Fairmont Hot Springs Resort

What to expect

Fairmont Hot Springs Resort is a big, busy hotel complex in the flat valley between Butte and Anaconda, a few minutes off I-90. It is the opposite of a backcountry soak. You get a 153-room hotel, an 18-hole golf course, restaurants, a spa, lap lanes and a five-story enclosed waterslide, all built around hot water from a deep well.

The water comes up from a 600-foot well at about 160°F71°C. Staff blend it with cold water to bring each pool down to its target temperature, and the pools are chlorinated. The water carries calcium, magnesium, silica and other minerals but very little sulfur, so it has almost no smell.

The resort is also in the middle of the largest change to its pools since it was built in the 1970s. An $8.5 million project is replacing the old outdoor pools in two phases, and the indoor pools are next. If you last visited a few years ago, the outdoor deck will look different.

The pools

The resort lists eight pools in 2026, two indoor and six outdoor. Temperatures are averages.

• Indoor pool: a large 128 by 45 foot swimming pool at 88-94°F31-34°C, with a shallow end and a roped deep end.
• Indoor hot pool: 100-104°F38-40°C.
• Outdoor pool: the original big outdoor pool, about 165 feet long, at 88-94°F31-34°C.
• Outdoor hot pool: diamond-shaped, 100-104°F38-40°C.
• Adults-only soaking pool (new): two tiers with a waterfall, 102-104°F39-40°C.
• Family soaking pool (new): open to all ages, with a central water feature, 100-102°F38-39°C.
• Exercise pool (new): three lap lanes at 88-90°F31-32°C.
• Cold plunge (new): about 65°F18°C.

Phase 1, the four new pools on the north end of the outdoor deck, is open. Phase 2 is under construction now. It replaces the old outdoor pools with a family activity pool with a large waterfall, a runout lane for the waterslide and an overhead walking bridge, plus a splash pad for small children, a fire pit area and new cabanas. The resort is aiming to finish by late November 2026. Major work on the indoor pools is planned for summer 2027.

The waterslide is 350 feet long, fully enclosed and drops into the outdoor pool. It carries its own charge, and it is closed through Thanksgiving 2026 for the Phase 2 work.

Prices and booking

This is the part that surprises people: Fairmont does not sell day passes. The pools are open only to registered overnight guests, condo association guests, and pool or golf members. The resort says it simply cannot staff enough certified lifeguards and pool attendants in the Butte and Anaconda labor market to run public day use.

Your options:

• Stay the night. Every room carries a resort fee of $19 a night, which covers pool and waterslide access and Wi-Fi. Extra adults in a room are $15, children 12 and under stay free with their parents, and rollaways are $15 a night. Expect the 8% Montana lodging tax and a $2 tourism district tax on top. Check-in is 4pm and check-out 11am. Cancel at least 72 hours out or you pay the full rate.
• RV park and chalets. Guests there can use the pools from 8am to 11pm for a daily fee.
• Buy a membership. 2026 prices for a single adult are $175 for 3 months, $310 for 6 months and $570 a year. Seniors 60 and older pay $155, $285 and $500. A senior couple pays $260, $435 or $785, a married couple $285, $475 or $839, and a family of up to four at one address $500, $865 or $1,295. Ages 4 and up need their own membership. New memberships take 2 to 4 business days to activate, and none include the waterslide.

Hotel guests and members can use the pools from 7am to 11pm.

Rooms range from king or two-queen rooms with golf course views to an ADA double queen room with a walk-in shower, studios with kitchens, and multi-bedroom suites that sleep up to ten. Some suites have indoor access to the pools and restaurants. Book online or call 406-797-3241.

Pool rules

• Infants are not allowed in the hot pools. Floats are not allowed in the soaking pools or the deep ends.
• Alcohol must be bought on site, served in the resort’s own cups, and you can hold one drink at a time. Bring ID. Outside alcohol is removed.
• No glass, cans or coolers in the pool area or changing rooms. Bags may be checked.
• No smoking anywhere in the pool area, including the outdoor deck.

Getting there

Take I-90 exit 211, between Butte and Anaconda, and follow the signs about 3 miles to the resort at 1500 Fairmont Road. It is about 8 miles from the I-90 and I-15 interchange, so it works as a stop on any trip through Butte. The roads are paved all the way and the parking lot is large.

The closest airport is Bert Mooney Airport in Butte, with SkyWest flights to Salt Lake City. Rent a car there.

When to go

The resort is open every day of the year. Winter evenings in the outdoor soaking pools, with snow on the Pintler Range, are the main draw. Be aware that the outdoor pools and slide can close at short notice in winter for ice, high wind or low visibility.

Planned closures for 2026 include the indoor pools from November 1 to 6 and the waterslide through Thanksgiving. Check the resort’s pool closures page before you book a short stay.

Summer brings golfers and families. Weekdays are quieter than weekends in every season.

Where to stay nearby

Staying at the resort is the only way to soak here unless you hold a membership. If you want a cheaper base, Anaconda and Butte both have motels and restaurants, but you will not be able to use the pools from there. Discovery Ski Area is about 30 miles away for winter trips.

For a hot spring that does sell day passes, look at Boulder Hot Springs north of Butte, or head southwest to Elkhorn Hot Springs and Jackson Hot Springs in the Pioneer Mountains and Big Hole Valley.

Safety notes

• Hot pools: The adult soaking pool reaches 104°F40°C. Keep soaks short, drink water, and get out if you feel lightheaded, especially after a drink from the bar.
• Kids: Babies are not allowed in the hot pools because they overheat quickly. Watch young children near the deep ends, which are roped off for lap swimmers.
• Winter decks: Wet concrete freezes fast. Walk slowly between the indoor and outdoor pools.

History

Tribes camped by these springs long before settlement. Brothers George and Eli Gregson bought the springs in 1869 for $60, and for decades the place was known as Gregson Hot Springs, with a hotel, a plunge and a dance hall. Fires in 1914 destroyed several buildings, and the resort fell into disrepair and closed in 1971. Lloyd Wilder, of Fairmont Hot Springs in British Columbia, rebuilt it from 1972 and gave it the Fairmont name. We found no report of a recent sale of the Montana resort; the 2008 sale often mentioned online concerns the separate British Columbia resort.