Stay near Port Angeles
Use Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort as the trip anchor, then compare hotels or nearby town bases close enough for the soak, dinner, and the drive home.
About Washington hot springs
Washington's hot springs portfolio is small but distinctive. The Olympic Peninsula holds two of these: Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort (the only operating commercial hot springs inside Olympic National Park, seasonal, with a 2026 operator schedule from March 20 through November 1 at noon) and Olympic Hot Springs (the wild abandoned-resort version, 11 miles round-trip from a closed road with a washed-out bridge). The Columbia River Gorge holds Carson Hot Springs, the year-round historic bathhouse from 1901.
The Olympic Peninsula geology produces classic Pacific Northwest geothermal: sulfur-tinged mineral water in old-growth rainforest. Sol Duc has three mineral pools around 99 F, 104 F, and 101 F plus a freshwater swimming pool, with 32 rustic cabins and the only in-park lodging on this side of Olympic. Olympic Hot Springs has dispersed primitive pools through moss-covered forest along Boulder Creek.
Carson Hot Springs in the Columbia River Gorge dates to 1876, when Isadore St. Martin developed the springs. The current resort includes the 1901 Hotel St. Martin, the 1923 bathhouse with original porcelain claw-foot tubs, and the outdoor therapy pool at a steady 104 F. The signature experience is the 25-minute bath plus 25-minute linen wrap, the heritage Pacific Northwest hot springs ritual.
The Washington hot springs we recommend first
National Park concession lodge
Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort
Only commercial hot springs inside Olympic NP. 3 mineral pools, 32 cabins, seasonal schedule from March 20 to November 1 at noon in 2026.
Year-round historic bathhouse
Carson Hot Springs
1901 hotel, 1923 bathhouse, claw-foot tubs and linen wraps. Year-round Columbia Gorge alternative when Sol Duc is closed.
Wild abandoned-resort
Olympic Hot Springs
Free wild Olympic NP hot springs. 11-mile RT via closed road and washed-out bridge bypass trail. Primitive.
All Washington hot springs in this guide
Washington
Olympic Hot Springs
Olympic National Park's wild abandoned-resort hot springs: an 11-mile round-trip route on a washed-out road and forest bypass trai
Washington
Carson Hot Springs Golf & Spa Resort
The Columbia River Gorge's historic hot springs resort: 1901 hotel, 1923 bathhouse with claw-foot tubs, and the original 25-minute
Washington
Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort
The only operating hot springs resort inside a US national park's wilderness area, set on the Sol Duc River under old-growth rainf
By region
Olympic Peninsula
Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort and Olympic Hot Springs in Olympic National Park. Goldmyer Hot Springs near North Bend is another important Washington option.
Columbia River Gorge
Carson Hot Springs Golf and Spa Resort, the year-round historic bathhouse.
When to visit
Washington's hot springs season splits sharply. Sol Duc is seasonal, with a 2026 operator schedule from March 20 through November 1 at noon. Olympic Hot Springs is physically accessible year-round but the road and trail conditions are best May through October. Carson Hot Springs runs every day of the year and is the answer for any Washington hot springs trip outside Sol Duc's window. For visitors who want to do both Sol Duc and Carson on one trip, summer is the only realistic season.
Where to stay for Washington hot springs
Start with the soak, then choose the town base that keeps the drive, dinner, and pool access simple. These links point to practical hotel searches near the main trip anchors.
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Stay near Carson
Use Carson Hot Springs Golf & Spa Resort as the trip anchor, then compare hotels or nearby town bases close enough for the soak, dinner, and the drive home.
Where to stay for Washington hot springs trips
Use these for resort access, walkable hotel zones, cabin options, and the stay-or-day-pass decision.
Questions visitors ask about Washington hot springs
When is Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort open?
The 2026 operator schedule runs from March 20 through November 1 at noon. There is no winter operation; this is the most important fact for visitors planning an Olympic National Park hot springs trip outside the main season. Carson Hot Springs is the year-round Washington alternative.
How do you get to Olympic Hot Springs?
The trailhead is at the end of the Olympic Hot Springs Road, accessed via US-101 west of Port Angeles. The road has been closed to vehicles for the last 8.5 miles, and bicycles or hiking is required for that section. A bridge along the closed road washed out and visitors must take a bypass trail through riverside forest. The total round-trip is 11 miles. Most visitors bike the closed road sections and walk the bypass and final 2.5-mile forest trail to the springs.
Are Washington hot springs clothing-optional?
Officially no, NPS regulations require swimsuits at Olympic Hot Springs, and Sol Duc and Carson both require swimsuits. In practice, clothing-optional culture is universal at the more remote Olympic Hot Springs pools. Sol Duc and Carson enforce the swimsuit requirement.
What is the bath and wrap at Carson Hot Springs?
The bath and wrap is the heritage Pacific Northwest hot springs ritual at Carson, unchanged since the 1920s. A 25-minute private porcelain claw-foot tub soak in unchlorinated thermal water, followed by 25 minutes wrapped in warm linen sheets on a cot. The bathhouse is divided into men's and women's floors with attendants of each gender. Prices range from $35 to $116 depending on whether you add a Swedish massage or paraffin treatment.
How far is Sol Duc from Seattle?
About 140 miles plus a Bainbridge Island ferry crossing, roughly 3.5 hours total. The ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island takes 35 minutes and runs frequently. From the Bainbridge ferry terminal, US-104 W and US-101 W lead to Port Angeles and then the Sol Duc Road into the park. Plan around ferry schedules; weekend afternoons in summer can mean ferry waits.
Are there hot springs in Seattle?
Not within Seattle proper. The closest major hot springs are Sol Duc (3.5 hours west across the ferry), Carson Hot Springs (3.5 hours south in the Columbia Gorge), Goldmyer Hot Springs (90 minutes east near North Bend, reservation-only wilderness), and Olympic Hot Springs (4 hours including the trail-in).