Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of soaking season, and Memorial Day hot springs trips have become a tradition for anyone who’d rather kick off summer with a mountain soak than a backyard barbecue. The timing is perfect: high-elevation trails are finally shedding their snowpack, campgrounds are reopening after winter closures, and the crowds that will pack every trailhead by July haven’t arrived yet. If you’ve been waiting for the right long weekend to plan a hot springs trip, this is it.
This guide walks through the best Memorial Day hot springs to consider this year, why the holiday weekend is such a sweet spot on the calendar, and how to plan a trip that actually delivers the quiet, scenic soak you’re picturing instead of a crowded parking lot. Whether you’re chasing a primitive backcountry pool or want a resort-style weekend with a real bed at the end of the day, there’s a Memorial Day hot springs trip that fits.
Why Memorial Day Weekend Is a Turning Point for Soakers
Most of the country’s best hot springs sit at elevation, tucked into national forests and mountain drainages that stay snowed in through early spring. Memorial Day is the moment when a lot of that terrain finally becomes reachable again. Access roads that were gated or buried in April start clearing out, seasonal campgrounds flip their signs to “open,” and rivers running high with snowmelt add a dramatic backdrop to springs that sit right along the bank.
It’s also a gear-shift moment for soakers. You get the tail end of a quiet shoulder season combined with the first long weekend of true summer weather at lower elevations. That combination is hard to find any other time of year — by July, the same trails you’d have mostly to yourself in late May are lined with cars.
Timing matters, though. Not every spring plays nice with a Memorial Day visit. Some high-elevation soaks are still snowed in depending on how heavy the winter was, while low-desert springs are often already uncomfortably hot to hike to by midday. Part of planning a good Memorial Day hot springs weekend is picking springs that hit the sweet spot for late May — snow cleared, temperatures still reasonable, water levels dramatic rather than dangerous.
Best Hot Springs to Visit This Memorial Day
Here’s a mix of primitive, developed, and resort-style springs that tend to be at their best right around the holiday weekend — organized by how much effort and infrastructure you want on your trip.
Primitive and Free Hot Springs Worth the Trip
If your idea of a good Memorial Day is a hike, a river crossing, and a pool with no one else around, these are the springs to target.
Goldbug Hot Springs, high in Idaho’s Salmon River Mountains, is one of the most photographed backcountry soaks in the country for good reason. A series of pools cascades down the mountainside, each one offering a slightly different temperature and a sweeping view of the canyon below. Late May is when the trail is usually clear enough to hike comfortably without post-holing through leftover snow, while the creek below is still running loud and full from runoff.
Discover Goldbug Hot Springs — plus GPS directions, trail conditions, and community reviews — in the Soakr app. Download free for iOS
Conundrum Hot Springs, outside Aspen, Colorado, is a bucket-list backcountry soak set in a high alpine basin with jagged peaks on every side. It requires a real backcountry commitment and a permit, and Memorial Day timing can go either way depending on snowpack — some years the approach is clear, other years you’re still crossing snowfields well into June. Check current conditions before you commit a whole weekend to it.
Spencer Hot Springs in central Nevada couldn’t be more different — a wide-open, high-desert soak with a series of pools scattered across a hillside and long views in every direction. It’s an easy one to pair with a Memorial Day camping trip since there’s no permit hoops and the desert terrain is generally free of snow by late spring.
Deep Creek Hot Springs in Southern California rewards a hike through rugged canyon terrain with pools set right along a flowing creek. It’s popular enough that a holiday weekend will bring company, but the setting is worth sharing.
Explore these primitive springs — with trail details, current conditions, and offline maps — in the Soakr app. Download Soakr free for iOS
Developed Hot Springs for Easy Access
If you’d rather spend your Memorial Day weekend soaking than hiking, these developed springs offer natural pools with minimal infrastructure and a much easier approach.
Strawberry Park Hot Springs, tucked into a forested valley near Steamboat Springs, Colorado, is one of the most beloved developed springs in the country. Multiple stacked rock pools sit along a creek, shaded by pines, with a relaxed evening atmosphere that regulars return for year after year. It’s a natural pairing with a Memorial Day weekend in the Rockies.
Kirkham Hot Springs, along Idaho’s Payette River, is a roadside classic — a string of natural pools right beside the river, easy enough to reach that it makes a great first stop on a longer soaking road trip. Late May often means the river is running high and fast, which makes for a striking contrast against the warm pools.
