As long as we have beautiful scenery and hot springs, we don't need walls or roofs.
It was a spa facility with such spirit.
Formerly a Polio Treatment Center
A 15 minute drive northeast from the spa town of Hot Springs, Montana.
I came to a meadow with literally nothing.
Mother Dragon Geyser, the source of the Wild Horse Hot Springs, was discovered in 1913.
It is said that Molly Bartlett, daughter of Montana's third governor, discovered it while digging a well for daily use.
Bartlett raised funds for the Montana Warm Water Project for Crippled Children to build a polio treatment center.
In the early 1980s, it became a public resort, and in the early 1990s it was sold to the private sector.
Since that time, it has been named Wild Horse Hot Springs.
Currently, cabins, teepees, RV parks, and camp sites are available in addition to walk-in, but please contact the facility to see if overnight accommodations are available.
Overcoming Tragedy
The spa area was basically outdoors.
There was a roof only near the reception and changing rooms.
Incidentally, clothing is required during the daytime, and nudity is permitted after dark.
The six tubs were set on concrete paved ground and covered by gaping walls and a roof.
Rather, the walls and roof were as good as none.
The exceptional structure is said to be the result of an intentional renovation after a rape and murder that occurred here in 2013.
After this tragedy, the hot springs were forced to close for nearly six years.
The closed space that had shaken the community was transformed and made extremely open.
It has been transformed into a special place for soaking against a backdrop of rolling hills and vast meadows.
The wooden deck jutting out toward the pond made it completely outdoors.
Eight cattle troughs were lined up along the deck, filled with hot water.
With so many tubs, it was evident that the amount of water gushing out was quite large.
The water temp at the water outlet was 122 degrees F.
The clear, colorless water was accompanied by a discreet sulfur smell.
The smell was clearly milder than the water inside the spa town.
There were smaller cattle troughs along the pond off the deck.
There was an air of wildness, like an undeveloped one.
Summary
Wild Horse Hot Springs, Hot Springs, Montana, U.S.
My rating
Type: Walk-in, Lodging
Rule: Clothing required, Clothing optional (after dark)
Chemical use: Not detected
Water temp: Up to 122 degrees F
