Stay near Glenwood Springs
Use Glenwood Hot Springs Pool as the trip anchor, then compare hotels or nearby town bases close enough for the soak, dinner, and the drive home.
Hot Springs Near Salt Lake City
Six hot springs within driving distance of Salt Lake City across Utah, southern Idaho, and Wyoming-adjacent Montana. Geothermal limestone dome, wild Wasatch hikes, and the most-visited Idaho mineral pools.
12 within 350 mi
Salt Lake City, Utah
Hot springs you can reach from Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City is the best Utah hot springs basecamp because the most distinctive Utah hot springs sit within easy driving distance, and the southern Idaho cluster (Lava Hot Springs and Magic Valley) is accessible north on I-15. Homestead Crater near Park City is the iconic geological-curiosity day trip, Fifth Water Hot Springs is the canonical free wild hike, and Lava Hot Springs is the weekend road trip option.
Park City is 30 minutes from Salt Lake; Homestead Crater is 25 minutes south of Park City. Fifth Water requires a 70-minute drive south plus a 2.5-mile hike each way. Lava Hot Springs is 2 hours 45 minutes north on I-15 into southeast Idaho. Mystic Hot Springs in central Utah and Miracle Hot Springs in the Idaho Magic Valley are longer 3 to 4 hour drives, viable as weekend trips.
Our recommended Salt Lake City hot springs trips
Half-day curiosity
Homestead Crater
70 min via I-80 E and US-40 E. 65-foot mineral pool inside a limestone dome. Snorkel and scuba available.
Free wild hike
Fifth Water Hot Springs
70 min south plus 2.5-mile hike. Free wild cascading pools below a hot waterfall. Diamond Fork Canyon.
Idaho weekend
Lava Hot Springs
2h 45m north on I-15. State-managed 5 outdoor mineral pools, no sulfur, 2.5M gallons fresh daily. Town wraps the pools.
Quirky overnight
Mystic Hot Springs
2h 55m south. Bathtubs perched in growing travertine mounds. On-site concert venue. Adults-leaning hippie aesthetic.
Hot springs by distance from Salt Lake City
| Spring | Distance | Drive time | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Crater at Homestead Resort | 26 mi | 34 min | Utah |
| Fifth Water Hot Springs | 54 mi | 1h 10m | Utah |
| Lava Hot Springs | 128 mi | 2h 46m | Idaho |
| Mystic Hot Springs | 147 mi | 3h 12m | Utah |
| Miracle Hot Springs | 200 mi | 4h 20m | Idaho |
| Iron Mountain Hot Springs | 254 mi | 5h 30m | Colorado |
| Glenwood Hot Springs Pool | 255 mi | 5h 31m | Colorado |
| Orvis Hot Springs | 285 mi | 6h 11m | Colorado |
Where to stay for hot springs near Salt Lake City
When the best soak is too far for a relaxed same-day return, compare these base towns before booking.
Some hotel and experience links may earn Hot Springs Guide a commission at no extra cost to you. Operator and guide links stay editorially ranked; see our editorial policy.
Stay near Lava Hot Springs
Use Lava Hot Springs as the trip anchor, then compare hotels or nearby town bases close enough for the soak, dinner, and the drive home.
Stay near Ouray
Use Ouray Hot Springs Pool as the trip anchor, then compare hotels or nearby town bases close enough for the soak, dinner, and the drive home.
Stay near Midway
Use The Crater at Homestead Resort as the trip anchor, then compare hotels or nearby town bases close enough for the soak, dinner, and the drive home.
Lodging guides for hot springs near Salt Lake City
Use these after choosing the soak to decide whether the trip should be a day trip, resort stay, or nearby hotel night.
All hot springs within 350 miles of Salt Lake City
Utah - 26 mi
The Crater at Homestead Resort
Soak inside an actual limestone dome that mineral water built over thousands of years; the only warm scuba destination in the cont
Utah - 54 mi
Fifth Water Hot Springs
Utah's most-hiked free wild hot springs: a 2.3-mile trail to a series of natural pools below a hot waterfall in Diamond Fork Canyo
Idaho - 128 mi
Lava Hot Springs
Idaho's most-visited hot springs: five outdoor mineral pools at the head of an Oregon Trail corridor town, open 363 days a year.
