Quinn's Hot Springs Resort

What to expect

Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort is a full-service resort built around hot water in a narrow stretch of the Clark Fork River canyon in western Montana. It is the opposite of a rustic soak. There are seven pools on a terraced deck, changing rooms with showers and lockers, a poolside bar, two restaurants, two lodges and more than 25 cabins, all in one compound along Montana Highway 135 near the small town of Paradise.

The pools come in two kinds. Five are fed by natural, flow-through mineral water from the springs, and the resort keeps them between 100°F and 106°F38°C and 41°C, with a 55°F13°C cold plunge for switching between hot and cold. Two more pools are salt-treated and held in the upper 90s to about 100°F38°C. Those are the family pools, and the only ones where toys and floats are allowed. The resort checks the water’s pH daily, posts it, and warns that it can irritate sensitive skin.

The setting does a lot of the work. The canyon walls are steep and forested, the river runs right past the property, and in winter the steam off the pools hangs in the cold air.

The pools and age rules

Quinn’s numbers its pools, and each has its own age rule:

• Pool 1: adults 18 and older only.
• Pools 2, 3 and 4: ages 14 and up.
• Pool 5: ages 5 and up, toilet trained.
• Pool 6: all ages. Babies need a swim diaper with waterproof pants.
• Pool 7: ages 3 and up, toilet trained.

Children under 5 may not go into water over 100°F38°C. There is no lifeguard. Kids under 14 and non-swimmers need an adult with them at all times, and the resort asks that children 5 and under stay within arm’s reach. The resort also asks soakers to limit themselves to 15 minutes in the water at a time.

Prices and booking

Day use. Visitors who are not staying overnight must book a swim session online in advance. Sessions run four hours: 8 a.m. to noon, noon to 4 p.m., or 4 to 8 p.m. The price is $21 per person Monday to Thursday and $23 Friday to Sunday, and since May 28, 2026 it is the same for every age. Bookings open on the first day of each month at noon Mountain time, up to four months out. Weekends and holidays fill early, and there is no wait list, though cancellations sometimes open spots.

Your card is charged at 10 p.m. three days before the session. Until then you can change or cancel through the “Manage My Swim Reservation” link; after that the booking is final. Bring the confirmation email and a photo ID. Questions go to 406-826-3150, extension 321.

Lodging. Rooms and cabins include pool access from 2 p.m. on arrival day until 1 p.m. on departure day. Lodging guests can soak from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., with 7 to 8 a.m. and 10 to 11 p.m. reserved for adults. Check-in is at 4 p.m. and check-out at 11 a.m. The resort publishes its room rates as a rate sheet and on its booking page, with taxes and fees included.

What to bring. Day visitors must bring their own towel. Fannie’s Gift Shop sells pool towels and swimsuits. Outside food and drink, including picnics, are not allowed anywhere on the property, but you can bring an empty water bottle and fill it at the station in the changing building. Glass is banned around the pools.

Rules and etiquette

• Shower before you get in. It is required.
• No diving, jumping, running or rough play, and no balls or throwing in any pool.
• No Bluetooth speakers. Use earbuds.
• No smoking or vaping in the pool area, including nicotine pouches.
• Food and drink only in designated areas. The poolside bar serves from 7 a.m. to 10:45 p.m.
• Do not soak drunk. The resort asks anyone under the influence to stay out of the pools.

Facilities

The changing rooms have walk-in showers, changing stalls, swimsuit spinners and lockers that open with your swim band. There is a family changing room and restroom that is wheelchair accessible. A pool lift is available and staff will help on request, an elevator runs from the ground floor to the pool deck, and a ramp leads to the pool check-in desk.

For food, the Harwood House Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a wine list that has been recognized by Wine Spectator. Dinner reservations are recommended. Quinn’s Tavern is the casual option, with draft beer, pool tables and sports on TV, open from 9 a.m. to midnight.

Getting there

Quinn’s is at 190 Montana Highway 135 in Sanders County. MT-135 runs along the Clark Fork River between Interstate 90 at St. Regis and Montana Highway 200 near Paradise, and the resort sits near the Paradise end.

• From Missoula: Take I-90 west to St. Regis, then follow MT-135 northeast along the river to the resort. Missoula International is the closest commercial airport.
• From Kalispell or Glacier National Park: Take US-93 south to Elmo on Flathead Lake, then MT-28 southwest to Plains, then MT-200 east to the MT-135 junction near Paradise. The resort says Glacier is about two hours away.

The highway is paved the whole way and open all year. There is parking on site.

When to go

Quinn’s is open year-round. Winter is the classic season: snow on the canyon walls, steam on the pools and a good reason to sit in 106°F41°C water. Weekend sessions fill early, so book as soon as your month opens. Summer is busy with families and river traffic, and the hottest pools are less pleasant on a 90°F32°C afternoon. For the quietest soak, aim for a weekday morning session or, if you are staying, the adults-only hour from 7 a.m.

Where to stay nearby

Most people stay on site. The resort has more than 25 canyon and riverside cabins plus two lodges, the River Lodge (opened in 2017) and the Glacier Lodge. Some cabins sleep families; the lodge rooms and river-view cabins are set up for two adults. A few cabins allow pets for a fee.

If you want a different soak the next day, the town of Hot Springs is northeast across the Flathead Reservation, with Symes Hot Springs Hotel, Big Medicine, Rose’s Plunge and Alameda’s.

History

The resort is named for Martin Quinn, an Irish immigrant miner who worked along the Clark Fork in the early 1880s. The resort’s own history says he noticed Native American groups gathering at a steaming outcrop on the mountainside, explored it, staked a claim, and built a house, bathhouses and sleeping quarters. Those buildings were the start of the resort that operates today.

Safety notes

• Heat: At 104 to 106°F40 to 41°C, the hottest pools will raise your heart rate fast. Keep to the resort’s 15-minute guideline and cool off between soaks.
• Health conditions: The resort advises pregnant guests and anyone with heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure to check with a doctor before soaking.
• Children: There is no lifeguard. Keep small children within reach and in the pools set aside for their age.
• Skin: The water’s pH is posted daily. Rinse off after soaking if your skin is sensitive.