Lolo Hot Springs

What to expect

Lolo Hot Springs is a roadside resort on US Highway 12, in the forested valley of Lolo Creek between the town of Lolo and the Idaho line. It is a working, slightly worn mountain stop rather than a spa: a pool building, an outdoor pool, the Bear Cave bar and restaurant, a gift shop, cabins and an RV park across the road. People pull in on the way over Lolo Pass, and in winter snowmobilers ride straight from the groomed trails.

There are two pools, and they feel nothing alike. The indoor hot pool is the one most people come for. The resort lists it at 104-106°F40-41°C in summer and 103-105°F39-41°C in winter, which is properly hot. The outdoor pool is a cool swimming pool by comparison, listed at 78-85°F26-29°C in summer and 74-78°F23-26°C in winter, with the temperature moving with the weather. In practice, families with young kids spend most of their time outside and adults trade between the two.

Expect a simple setup. Towels, swimsuits and a few other items are sold at the pools rather than handed out, so bring your own towel if you want to save a few dollars. Recent visitor reviews describe the pools as clean and the rest of the facilities as dated, which matches the resort’s long history.

History

The springs have a better documented past than most. According to the resort’s own history, the Lewis and Clark expedition reached them on September 13, 1805, and on the return trip in 1806 the men bathed here, alternating between the hot water and the cold creek. The name comes from a trapper known as Lolo who worked the area around 1810, and the old pack trail over the pass took the same name.

Fred Lembke bought the springs in 1885 and built a small resort with a plunge, hotel, cabins, saloon and store. Paul Gerber bought it in 1903, and his family ran it for about 60 years. The current owner, Brent Olsen, bought the property in 2007. We found no news of a sale or change of ownership since then.

Getting there

Lolo Hot Springs is on US Highway 12 (38500 US-12), the Lewis and Clark route between Montana and Idaho.

• From Missoula: Drive south on US-93 to the town of Lolo, then turn west on US-12. Follow Lolo Creek upstream for about 25 miles. The Forest Service puts Lee Creek Campground 26 miles west of Lolo and says a commercial hot spring resort is within a mile of it. The resort is right beside the highway, with parking on site.
• From Idaho: Come east over Lolo Pass on US-12 from the Lochsa River. The Forest Service puts the Lolo Pass Visitor Center at the state line 6 miles west of Lee Creek Campground, so the resort is only a few minutes down the hill from the pass.

US-12 is a paved, two-lane highway that is kept open all year, but the pass section sees snow, ice and logging trucks in winter. Fill up in Lolo, since there are few services to the west.

When to go

The resort is open year-round. Tourism listings say hours can change with the season, so call 406-273-2290 before a long drive, especially around holidays.

• Winter is the most atmospheric time to soak here. Snow piles up along Lolo Creek and the hot indoor pool earns its keep. The resort rents snowmobiles and sits on a network of groomed trails, so weekends can be busy with riders.
• Summer brings road-trippers and campers. The cool outdoor pool is pleasant on a hot afternoon, and Lee Creek Campground nearby is open from mid-May to early September.
• Quiet times: weekday mornings, soon after the 10 a.m. opening. The resort says day passes rarely sell out, but it gets more crowded later in the day.

Prices and booking

The resort’s website lists these day soak prices for 2026:

• Adults: $16
• Seniors (65+) and military: $14
• Children 5 to 12: $13
• Children under 5: free

No reservation is needed to soak. Passes are sold at the door on a first-come, first-served basis. If you stay in one of the deluxe cabins, two soak passes are included.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and 10 a.m. to midnight on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Bear Cave Bar and Restaurant keeps its own hours, which the resort’s winter schedule lists as 9 a.m. to midnight on Friday to Sunday and federal holidays.

Rules and etiquette

• Swimsuits are the norm during regular hours.
• Back to Nature nights: on Wednesday and Sunday from 9 p.m. to midnight, the pools are 18 and over and clothing optional. Plan around this if you are bringing kids or would rather keep your suit on.
• Young children: state rules keep children under 5 out of the indoor hot pool. They can use the outdoor pool.
• Pets are allowed in cabins (two per cabin, $25 each). Ask before bringing a dog near the pools.

Where to stay nearby

• On site: the resort runs an RV park with tent sites and cabins across the highway. Book through the resort’s website.
• The Lodge at Lolo Hot Springs is a separate hotel next door. A 2024 listing describes two indoor grotto-style soaking pools there that are for overnight guests only.
• Lee Creek Campground (Lolo National Forest) is about a mile away. For 2026 it was open May 15 to September 8, with sites at $15 a night in peak season.
• Missoula, back east past Lolo on US-12 and US-93, has the most lodging and food.

If you camp on national forest land nearby, the Northern Region stay limit (order R1-2025-01, in force to July 31, 2030) allows 16 consecutive days at one site in Montana and 32 days in total per calendar year.

Safety notes

• Hot water: the indoor pool can reach 106°F41°C. Keep soaks short, drink water, and get out if you feel lightheaded. Alcohol from the bar and hot water do not mix well.
• Bears: the resort is in bear country and posts a bear safety flyer. Store food properly in the campground and RV park.
• Winter driving: US-12 over Lolo Pass is icy in winter, and cell coverage is patchy west of Lolo.
• Wet floors: the pool decks and changing areas get slick, so walk, do not run.

Nearby stops worth adding

Over the pass in Idaho, Jerry Johnson Hot Springs is a free, wild set of pools reached by a mostly flat trail from US-12, and Weir Creek Hot Springs is a short drive farther west. The Lolo Pass Visitor Center at the state line has trail and road information and winter ski and snowshoe routes.