Lolo Hot Springs Bringing in the Crowds with Nudie Night (3/4/2009)

Lolo Hot Springs, on Highway 12, just east of the Idaho border is a great place to warm up in the cold

Hot Springs are one of the many treats in Western Montana. There are several for pay, hot pools with both indoor and outdoor facilities at several temperatures, and with varying amenities. There are also the "free" hot pools on public land, which usually require a bit of hiking and an open mind about wearing clothes. I've been to most of them, as I've got a love for the hot water, but no desire to buy/maintain my own hot tub.

As a child my family used to make the trip to Sleeping Child Hot Springs south of Hamilton. It was a fantastic place with a large outdoor swimming sized pool that was plenty warm, and two smaller hot tub sized pools that were really, really hot. We'd go in the winter, and would swim, bask and have a good time. One of my favorite memories was of sitting in the hotter pools until we couldn't take it anymore, then jumping out and rolling in the snow.

Sleeping Child was bought up and made completely private many years ago, which started a long hunt for another great hot pool. My recent favorite has been Lolo Hot Springs, because of its proximity to Missoula, and its relatively cheap price.

Lolo Hot Springs has got a large outdoor pool that is lukewarm, which is great in the summer, but a bit too cold in the winter. They've also got a medium size indoor hot pool that is about waist deep. Its elongated rectangular shape allows water to flow in at one end and out the other. This gives a nice temperature gradient for those that like it really warm, or for those just looking for a soak.

I made the trip up after nearly a year of absence, and discovered a few things had changed. The first thing was a big sign on the door saying something about clothing optional. After nearly tripping into the door, I stopped to read it. It said something along the lines of clothing optional on Wednesday and Sunday after 9pm.

This is a smart business move, because further up highway 12, on the Idaho side of the pass are Jerry Johnson's Hot springs and Weir Hot springs, both outdoor hot pools on public land. They are both a bit of a hike, one long and flat, the other short but steep. Both are known for having crowds of naked people frolicking into the wee hours of night.

In my younger, more nimble days, I made the trip to Weir several times a month, all year long. As I've gotten older I make the trip less and less frequently. It doesn't help, that my six pack turned into a keg, and isn't exactly fashionable with all the nubile naked bodies.

But back to Lolo Hot springs…They are also under new ownership and management, but basically have the same services they've always had, with the exception of the "Nudie Night". Next door to the hot pools, they have a bar and restaurant, and you can rent cabins and snowmobiles. Though not a snowmobiler or cross country skier, I'd imagine after a hard day on the trails that nothing could beat a nice soak in a hot pool.

The folks that run the hot pools say the "Nudie Night" is turning into a real crowd pleaser as the word spreads. If you're into that sort of thing, take a trip up there and come back and tell us all how it was.

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