Hellie's TePee Pools

What to expect

Hellie’s TePee Pools is the building with the big dome at the north end of Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis. Inside and out, it runs on the same mineral water that pours over the park’s Rainbow Terrace, cooled to a range of soaking and swimming temperatures. Its website now calls it Tepee Pool and Spa, but most signs, locals and news reports still use the Hellie’s name.

It is a busier, more social place than the free State Bath House next door. Families come for the slide and the big indoor pool. Adults drift between the hot tubs, the steam room and the outdoor tubs. On a winter night the outdoor area steams hard and the hot tubs are the best seats in town.

The water smells of minerals and can feel slightly slick. That is normal in Thermopolis.

The pools

The operator lists two recreational pools, a children’s pool and five soaking tubs. In detail:

• Indoor pool: the main pool, with a waterfall, an indoor water slide that runs all year, and a shallow baby pool.
• Indoor hot tub: 100-105°F38-41°C.
• Indoor steam room and dry sauna: the steam room was redone in recent years; the sauna is cedar-lined.
• Outdoor pool: 94-98°F34-37°C, warm enough to swim in during most of the year.
• Outdoor hot tubs: three tubs at 98-105°F37-41°C under a canopy that shades them in summer.

The tall blue outdoor slide that stood beside the building from 1991 is gone. It only ran from Memorial Day to Labor Day, had been closed for two years, and was dismantled in January 2026 because resurfacing it was not practical. The manager told Cowboy State Daily a new water feature will go in its place. Other recent work includes new stairs to the indoor slide, a stronger slide pump, resurfaced pools and new lockers, with new stairs for the outdoor pools planned next.

Getting there

The pools are at 144 Tepee Street, inside Hot Springs State Park on the north side of Thermopolis.

• From downtown Thermopolis: Take Park Street over the Bighorn River bridge. At the three-way junction, turn left (north) onto Tepee Street. You pass the closed Star Plunge and the State Bath House, and the TePee dome is just beyond.
• From Casper or Riverton: Follow US-20 north through the Wind River Canyon into Thermopolis, then follow the state park signs.
• From Cody or Worland: Arrive on WY-120 or US-20 and follow the signs to the park.

Parking is free and next to the building.

When to go

The pools are open every day of the year. Winter is the best time for the outdoor tubs, when cold air and hot water make the contrast strongest. Summer brings the biggest crowds, especially road-trippers on the way to or from Yellowstone and Cody.

Mind the cleaning schedule. The indoor pool is cleaned every Tuesday night and the outdoor pool every Thursday, and each one is unavailable after 4 p.m. that day. If the outdoor tubs are the reason you are coming, avoid Thursday evenings.

Prices and booking

Day admission, from the operator’s 2026 price list with tax included:

• Ages 2 and under: free.
• Ages 3 and 4: $7.
• Ages 5 to 62: $15.50.
• Ages 63 and up: $12.50.
• Active military: $12.50.

There are group discounts, military discounts, and weekly, monthly and yearly memberships. All major credit cards are accepted. No booking is needed for a day visit; just pay at the desk.

Lockers cost $1 for a small one (13 by 17.5 inches) or $2 for a large one, plus a $5 deposit you get back when you return the key. The locker rooms have showers and changing areas. The pools also run swimming lessons and water aerobics classes; use the contact form on the website to ask about them.

Rules and etiquette

• Swimsuits are expected. This is a family pool.
• Shower before you get in and keep soap out of the water.
• Watch children near the slide and in the deep end. Ask staff about lifeguard coverage and age rules for the hot tubs and steam room.
• Leave glass in the car.
• Respect the time and space in the small outdoor tubs when it is busy.

Ownership and what may change

The Mecca family built the Tepee Pool in 1967. After a fire in 1975 it got the dome roof meant to echo a tepee. The Moriarity family took over in 1990 and named it Hellie’s after Helen Moriarity. In November 2023 it was sold to Wyoming Hot Springs LLC, which also runs Carson Hot Springs in Nevada and Jemez Hot Springs in New Mexico, and the state later chose the same company to run the park’s amenities.

The company has proposed a much larger rebuild, with the TePee turning more toward a spa. Those plans were on hold while the state and the former Star Plunge operator were in court. In July 2026 Wyoming State Parks announced a tentative agreement to end that case so the Star Plunge can reopen with a new long-term concessionaire. Expect changes at both pools in the next few years, and check prices before you go.

Where to stay nearby

There is no lodging at the pools. Two hotels inside Hot Springs State Park have their own mineral pools for guests, and Thermopolis has more motels a few minutes away. The state park itself is day use only, with no camping. Fountain of Youth RV Park, about 2 miles north of downtown on US-20, has RV sites, cabins and a large mineral pool of its own.

Safety notes

• Hot tubs at 105°F41°C: limit your time, drink water, and get out if you feel faint.
• Slippery surfaces: mineral water and winter ice make the outdoor deck slick. Wear sandals.
• Keep your head above water in the hot tubs.
• Scalding source water: the springs that feed the park come out of the ground well above 120°F49°C. Stay on the boardwalk at the Rainbow Terrace and keep children away from the runoff channels.

Nearby stops worth adding

The free State Bath House is a short walk away. Across the park, the Swinging Bridge looks back at the Rainbow Terrace, and the park’s bison herd grazes along the loop road. The Wind River Canyon drive on US-20 south of town is worth timing for good light.