Utah - 147 mi
Mystic Hot Springs
Utah's most photographed hot springs and one of the most unusual in the country: cast-iron bathtubs perched in growing travertine
Idaho - 200 mi
Miracle Hot Springs
Magic Valley's mineral resort with twelve soaking options: four large outdoor public pools, six private cedar tubs, and geodesic d
Colorado - 254 mi
Iron Mountain Hot Springs
Glenwood's quieter, more adult-oriented hot springs: 35 mineral pools, a five-sauna Summit, and the only Premier 21-and-over tier
Colorado - 255 mi
Glenwood Hot Springs Pool
The largest mineral hot springs pool in the world, with a 107-room lodge on-site that converts a soak into a stay.
Colorado - 285 mi
Orvis Hot Springs
Colorado's signature clothing-optional hot springs: seven pools from 65 F to 114 F including the famous Lobster Pot, on a small ad
Colorado - 288 mi
Dunton Hot Springs
Colorado's only all-inclusive ultra-luxury hot springs: a meticulously restored 1885 ghost town in the San Juans with 13 cabins ar
Colorado - 294 mi
Ouray Hot Springs Pool
Colorado's most family-friendly hot springs town: a city-owned, sulfur-free public mineral pool with adult overlook tiers, family
Colorado - 308 mi
Hot Sulphur Springs Resort & Spa
Grand County's largest mineral resort: 21+ chemical-free pools and baths along the Colorado River, 200,000 gallons of fresh minera
Colorado - 328 mi
Cottonwood Hot Springs Inn & Spa
The unplugged, no-WiFi, no-alcohol adult-leaning counterpoint to Mt Princeton 20 minutes south.
Questions visitors ask about hot springs near Salt Lake City
What is the closest hot springs to Salt Lake City?
Homestead Crater in Midway, 70 minutes via I-80 E and US-40 E. The 65-foot deep mineral pool sits inside a natural 55-foot limestone dome and stays 90 to 96 F year-round. Reservations are taken by phone at 435-657-3840; weekends fill on the schedule.
Can you do Fifth Water Hot Springs as a day trip from Salt Lake?
Yes. 70-minute drive south to the Diamond Fork trailhead, 2.5-mile hike each way (4.6 miles round-trip), and 1 to 2 hours of soaking. Most visitors do the round trip in 5 to 7 hours including drive. Trailhead parking fills early on summer weekends; arrive by 8 AM.
Is Lava Hot Springs worth the drive from Salt Lake?
Yes for a weekend, not a day trip. The 2-hour-45-minute drive north on I-15 is manageable but a full round trip in one day cuts the soak window short. Most Salt Lake visitors do Lava as a one-night overnight, staying at one of the town's many small mineral motels (Riverside, Aura Soma, Royal Hotel) within walking distance of the pools.
Best hot springs near Park City?
Homestead Crater is 25 minutes south of Park City and is the natural pairing for a Park City ski week. The crater's 90 to 96 F mineral water provides a warm post-ski recovery soak inside the dome. The drive is straightforward via US-189 S.
Are Utah hot springs clothing-optional?
Developed Utah hot springs such as Homestead Crater and Mystic require swimsuits. Fifth Water sits on USFS land where swim attire is formally required, but in practice the upper pools often have clothing-optional culture. Visitors should be prepared for both clothed and unclothed bathers there.
Free hot springs near Salt Lake City?
Fifth Water Hot Springs is the closest free wild option (70-minute drive plus hike). Meadow Hot Springs near Fillmore is another free wild Utah option further south. Inlet Park Hot Springs near Saratoga Springs is small and seasonal. The Salt Lake area itself has no commercial-grade free hot springs within the city.
Best hot springs near Salt Lake City for a winter trip?
Homestead Crater (year-round inside the dome, perfect for snowy Park City days), and Lava Hot Springs (winter steam against snow, accessible from I-15). Fifth Water in winter requires a snow-experienced approach and chains for Diamond Fork Road; only experienced winter hikers should attempt.