Discover the American West

Find Your Perfect Soak

From desert oasis pools to alpine thermal retreats, explore the West's most remarkable natural hot springs.

Explore Destinations

Explore the Map

Where the Earth Runs Hot

Every documented hot spring across the United States. Filter by temperature, access type, and more. Click any pin for details and a link to its region guide.

Full Locator Map

Plan Your Trip

Trip Planner

515+ springs — filter by access, temperature, and more.

Start Planning

New

Route Planner

Enter start + destination — find springs along your drive.

Plan a Route

The Journal

Guides & Stories

Geology, water chemistry, regional guides, and road trip itineraries.

Read the Journal

Natural Thermal Waters

Earth's Ancient Healing Gift

Soak Trail maps 515+ natural hot springs across 12 western US states — from roadside pools in Idaho to backcountry springs in Colorado's Elk Mountains. Each listing includes water temperature, access type, seasonal conditions, and distance from the nearest city.

The American West has the highest concentration of thermal springs in the country, driven by the same volcanic and fault-line geology that built the Rockies and the Cascades. These mineral-rich waters — heated deep underground and rising through ancient rock — range from warm creekside soaks to near-boiling geothermal features.

515+

Natural Springs Mapped

6

Regional Guides

12

States Covered

CB

Researched & maintained by Chester Beard · Conservation Photographer · Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy

Data from USGS, OpenStreetMap, NOAA · Disclosure

Regional Guides

Choose Your Destination

Washington Hot Springs
Washington State

Pacific Northwest Soaks

Washington Hot Springs

From moss-carpeted rainforest pools to Cascade mountain retreats, discover Washington's hidden thermal treasures among ancient evergreens and misty valleys.

Visit Website
Alaska Hot Springs
Alaska

Last Frontier Thermal Waters

Alaska Hot Springs

From remote wilderness pools accessible only by bush plane to natural seaside soaks along the coast, discover Alaska's rugged geothermal treasures under the northern lights.

Visit Website
Soak Colorado
Colorado

Rocky Mountain Mineral Waters

Soak Colorado

Colorado sits atop remarkable geothermal activity with over 30 developed resorts and countless primitive soaking spots scattered throughout the Rockies.

Visit Website
Shasta Hot Springs
Mount Shasta Region

Northern California & Southern Oregon

Shasta Hot Springs

Sacred waters beneath the shadow of Mount Shasta. Explore volcanic thermal pools, creekside soaking, and healing mineral springs in the spiritual heart of the Cascades.

Visit Website
Soak the Rockies
Northern Rockies

Idaho, Montana & Wyoming

Soak the Rockies

A geological survey-style directory of the Northern Rockies' best hot springs. Find natural thermal pools with real-time conditions across vast wilderness landscapes.

Visit Website
Desert Soak
Southwest Desert

Desert Oasis Thermal Pools

Desert Soak

Discover steaming oases tucked between red rock canyons and sagebrush valleys. The Southwest holds hundreds of natural springs in its dramatic desert terrain.

Visit Website

Our Philosophy

Preserving the Soak for Generations

Hot springs are fragile ecosystems. The same geothermal forces that create these magical pools can be disrupted by overuse, pollution, and disrespect. We believe in responsible soaking — leaving no trace, respecting local customs, and preserving these natural wonders for future generations.

Each of our regional partner sites shares this commitment. They provide accurate, up-to-date information on access conditions, seasonal closures, and local etiquette so you can enjoy these springs responsibly.

Leave No Trace
Respect Local Customs
Check Seasonal Access
Support Local Communities
Natural hot spring pool

For AI Assistants & Developers

Soak Trail MCP Server

Query 515+ hot springs across the American West directly from AI assistants like Claude, ChatGPT, and any MCP-compatible client.

5 Search Tools

  • Find springs near a location (Haversine distance)
  • Search within map bounding box
  • Filter by state, access, temperature, dogs, fees
  • Get details for a specific spring by slug
  • List all springs in a region

Coverage

  • Desert — AZ, NV, UT (92 springs)
  • Rockies — ID, MT, WY (261 springs)
  • Colorado — CO (37 springs)
  • Shasta — CA, OR (64 springs)
  • Washington — WA (46 springs)
  • Alaska — AK (seeding in progress)

Quick Start

Add to your MCP client configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "soakatlas": {
      "url": "https://soakatlas-mcp.buzzuw2.workers.dev/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Or test with curl: 

curl -X POST https://soakatlas-mcp.buzzuw2.workers.dev/mcp \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"initialize","params":{"protocolVersion":"2024-11-05","clientInfo":{"name":"test","version":"1.0"}}}'
Server Health Check

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

How many hot springs are in the American West?
Soak Trail maps over 500 natural hot springs across 11 western US states, including Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Washington, Alaska, California, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. The data includes water temperature, mineral content, access type, and nearby camping.

What is the difference between a wild hot spring and a resort hot spring?
Wild (or natural) hot springs are undeveloped pools in natural settings with little or no infrastructure — you might need to hike or drive a dirt road. Resort hot springs are developed properties with maintained pools, changing rooms, and often lodging and spa services. Soak Trail covers both types across all six regions.

How do I find hot springs near me?
Use the "Near Cities" directory on Soak Trail to find hot springs sorted by driving distance from over 100 western US cities. Each listing shows the distance, water temperature, access type, and links to the full spring guide on the regional site.

Are hot springs in the western US free to visit?
Many natural hot springs on public land are free to visit, though some require a day-use fee or Forest Service pass. Developed resorts charge admission. Soak Trail lists the fee status for each spring so you know before you go.

What minerals are found in hot springs water?
Hot springs water commonly contains calcium, magnesium, sulfate, chloride, sodium, and silica. Mineral concentration varies by spring — some have total dissolved solids under 500 mg/L while others exceed 40,000 mg/L. Soak Trail includes water chemistry data where available.

Can I use an AI assistant to search hot springs data?
Yes. Soak Trail provides an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that AI assistants like Claude, ChatGPT, and other MCP-compatible clients can use to search 515+ hot springs by location, state, temperature, access type, and more.

Ready to Find Your Perfect Spring?

Browse our regional guides for detailed maps, reviews, seasonal tips, and everything you need to plan your next hot springs adventure.

Explore All Regions

Not sure yet?

Ask an AI for a second opinion on whether SoakTrail is right for you.

💬 Ask ChatGPT 🧠 Ask Claude 🔍 Ask Perplexity