Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs and Resort

Current status

Sleeping Buffalo has had a rough few decades and is still standing. A Montana historian who stopped by in 2013 found the place closed and abandoned. Dennis and Michelle Simpson had taken it over in 2012, and the Glasgow Courier reported that they reopened it to the public on Christmas Day 2014. Since then the owners have enlarged the pool, built a large bar and restaurant and modernized the grounds.

In fall 2025, the same historian reported that the property was on the market, and commercial listings advertise it as a fully operating business on 32 acres. We found no report of a completed sale. RV park reviews from June 2026 describe the pools as open, but one camper said the bar and restaurant were open only on Thursdays. If you are driving a long way across the Hi-Line, call 406-527-3320 first to check what is running.

What to expect

This is a working small-town resort in the middle of the northern prairie, not a polished spa. The main draw is a big pool, which the resort lists as 60 by 80 feet, plus a hot tub, a cold plunge and a sauna. All of them run on water from an artesian well, which the resort says comes up at 108°F42°C with no chemicals added. Campers describe the big pool as bath-warm, good for kids and long floats, with the hot tub much hotter and the plunge ice cold. The water is mineral-heavy and can stain light swimsuits, so bring a dark one.

Outside the pool building is a low stone pergola from the early 1930s, built with Public Works money and stone from the quarries used for Fort Peck Dam. It is one of the few New Deal landmarks you can sit in while drying off.

The resort also offers private party bookings of the pool, log and stone cabins and suites with kitchens, and the Buffalo Saloon and 54 Prime steakhouse with a full bar.

History

The hot water here was a mistake. In 1922 the Bowdoin Oil and Gas Company drilled about 4 miles north of US-2, just east of what is now Nelson Reservoir, and hit a heavy flow of warm sulphur water instead of oil. A rancher, Elbert Davison, built a small pool, and local people soon pushed to turn it into a public resource.

In 1931 an executive order from President Hoover protected the well as Public Water Reserve No. 141, and in 1932 the federal government handed it to Saco’s American Legion Post 79. The American Legion Health Pool opened in the 1930s, helped by New Deal agencies, and was promoted in a New Deal guidebook to Montana for its “curative” water. The resort’s website gives 1929 as its founding year, so dates vary between sources.

Later in the century the Legion passed the property to private owners, who named it Sleeping Buffalo after a sacred rock that stands along US-2 nearby. The rock is worth a short stop on the way in.

Getting there

The resort is at 669 Buffalo Trail, just north of US Highway 2 in Phillips County, roughly 10 miles west of Saco and about 20 miles east of Malta by our map measurement.

• From Malta: Drive east on US-2 past the Sleeping Buffalo Rock, then turn north toward Nelson Reservoir and follow the signs to the resort.
• From Glasgow: Drive west on US-2 through Saco, then continue west and turn north at the Sleeping Buffalo turnoff.

Several campers have described the signs as poor, so set your map app to the address before you lose signal. The resort calls its RV park big-rig friendly, and campers rate the access well.

When to go

The resort says it is open year-round. Winter on the Hi-Line is cold, windy and quiet, and an indoor pool fed by 108°F60°C water is a good reason to stop. Summer is busier with travelers on US-2 heading to or from Glacier National Park, and campers consistently warn about mosquitoes from June through August. There is little shade at the RV park.

Prices and booking

The resort does not post day-pass prices online. Campers reported $6 per person in 2018 and $10 per person in 2021, so expect something in that range or a little more, and call for the current rate. RV sites were about $61 a night in 2025 and $81 in June 2026, according to Campendium reviews, and pool passes have been charged separately, with two passes included per site at last report. Cabins and suites are booked by phone.

Rules and etiquette

The resort does not publish a full rule list. The basics:

• Swimsuits are expected in the family pool.
• Supervise kids in the hot tub and the big pool.
• Shower first. The water is untreated, so it depends on everyone being clean.
• Pets have been allowed at the RV park. Keep them out of the pool building.

Where to stay nearby

On site, the resort has cabins, suites and an RV park with 31 full-hookup sites and a bathhouse. Campers have mentioned that the bathhouse is basic. Malta, about 20 miles west, has motels, services and a city park where some travelers camp instead. Glasgow, farther east on US-2 past Saco, is the other nearby town with full services.

Safety notes

• Hot tub heat: The hot tub runs much hotter than the pool. Keep soaks short.
• Remote stretch: Services between Malta and Glasgow are thin. Fill up on fuel and supplies before you arrive.
• Mosquitoes and wind: Bring repellent in summer and secure awnings at the RV park.
• Winter driving: US-2 can be closed or icy in blizzards. Check Montana 511 before setting out.

Nearby stops worth adding

Nelson Reservoir, across the road, is a Bureau of Reclamation lake of about 4,100 acres, popular for walleye, northern pike and perch fishing and for ice fishing in winter. The Sleeping Buffalo Rock beside US-2 takes five minutes and gives the place its name.