A hot-spring resort with a primitive and wild atmosphere.
The "wet sauna" was great for me.
Montana in the early 1900s
It is a little over a three-hour drive northwest of West Yellowstone.
Elkhorn Hot Springs is located near the Idaho border in Montana.
Up a dirt road in the Grasshopper Valley, there was a wooden lodge.
The lodge, which remains from its early days in 1921, had a restaurant on the first floor and dormitory-style accommodations on the second floor.
Dormitory rates are as low as $50.00 per night at the time of writing.
A U-shaped path was built on the large property, with the path on the left leading to the lodge and pool.
On the right was the road to the cabins.
Most of the cabins were built before the 1930s, and all are equipped with refrigerators and wood stoves.
Firewood can be purchased for an additional fee.
A view of "The Badger," the one I reserved.
The only restroom was a vault toilet located a short distance away.
This is the place to enjoy the rustic, rather wild, early 1900s Montana atmosphere.
Outdoor pool since its establishment
The pool house was located at the far end.
There were outdoor pools next to the red building, and the steam from the thermal water was rising.
Walk-in is also available.
At the time of writing, $10.00 for adults.
Change into swimsuits in separate men's and women's changing rooms.
The outdoor pools have been in existence since 1918.
They were divided into two pools, one large and one small, with the smaller pool on a lower level.
The large one was deep and for swimming.
Pool noodles were scattered around.
Natural hot spring water was stored and it was lukewarm at 91 degrees F.
The small pool was shallow and the water temp was 97 degrees F.
There were water outlets at the part dividing the two pools, and the hot water was put in two separate ways.
The poolside was a wooden deck.
It faced a creek.
Excellent wet sauna
I had heard that there was a sauna in the pool house, but this was an unexpected one for me.
The wet sauna, which was shared by both men and women, was full to capacity with four to five people in it.
The room, filled with a good smell of wood, was kept hot and humid, as it should be.
However, the floor was not the shape of the sauna I knew, with a pool divided into three sections.
The correct use would be to sit on the dividing surface, but it does not matter.
The pool was deep enough to bring the surface of the water up to the chest when sitting down and can be enjoyed as a soaking pool.
When I soaked up to my shoulders, I felt a lot of heat.
The 113 degrees F water was pouring out.
The water was alkaline, with a pronounced smooth sensation.
I spent most of my stay in this space.
Summary
Elkhorn Hotsprings Resort, Polaris, Montana, U.S.
My rating
Type: Lodging, Walk-in
Rule: Clothing required
Chemical use: Not detected
Water temp: Up to 113 degrees F
