Thermopolis, located in north-central Wyoming at the junction of U.S. Highway 20 and state highway 120, invites the weary traveler to soak free in the soothing mineral hot springs at Hot Springs State Park. Whether you're just passing through or you're vacationing in Thermopolis, you won't want to miss the chance to experience the source of this small city's name.
Long before Thermopolis existed as a city, American Indians believed in the healing power of the mineral-infused hot water emitted by the area's hot springs. When local tribes signed a treaty with the city's settlers in 1897, a key point stated that the hot springs must always remain free of charge and open to the public. The city's name comes from the Greek terms for "heat" (thermo) and "city-state" (polis).
Visitors of all ages can soak free at Hot Springs State Park's State Bath House. The facility has both indoor and outdoor soaking pools large enough to accommodate 30 or more visitors at a time. It is rare to see either pool crowded. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5:30 p.m. on Sundays and summer holidays. The bath house is closed on winter holidays.
In addition to the state bath house, Hot Springs State Park offers two pay-to-play facilities on either side of the free soaking pools. Uphill lies the Star Plunge, open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, a popular family destination that includes water slides, snack bar and a basketball court. Just downhill, families also flock to Hellie's TePee Pools, open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, which offers water slides along with a steam room and a game room.
Learn more about the source of the hot springs by taking a pre- or post-soaking stroll along the Volksmarch trails around the park. You'll wind through multicolored mineral terraces steaming from the scalding, 135-degree-Fahrenheit water running over them. Interpretive signs along the way explain where the water comes from and how it gets so hot. Finish with an exciting jaunt across the swinging suspension bridge spanning the Bighorn River.
Wyoming State Parks' primary state buffalo herd lives year-round in a pasture at Hot Springs State Park. About 25 American bison make up the herd most of the time, with newborn calves swelling the herd's numbers by 10 to 15 in springtime. You can most easily view the bison during their morning feeding, between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.
