Astoria Hot Springs Park

What to expect

Astoria Hot Springs Park sits on a bend of the Snake River a few miles south of Hoback Junction, at the north end of the Snake River Canyon. It is not a resort and not a wild spring. The land is owned and run by the Astoria Park Conservancy, a nonprofit, and ticket money goes back into the park. The setting is open meadow and riverbank under steep, forested canyon walls, and the pools are laid out so that most of them look toward the river.

There are six pools in total. Four use mineral water straight from the springs:

• Leisure Pool (100-102°F38-39°C): The biggest and coolest of the mineral pools, about the size of the old Astoria pool. This is where families and groups end up. It has a remote-controlled ADA water chair.
• Meadow Pool (102-104°F39-40°C): A hotter soaking pool beside the cold plunge, also with an ADA water chair.
• Waterfall Pool (102-104°F39-40°C): Part of the quiet zone, with a pour of water you can sit under on your shoulders and neck.
• River Pool (102-104°F39-40°C): Also in the quiet zone, perched above the Snake River. The park says it is the hottest pool.

The other two are the Children’s Pool, about 2 feet deep at 80-90°F27-32°C, and a Cold Plunge at 48-51°F9-11°C. Both of those use treated potable water with chlorine. The mineral pools are flow-through and chlorine-free, and the park runs a closed-loop filtration system so that pool water does not go back into the river untreated. The water carries magnesium, sulfur, calcium, potassium and sodium, among other minerals. Take off silver jewelry before you get in.

History

Hot water has been used here for a long time. The park’s own history says Robert Porter, who bought the land in 1960, finished a set of concrete pools in 1961, including a 40 by 80 foot main pool. The Gill family owned and ran the springs for decades and sold them in 1998 because it no longer paid its way, and the pools closed.

In 2012 a plan to clear the site for a luxury hotel prompted The Trust for Public Land to start a $6 million campaign to protect it. The Astoria Park Conservancy formed in 2018, finished that campaign, and became steward of the roughly 100-acre property in January 2020. The new pools, Welcome Center and Snack Shack opened in September 2020. The Jackson Hole News&Guide reported adult tickets at $14 that first season; prices have risen since. The board closed the pools in November 2020 as COVID-19 cases rose, then reopened them on January 1, 2021, by reservation only.

The conservancy is planning a second phase for the rest of the land, including trails, river overlooks and wetland restoration, but it had not set a completion date as of 2026.

Getting there

The address is 25 Johnny Counts Road, Jackson, WY 83001.

• From Jackson: Drive south on US-89/191 for about 13 miles to the roundabout at Hoback Junction. Take the exit for US-89/26 toward Alpine and the Snake River Canyon. After a few miles, turn off the highway at the historic red bridge and cross the Snake River to the park.
• From Alpine or Idaho Falls: Follow US-26/89 north up the Snake River Canyon. The red bridge is near the top of the canyon, shortly before Hoback Junction.

The main lot is right by the Welcome Center. RVs, campers, boats and all trailers must use the overflow lot, about a four-minute walk away, and anyone else can use it when the main lot is full. Watch for summer and fall road work in the Snake River Canyon; in October 2026 milling and paving on US-89 brought pilot cars and delays of 10 to 20 minutes on weekdays.

When to go

The park is open all year. Summer and the ski season are the busiest times, and weekend and afternoon sessions sell out. Weekday mornings are your best chance of a calmer pool. Winter is a good time to come: the pools steam in the cold and the canyon is often snowy.

The park is closed every Wednesday for pool cleaning and maintenance. It also closes occasionally for staff events, so check the website before driving down.

Prices and booking

Every visitor needs a ticket for one session, chosen when you book. 2026 prices:

Ticket	Standard	Local resident
Adult	$26.25	$18.75
Child (2-12)	$19	$13.50
Under 2	Free	Free

Resident rates apply to Teton County (Wyoming and Idaho), Sublette County and Lincoln County, with proof at check-in. Enrolled tribal members with a valid card can get free admission by calling 307-201-5925 or emailing the park ahead of time. The ticket covers all four mineral pools, the children’s pool, the cold plunge and the picnic areas, and you need one even if you only plan to sit on the lawn. Annual memberships for 2026 sold out.

Sessions last 1 hour 45 minutes, with 15-minute gaps for staff to reset. The current schedule is 9:00-10:45 a.m., 11:00 a.m.-12:45 p.m., 1:00-2:45 p.m. and 3:00-4:45 p.m. You can book back-to-back sessions. Each session is capped at 70 people. Book online through the park website; walk-ins are accepted only if space is left, and the park discourages them on busy days.

Rules and what to bring

• Swimsuits are required. The park does not sell them.
• Bring a towel, or rent a basic white one at the Welcome Center.
• No outside alcohol and no glass anywhere on site. The Snack Shack sells beer, hard seltzer and soft drinks.
• Outside food is fine, but keep it at least 10 feet from the pools.
• No dogs, not even in a parked car. This is a county ordinance.
• Wear sandals. The paths between pools are part paved, part gravel.
• Shower first. Changing room space is limited, so arrive ready to swim if you can.

Where to stay nearby

There is no camping or lodging at the park. Jackson, about 30 minutes north, has the widest range of hotels, though prices are high in summer and ski season. Heading south, Alpine at the bottom of the Snake River Canyon is a cheaper base, and the Bridger-Teton National Forest has campgrounds along the canyon. For a second soak in the area, Granite Hot Springs is under an hour away, east of Hoback Junction on US-189/191, in summer.

Safety notes

• Heat: At 102-104°F39-40°C, the hotter pools can make you dizzy if you stay in too long. Drink water; there is a filling station in the Welcome Center.
• Children: The children’s pool is only about 2 feet deep, but there is no promise of lifeguard cover, so keep an eye on young kids.
• Ice: In winter, wet paths and decks freeze. Walk carefully between pools.
• Large vehicles: Follow the signs to the overflow lot rather than squeezing a trailer into the main lot.