Hot springs near Seattle

Goldmyer is the hot spring you plan two months ahead, so learn the system first. A nonprofit, volunteer-managed preserve, it lets in 20 visitors a day through a monthly lottery: enter in January for March dates, and if you win, confirm by phone within one business day. Adults pay $30. The road in needs AWD or 4WD with 8-9 inches of clearance, then it's 4.5 to 5 miles each way on the Dutch Miller Gap trail. Skip the Middle Fork Trail route and its creek crossings. Walk-ins are first come and need exact cash. Some visitors soak nude.

Two hot sources feed the tubs at Scenic, Lobster at about 118-122 F and Bear Den at about 111-114 F at the source, on private land about two hours from Seattle. Getting in takes a reservation, with no walk-ins and caretakers patrolling daily, plus legs for a 2-mile trail that climbs 1,100 feet. It's $30-35 a person depending on season. Visits run dawn to dusk only, the person booking must be 18 or older, and no children under six. Clothing-optional is the norm in the pools and often on the trail. In winter, pack snow gear and bring 4WD or chains for the drive.

Know this first: the park doesn't test or treat these pools, warns they may carry high levels of fecal coliform bacteria, and leaves bathing at your own risk. They're natural, unmaintained seeps in the Elwha River Valley wilderness, and getting there is a day's outing. Flood damage closed the road to cars at Madison Falls, so you hike or bike about 9 miles to the Boulder Creek trailhead, then walk 1.5 to 2.5 miles more, where bikes aren't allowed. A bike makes the road miles go quickly. The $30 park entrance fee applies, overnight trips need a wilderness permit, and nudity is common.

Reopened as a hotel after years closed, Bonneville is the indoor, family-friendly option: mineral-fed indoor pools and hot tub, an outdoor hot tub, a kiddie pool, a sauna and a 37 F cold plunge for the brave. The indoor mineral pool and hot tub are listed at about 86 F, closer to a warm bath than a scald. Day passes come in one- and two-hour lengths, online or at the door, but they don't publish the price, so check before you go. Public pool hours are 12 to 7 p.m. daily, with adult swim 8 to 10 p.m. Under-18s stay out of the outdoor hot tub. Towels rent for $3.

The reason to come to Carson is the 1930s bathhouse: clawfoot tubs filled with mineral water pumped straight in, a 25-minute soak, then a 25-minute linen wrap. Non-guests can also buy an hourly pass to the mineral therapy pool at about 104 F, $19 for an hour or $31 for two, and the bath alone starts at $27. The spa and bathhouse open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Bring photo ID, and leave the kids with someone: under-18s aren't allowed in the soaking tub or bathhouses. Lodging and a golf course are on site if you'd like to make a night of it.

Sol Duc is the tidy, tested side of Olympic soaking: three mineral pools at 99, 101 and 104 F plus a freshwater pool, run by the park's concessioner and tested daily. Sessions last 1.5 hours and cost $19 an adult, with the $30 park entrance fee on top. It's seasonal, March 20 to October 31 in 2026, so plan a summer or shoulder-season trip. Pools open at 8 a.m., and closing time shifts with the season. Stay in a cabin and pool use comes with it, or book one of the 82 sites at the NPS campground on recreation.gov.

Across the water from Anacortes on the Orcas ferry, Doe Bay's soaking tubs sit on a creek-side deck above Otters Cove, with a sauna, outdoor showers and a garden lawn. They're resort hot tubs, and the resort doesn't claim a natural hot spring, so come for the island setting. Communal sessions ($30 an adult for 3.5 hours) are for lodging guests only. Everyone else can rent the private spa at $150 per 90 minutes for up to 15 people, offered last-minute midweek when there's room. It's clothing optional in every session, and pets stay home.