Clothing-Optional Hot Springs in the American West

The American West has more clothing-optional natural hot springs than any other region in North America. The combination of volcanic geology — California, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico all sit on geothermally active ground — and a permissive cultural tradition that goes back to indigenous use and the 1960s-70s naturism movement has produced a network of soaking destinations that span the spectrum from formal resorts to wild backcountry pools. This guide covers the established ones: where they are, what to expect, and how to plan a visit.

What Makes a Hot Spring Clothing-Optional

Three categories show up across the West.

Formal resorts with C/O policies. Properties like Harbin Hot Springs and Mi Kasa Hot Springs operate as resorts with structured access, day passes, and clear nudity rules. You can show up, pay, and soak with confidence about expectations.

Public lands with C/O tradition. Hot springs on national forest, BLM, or state forest land where clothing-optional use has been tolerated for decades. Deep Creek, Bagby, Terwilliger (Cougar), Umpqua, Goldbug, Spencer and many others fall in this category. The C/O status is informal but established.

Backcountry/wild springs. Hot springs that require serious hiking, often a full-day backcountry effort, and where clothing-optional is the cultural default by tradition. Conundrum Hot Springs, Sykes Hot Springs, and others fit this model.

The legal status varies. Most of these springs sit on public land where simple nudity isn’t a felony — at worst it’s a misdemeanor that’s rarely enforced when the spring is remote and the use is established. But the formal legal status is usually softer than it appears. Visit with respect for the community that’s kept these springs accessible.

California Hot Springs

California has the largest concentration of clothing-optional hot springs in the country, mostly in the eastern Sierra, the desert south, and the coastal range.

Deep Creek Hot Springs

Deep Creek Hot Springs is the best-known wild clothing-optional hot springs in Southern California. Located in the San Bernardino National Forest, it’s accessed via a moderate hike (a few miles each way) along Deep Creek itself. The pools are a series of natural rock basins fed by hot mineral water, with the cold creek nearby for temperature regulation.

The community is dedicated naturist hikers, often visiting in groups. Weekends bring crowds; weekdays are quiet. The hike in is the main filter that keeps the place feeling intentional.

Pack out everything you pack in. The Deep Creek community has worked hard to keep the springs accessible, and that depends on visitors maintaining the area. Don’t bring glass.

Harbin Hot Springs

Harbin Hot Springs in Lake County is the legendary clothing-optional retreat that burned in the 2015 Valley Fire and has been rebuilding gradually since. The current operation is smaller and more focused on the wellness-retreat side of the original Harbin experience.

Day passes available; overnight requires booking. Verify operating status before traveling. The atmosphere is philosophical naturism — quiet, meditative, healing-arts focused.

Mi Kasa Hot Springs

Mi Kasa Hot Springs in Desert Hot Springs is a small adults-only resort with natural mineral water pools fed from the local aquifer. The property is compact and quiet. Day passes available.

Buckeye Hot Spring

Buckeye Hot Spring is a wild hot spring in the Eastern Sierra near Bridgeport. The main pool is right next to Buckeye Creek; the water flows down a small waterfall into the creek, creating a temperature gradient. Free, public-land, no facilities. The community is dedicated soakers.

The hike in is short — maybe ten minutes from the parking area. The setting is dramatic Sierra meadow. Best season is summer and fall when access roads are open and the surrounding area is comfortable.

Sykes/Sespe Hot Springs

Sespe Hot Springs (California) is a backcountry destination in the Los Padres National Forest, requiring a serious multi-day hike. The springs are remote enough that visitors are usually dedicated backpackers who came specifically for them. Clothing-optional by tradition.

Oregon Hot Springs

Oregon has multiple clothing-optional hot springs, most in the Cascade Range east of the I-5 corridor.

Bagby Hot Springs

Bagby Hot Springs in the Mount Hood National Forest is accessed via a 1.5-mile hike through old-growth forest. The springs feed multiple wooden bath houses with both private and communal tubs. The water is naturally hot and pure.

The site is managed by a nonprofit and requires a daily-use fee. Reservations for private tubs are recommended; the communal tubs are first-come. Family-tolerant. Clothing-optional in the communal pools by tradition.

