Travel Tuesday - Chico Hot Springs

At the end of our Montana vacation, we stopped for a swim at the historic Chico Hot Springs Resort. The hotel and original pool opened in 1900, although spring-fed pools in Chico date back to the 1890s. We bought day passes and it was well worth it to kick back in the hot pools for a few hours before continuing back to Bozeman for our next flight to Seattle.

Photo by A.R. Jones. Chico Hot Springs, Montana. 1 July 2014.

The often cited first reference to the hot springs is from the diary of miner John S. Hackney, who wrote on 16 January 1865 that he "went out to the hot springs and washed my dirty duds."The Chico Warm Springs Hotel operated from 1900 and became known as a health spa due to the theraputic mineral waters from the geothermal activity in the area.

The main pool is kept at about 96 degrees, while the smaller hot pool runs closer to 104. There is also a restaurant next to the pool featuring local brews, burgers and ice cream.