Boiling Bones

  Bozeman Hot Springs     Hours: 5:30am-11pm (most days, weekends are different) Cost: $21/person (as of 7/25) Bozeman Hot Springs is located a bit south of the popular and fast-growing town of Bozeman, MT. Much like the town, the hot springs has undergone a lot of change in the last decade or two, and each time we go there (which is every 2-3 years), we are surprised by the new amenities. The original indoor pools are largely unchanged, with many different plunges ranging from ice cold to ungodly hot (I can't even put my hand in the hottest pool!). There is a large dry sauna, and an incredible huge steam room with a large window to the outside and a cold shower tricking inside the room - it is one of my favorite places on this earth! Outside, there are multiple large pools ranging in depth and temperature, all surrounded by natural stone hardscaping and lots of seating areas, tables and chairs, loungers, and a stage that faces the pools for live music to play. ...

  White Sulphur Hot Springs      Hours: 7am-10pm (365 days a year) Cost: $14/person (as of 7/25) We headed out to the little town of White Sulphur Springs (about an hour north of Livingston, MT) after a woman soaking next to me at Chico recommended the place. It is located inside of an unassuming little motel, so it would be easy to miss if you don't know where you were going! Inside, there is a nice changing/shower room. There are three pools that are all different temperatures, the hottest of which is indoor so it kind of doubles as a steam room. The indoor pool was my least favorite, because the room was quite shabby, and the water was too hot to sit in without any fresh air or ventilation. This water is extremely sulfurous, and many in our group felt a bit woozy after swimming for a couple hours, and experienced "egg farts" the next day. There are beautiful murals on the walls surrounding the pools, and laminated scavenger hunt sheets so you can be looking for hi...

  Hellie's Tepee Pools    Hours: 9am-9pm (365 days a year) $15/person (as of 7/25) The town of Thermopolis, Wyoming is definitely not a place you'd stumble upon - you have to make a point to get there. It's a small and remote but very charming little Wyoming town of about 2,700 people. The hot springs are extremely sulfurous and are contained inside of a state park. Access to the waters is controlled by an 1896 treaty with the Shoshone and Arapaho tribes, offering free access to the park pools for 20 minute sessions. In addition, Hellie's waterpark offers all-day swimming for a fee. The facilities are shabby, but I loved the dome, which covers multiple pools in complete shade but is breezy and well-ventilated. They also have multiple outdoor pools, a dry sauna, a cold plunge and showers, and an incredibly unique and pungent steam room (no photos of the steam room, it was too steamy!). Hellie's has one waterslide under the dome, and another outdoor one that was not r...