Where to soak in the American West

The West is full of hot water, and over the years people have dressed it up in every way imaginable. Some springs are Victorian bathhouses with a lap lane and a snack bar. Others are a ring of rocks in a creek, 2 miles up a trail, with a Forest Service sign and a polite request that you carry out whatever you carried in. Both are worth the drive. They just suit different afternoons.

For every spring here you get the practical stuff (the fee, the season, the water temperature, how rough the road is) plus the tip that makes the trip go better: book the lottery early, bring cash, don't put your head under. 30 of the 118 don't charge anything to get in the water. Hot springs change fast, though. Roads wash out, prices creep up, a forest closes for fire. So every entry links straight to whoever runs the place, and it's worth a look the week you go.

If you're planning a road trip, start with a state. If you've got a free Saturday, start from your city, where everything is sorted by drive time. And if all you want is the free springs, or the ones where the swimsuit can stay in the car, there's a list for each of those too.