Wyoming's Hidden Hot Spring Paradise Provides Famous Free-To-Visit Soaking Pools

Southern Wyoming is generally considered "drive-through" country. There's a whole lot of nothing along Interstate 80 that bisects the southern third of the state. In the summer, it's a taupe, windblown landscape interrupted by the occasional pronghorn sighting or a quick gas stop and potty break. In the winter, many motorists bypass the southern Wyoming corridor altogether due to extreme cold, wind, snow, and the frequent closures that plague I-80.

But motorists who find an acceptable transportation window through this oft-maligned landscape are in for a treat, particularly if they possess an adventurous spirit and like to seek out hidden gems. Less than half an hour south of I-80, in the heart of the little town of Saratoga, lies one such under-the-radar paradise: Hobo Hot Springs. Free and open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week, this developed hot springs pool has been a gathering place for indigenous Americans for centuries. For today's road-weary travelers looking for a break, Hobo Hot Springs offers a chance to soak road-tense muscles before climbing back behind the wheel and continuing their journey. And, it's much less well-known than similar Wyoming destinations that claim world-famous status.

While Hobo Hot Springs is an excellent place to rest and regroup — both physically and mentally — on a cross-country road trip, a visit to Saratoga doesn't need to be just a pit stop. Thanks to the hot springs and a few other natural assets, Saratoga (pop. 1,700), could be described as a modest resort community. The scenic little town at the base of Wyoming's Snowy Mountains is also located on the North Platte River, a legit trophy trout stream that attracts fly fishers from all over the West.

Its location on the edge of the mountains and just north of the Colorado border makes Saratoga an excellent jumping-off spot for a Wyoming or northern Colorado adventure. With Hobo Hot Springs serving as the ever-present therapeutic home base, adventurous visitors to Saratoga can take in a day of skiing at the Snowy Range Ski Area west of town about two hours or they can visit the more heralded Steamboat Ski Resort about two hours south. During the warmer months, ample public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service offer unlimited hiking, fishing, and off-road vehicle riding. In the fall, Saratoga is a popular home base for deer and elk hunters. It doesn't need to be just a stop on the way somewhere else, like to see America's first national monument.

Even with all the outdoor activities in store for visitors to Saratoga, a visit to the community isn't complete without a stop at Hobo Hot Springs. From the "lobster pot" at the upper end of the hot pool, where the water flows in at a scorching 120 degrees, to the more comfortable temps located farther away from the hot springs' source (the average water temperature is between 101 and 110 degrees), Hobo Hot Springs offers a great way to start and end a day in and around Saratoga. Add in the fact that it's free and offers private changing room facilities, and it's one of the best tourism bargains in the Cowboy state. Just don't get it mixed up with another overlooked hot springs resort that shares a similar name.

Visitors to Saratoga don't have to venture far to find other things to do, either. The community is home to a fantastic small-town museum. Like Hobo Hot Springs, the Saratoga Museum is free and gives visitors a chance to get to know Wyoming's Platte Valley. It includes displays from recent railroad history to dinosaur fossils and minerals to an exhibit on famed Western mystery writer CJ Box (Box is from Saratoga). The downtown area of Saratoga features quaint gift shops, bars and restaurants. It is a great little place to stop and soak and maybe wander around a bit, but it's also a nice home base for lots of Wyoming outdoor adventures.