Sleeping Child Hot Springs

Current status: private, rentals only

Sleeping Child Hot Springs has not been open to the public for more than 30 years. If you remember soaking here in the 1980s, or found it in an old guidebook, the place you are thinking of is gone. In the early 1990s a Spokane developer, Ed Chopot, bought the resort, closed it to the public and tore down the old buildings. He replaced them with a five-story, 25,000-square-foot lodge with conference rooms, a solarium, a heliport and hangar, a caretaker’s house and four condos.

The property later passed to two Hamilton investors and now operates as Sleeping Child LLC. It is gated, and the only way in is to rent the whole estate. In 2015 the Bitterroot Star reported it listed for sale at $12.9 million and for rent at $1,500 a night. A local volunteer group, Sleeping Child Hot Springs for All, wanted to bring it back into public ownership at the time. We found no sign that happened.

Do not drive up expecting a day soak. You will meet a closed gate.

What it was

The springs rise in Sleeping Child Canyon on the east side of the Bitterroot Valley. The Bitterroot Salish knew them long before settlers arrived, and their name for the place is Snetetšé, usually translated as “place of the sleeping child.” The Stevens railroad survey of 1853 and 1854 recorded the creek under other names, and a settler legend about a crying baby left at the springs gave rise to “Weeping Child Springs.” A volunteer quoted by the Bitterroot Star argued that the Salish origin story is the more authentic one, and that the oft-repeated link to the 1877 Nez Perce war does not hold up.

A commercial hot springs was running here by 1894. Over the following decades the site had tents, then a hotel that burned, then a modest lodge next to a concrete pool, with two smaller hot pools set above it. Through the 1980s it was open daily to anyone who drove up the canyon.

What renters get

The current lodge is listed on a major vacation rental site as a 9-bedroom, 17-bath estate that sleeps 20. The listing describes:

• A 30 by 60 foot pool heated by the spring water.
• Two hot tubs and a sauna, also on geothermal heat.
• Geothermal water at about 130°F54°C and 200 gallons a minute. The heat is used through the building and even under the paved areas.
• A 40-acre gated parcel at about 4,600 feet, with Bitterroot National Forest on every side.

One reviewer in August 2024 said the pool ran so hot in summer that swimming was hard, and reported a maximum allowed setting of 106°F41°C. Another said it was too hot to enter during a July heat wave. Plan on cooler mornings if you rent in summer.

Prices and booking

The rental listing gives a minimum of $2,000 a night plus tax for up to 8 guests in 4 bedrooms. Each extra bedroom adds $400, up to $4,000 plus tax for 20 guests. Day guests who are not on the overnight booking cost $85 each. Check-in is after 4pm and check-out before 11am. Children are allowed, events are allowed, pets are not, and smoking is limited to marked outdoor areas.

The property is aimed at family reunions, weddings, retreats and corporate groups. The state tourism listing gives a Hamilton phone number, 406-363-4553, and points to the same rental listing.

Getting there (for renters)

Sleeping Child Road leaves the Bitterroot Valley floor a few miles south of Hamilton and climbs southeast for about 11 miles up the canyon to the property at 2970 Sleeping Child Road. The listing says a paved drive connects the gate to the county road and there is parking on site. The estate is about 6 miles from its nearest neighbor.

Hamilton has groceries, fuel and restaurants. Missoula and its airport are farther north up US-93. Skalkaho Falls, on the Skalkaho Highway east of Hamilton, is a short drive away in summer and fall, when that road is open.

When to go

As a private rental it is booked year-round. Summer brings the hottest pool water and the busiest valley. Fall is a good time for a group stay, with cooler nights for soaking. Winter access depends on snow on Sleeping Child Road, so ask the managers how the road is kept open.

Where to soak instead

If you just want a public soak in western Montana, look elsewhere. Medicine Hot Springs, south of here near Sula, is also private and closed to the public. Lost Trail Hot Springs, south of Sula on US-93, is the nearest public pool in the Bitterroot. In northwest Montana, the town of Hot Springs has several commercial and public soaks, such as Big Medicine Hot Springs.

Where to stay nearby

If you are not renting the estate, Hamilton is the closest town with motels and restaurants. The Bitterroot National Forest runs campgrounds around the valley; check the forest’s site for which are open and for current fire restrictions before you camp.

Safety notes

• Respect the gate. This is private land. Entering without a booking is trespassing.
• Very hot source water: 130°F54°C water will scald. Renters should keep kids away from inlets and test the hot tubs before getting in.
• Wildfire season: The canyon is surrounded by national forest, and the Bitterroot Valley sees heavy smoke and fire closures in late summer. Check Bitterroot National Forest alerts before a summer stay.
• Wildlife: Black bears and other wildlife use the canyon. Store food and trash securely.