Terwilliger Hot Springs (also known as Cougar Hot Springs), tucked into an old-growth forest in Oregon’s Cascades, features a series of terraced pools connected by a short trail. The setting — moss-covered rock, towering trees, a creek running below — is the kind of place that makes you understand why people build entire trips around a single spring.
Bagby Hot Springs, also in Oregon, blends rustic wooden soaking tubs with a genuinely old-growth forest setting. It’s a longtime favorite for a reason, and Memorial Day timing usually lines up well with the forest access road reopening for the season.
Find current access details and community check-ins for these developed springs in the Soakr app. Download free for iOS
Resort and Commercial Hot Springs for a Full Weekend
If you want a Memorial Day hot springs trip with a real bed, a hot shower, and zero hiking required, resort and commercial springs are the move.
Glenwood Hot Springs, in the mountain town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, anchors an entire weekend getaway with soaking pools, nearby lodging, and a walkable downtown to fill out the rest of your itinerary.
Mystic Hot Springs, in central Utah, pairs a collection of naturally warm pools — including a few unusual vintage soaking tubs — with a laid-back, off-the-grid feel that still comes with real amenities.
Granite Hot Springs, near Jackson, Wyoming, sits in a stunning setting close to Grand Teton National Park, making it an easy add-on if your Memorial Day trip already has you in the area for hiking or wildlife watching.
Discover Glenwood, Mystic, Granite, and 2,000+ more hot springs — with GPS directions, real-time conditions, and community reviews — in the Soakr app. Download Soakr free for iOS
Planning Your Memorial Day Hot Springs Weekend
A holiday weekend trip takes a little more forethought than a random Tuesday soak. Here’s what actually matters.
Beat the Crowds
Memorial Day is one of the three or four busiest hot springs weekends of the year, right alongside July 4th and Labor Day. Popular, easy-access springs will see a lot of traffic. If solitude is the goal, lean toward springs that require more effort to reach, and plan to arrive early in the day — the difference between a sunrise soak and a mid-afternoon arrival on a holiday weekend can be the difference between having a pool to yourself and waiting in line for a spot.
Dress for Two Seasons
Late May is a transition month almost everywhere hot springs are found. You might be hiking in short sleeves at the trailhead and standing in leftover snow an hour later if you’re headed to anything at higher elevation. Layer accordingly, and always check current conditions before you commit to a specific trail — a spring that was fully accessible last Memorial Day might still be snowed in this year, or vice versa, depending on how the winter went.
Pack Like You’re Camping, Even If You’re Not
Even if you’re staying somewhere with real walls, treat a Memorial Day hot springs trip like a camping trip in terms of preparation. Water levels are often high and fast from runoff, weather can shift quickly at elevation, and cell service disappears fast once you’re off the highway. A few extra layers, real footwear for the approach, and a plan for changing weather go a long way.
If you’re pairing your soak with an actual overnight camping trip, our hot springs camping guide covers how to plan the whole trip, and our hot springs etiquette guide is worth a read before you go — Memorial Day weekend is exactly when a crowded pool tests everyone’s manners.
Make It a Road Trip
Because Memorial Day timing works well across so many mountain states at once, it’s a great weekend to string together more than one spring instead of committing to just one destination. Idaho alone is worth a dedicated trip — it’s home to more hot springs than almost any other state, and our Idaho hot springs guide breaks down the best of them by region. Colorado, Oregon, and Wyoming all offer similarly rich clusters if you’d rather stay closer to the Rockies or Cascades.
If you’re the type who wants to turn a long weekend into a proper multi-stop itinerary, our hot springs road trip guide lays out how to sequence multiple springs into one trip without over-planning it, and our best time to visit hot springs guide goes deeper on how seasonal timing affects specific springs throughout the year — useful if you’re trying to decide between a Memorial Day trip and waiting a few weeks longer.
Traveling with the family this Memorial Day? Not every spring on this list is a great fit for kids — check our family-friendly hot springs guide for picks that are easier on little legs and don’t require technical stream crossings.
Ready to Plan Your Memorial Day Soak
Every spring mentioned here — plus over 2,000 more hot springs across the country — is in the Soakr app, with GPS directions, community check-ins, real-time conditions, photos, and offline maps so you can find the right soak no matter where your Memorial Day weekend takes you. Instead of guessing which access road is open or which pool is packed, you’ll know before you leave the driveway.
Discover the best Memorial Day hot springs near you, get GPS directions, and see real-time community conditions in the Soakr app. Download Soakr free for iOS