Montana Hot Springs

Hunting and fishing are popular Montanan pastimes; however there is another unique hunting activity that people in Montana are drawn to.  This type of hunting will not give you a beautiful mount to hang over your fireplace, but it will give you that warm, fuzzy feeling that you got when your mom placed you in the bath as a youngster.  If you haven’t guessed, the hunt I am referring to is the hunt for hot springs!

Hot springs are pockets of water that are heated from geothermal activity.  Geothermic heat comes from the earth’s mantle.  The deeper into the earth you go, the hotter the rocks are.  The water that passes through the rocks becomes heated naturally, and then protrudes from the ground, creating a spring or even a river of hot water.  Because the warm water holds a high amount of dissolved solids, it is very high in mineral content—this is one reason the springs are hunted.  The minerals are said to have special powers.  In fact, many ancient cultures have used hot springs as a form of medicinal treatment.  They claimed that the warm water held magical healing powers, and upon entering the water, one could be healed.  When you find a spring and you enter the warm beautiful water, you can feel it penetrate your skin and go right into your core.  It is called soaking, and there is no other feeling like it.

So, how do you hunt for a hot spring?  Most of the hunting adventures come from word of mouth.  I have heard many stories about someone’s grandfather hiking in the mountains 75 years ago and stumbling upon a small spring spewing beautiful, warm, healing water.  This is how it starts.  Hunters venture out into the wilderness with only a vague description of where the spring may lie.  Only the very fortunate find a hot spring that is unknown to others, and that hot spring will remain unknown.  Some things are much more rewarding when you are the only one that knows about it!

If hunting for wild hot springs is not your thing, there are also many domesticated hot springs in Montana.  These springs still contain the magic water, but the spring is redirected into an actual pool, and there is a minimal fee to use these services.  To say the least, these pools are a lot less rugged.  Most of these spots offer a bar and restaurant for bathers to indulge in while soaking; some even offer lodging amenities.  Whether you like to get your soak on in your personal found treasure, or you prefer to soak with amenities, entering a hot spring gives you a feeling unlike any other.