Thermopolis Hot Springs, Wyoming

 

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 running when we were there. My 75-year-old mother told me that the dome has looked just the same since she was young. It could use some repairs, but the staff was really friendly. Right next door to Hellie's is another waterpark called Star Plunge that looked to be better maintained, but unfortunately, during our visit that facility was closed due to some complicated litigation that a local told us might take years to clear up. It's too bad, because the pools there were full and sparkling clean, the landscaping looked amazing, and I would have loved to swim there!

The hot springs are definitely central to the identity of the town of Thermopolis. The state park is right in town, with a large park containing all the pools, as well as an area along the Bighorn River where the springs drain down a huge white cliff of sulfur deposits and into the river. You can walk wooden boardwalks across the top of the deposits, and there is a hanging walk bridge across the river nearby.

 The tween children we had with us were put off by the smell of the sulfur, and preferred the outdoor pools at Hellie's because inside the dome had a stronger smell. Some locals apparently collect the water that bubbles up inside the steam room and drink it - I tried a little, and it is a wicked brew with an intense flavor. I'm so glad we took this side quest on our road trip, it was well worth it to see what Thermopolis is all about!

Hellie's Tepee Pools website