Cool weather may be good for hunters, but it also provides the perfect environment to enjoy a good soak in one of Montana’s natural hot springs pools.
One of my favorite weekend getaways is Quinn’s Hot Springs near Paradise, Montana. This hot springs resort has all the elements for a weekend retreat: good food, hot water, and booze.
The resort has a few different lodging options. Canyon cabins are a duplex style cabin where each side rents separately, with the option to adjoin rooms. Glacier lodge is a two-story adult only building, where each room features a custom log king bed. And for larger groups there are suites available with multiple rooms.
I opted for a room in the Glacier lodge on my most recent stay at the resort. It is one of the cheaper options, and I find it just as private as the duplex style cabins, and it is less of a walk to the pools.
photo courtesy: trip advisor
There are six pools for soaking and swimming. Four of the pools are soaking pools and range in temperatures with the hottest being around 106 degrees Fahrenheit. One of the pools stays a much cooler 50-60 degrees and provides a nice plunge when you are feeling a little overheated. I found myself hopping from one pool to another like Goldilocks looking for one that was “just right.” The main swimming pools stay right around a comfortable 80 degrees.
It took me a little getting used to the “natural” part of the hot springs. The water is chemical free and flows through continuously and has natural bits of silica that float through the pools, which can be a bit alarming if you don’t know what they are. But I was reassured in the cleanliness of the pools when I found out the pools are emptied and cleaned every other day.
The resort provides a water cooler and cups outside for patrons to stay hydrated. But the cooler isn’t too far from the tavern, where soakers can grab an adult beverage and food from the bar menu. The tavern has a small section that is referred to as the “wet bar,” and swimsuit attire is perfectly acceptable. The rest of the tavern is a standard bar environment with keno machines, big screen televisions, and a pool table. I ended up spending a fair amount of time going between the wet bar, and the soaking pool. Which may have been the reason for the giant headache I had the next morning! Take my advice, drink water, lots and lots of water!
photo courtesy: http://quinnshotsprings.com
After soaking I was famished and decided to clean up for a fancy meal in the resort restaurant, the Harwood House. I ordered their garlic pan fried shrimp for an appetizer, and the prime rib for dinner. Both were amazing and really hit the spot, and I got excellent service to boot. Their full menu can be found here.
After dinner it was time for one last soak and a night cap before bed. Evenings in the hot springs are always a popular time to soak and socialize; it is an easy place to make fast friends. The hot springs draws people from near and far, I met people from Canada, Spokane, a few from nearby Plains, Montana. There were a few people from Missoula as well, which just an hour drive away.
We finished the weekend off with a Sunday morning brunch in the Harwood House and hit the road headed back to Missoula feeling refreshed. If you haven’t been to Quinn’s Hot Springs, put it on the list for this fall or winter. To get there from Missoula take US Hwy 93 N. towards Kalispell. Turn west onto Hwy 200 after passing through Ravalli. After around 30 miles turn left onto Hwy 135 E. Quinn’s will be two miles up that road to the left.
For more information or to book a stay go to http://quinnshotsprings.com
