hobo Pool page ('The Hobo Pool is open'; rules: bathing outfits required, no alcohol/smoking/glass) — official · 2025
- Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber — Hobo Hot Pool (24/7/365, free, town-owned, bathhouse) — operator · 2025
- Spot On Wyoming — 'Town of Saratoga Assures Hot Pools Are Not Failing' (temp regulation work, pools remain open) — news · 2025-09
- Spot On Wyoming — Saratoga applies for grant to update Hobo Pools — news · 2024-04
Additional references for this record; a source link does not guarantee current conditions.
- www.hotspringsguides.com/hot-springs/saratoga-hobo-hot-pool-wyoming
- cowboystatedaily.com/2023/02/12/saratogas-famous-hobo-hot-springs-a-remote-gem-in-wyomings-snowy-range
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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