Umpqua Hot Springs

Umpqua Hot Springs is a tiered series of natural pools on the side of a ridge, fed by mineral springs. The hike up is a short but steep climb from the parking area. The pools have varying temperatures based on their position in the cascade.

Crowds can be heavy on weekends. Weekday visits are recommended. The setting is striking — a hillside overlooking forest, with the pools terraced down the slope.

Terwilliger (Cougar) Hot Springs

Terwilliger Hot Springs, informally known as Cougar Hot Springs, is in the Willamette National Forest. A short forest hike leads to a tiered series of pools, each warmer than the one above. The setting — old-growth forest, the sound of nearby Cougar Creek — is among the most beautiful in the Pacific Northwest hot springs scene.

A day-use fee applies. Family-friendly. Clothing-optional culture is well-established but the area has had period of stricter enforcement, so verify current status.

Colorado Hot Springs

Conundrum Hot Springs

Conundrum Hot Springs is the most famous backcountry clothing-optional hot springs in the United States. The hike in is 8.5 miles each way, with significant elevation gain, and requires an overnight permit from the Forest Service.

The reward is a series of natural pools at 11,200 feet, surrounded by the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. The clothing-optional culture is dedicated and consistent — anyone making the trek is committed to the experience. Permits are competitive in summer and need to be reserved well in advance.

This is a real backpacking trip, not a day soak. Conditioned hikers, proper gear, and serious altitude awareness are required.

Strawberry Park Hot Springs

Strawberry Park Hot Springs in Steamboat Springs is a developed hot springs facility that allows clothing-optional use after dark (after 6pm). During the day it’s a clothed facility; in the evening, the policy shifts. The setting is a series of stone pools along a creek, fed by natural hot springs.

Verify current operating policy — clothing-optional after-dark hours have shifted over the years.

Idaho Hot Springs

Goldbug Hot Springs

Goldbug Hot Springs in the Salmon-Challis National Forest is a hike-in series of natural pools at varying temperatures. The trail is steep — about a mile each way with substantial elevation gain. Clothing-optional culture is consistent and well-established.

The pools are nestled in a steep canyon, surrounded by basalt formations. The setting is dramatic. Crowds on weekends; weekdays are quiet. Camping near the trailhead extends the trip into a backpacking-style experience.

Other Idaho Springs

Idaho has several other clothing-optional hot springs in the central wilderness areas. Many require hiking and have informal C/O status. Local naturist groups and online hot-springs guides are better sources for these than this article.

New Mexico Hot Springs

The Jemez Mountains and Rio Grande Gorge concentrate New Mexico’s clothing-optional hot springs.

Spence Hot Springs

A series of natural pools in the Jemez Mountains, accessed via a short hike. Clothing-optional by tradition. The setting is canyon-side, with mineral pools at varying temperatures. Free, public lands.

Manby Hot Springs

Manby Hot Springs in the Rio Grande Gorge is accessed via a steep hike down the canyon wall. The pools are right at the river’s edge, with hot mineral water flowing into cold Rio Grande currents. The hike out is strenuous.

Black Rock Hot Springs

Black Rock Hot Springs, also in the Rio Grande Gorge, is a smaller and slightly less-visited alternative to Manby. Similar canyon descent, similar river-side pool experience.

San Antonio Hot Springs

A backcountry hot springs in the Jemez Mountains. Long hike in. Smaller crowds. Clothing-optional culture is established but the area has had varying enforcement.

Faywood Hot Springs

Faywood Hot Springs is a commercial property with both clothed and clothing-optional pools. The C/O section is well-marked and well-managed. Day passes available. The setting is southwestern desert with developed facilities.

Nevada Hot Springs

Spencer Hot Springs

Spencer Hot Springs in Lander County is a famous BLM-managed cluster of pools accessible by a short dirt-road drive. The setting is sagebrush high desert with views of the Toiyabe Range. Multiple pools at different temperatures. Clothing-optional by long tradition.

Camping is allowed in the surrounding BLM land. Visits often combine the springs with a night under the stars in the high desert. The closest town is Austin, NV — a small remote town that’s part of the experience.

Diana’s Punchbowl

A wild hot spring near Spencer, in Monitor Valley. Smaller and more remote. The pool is a deep mineral-water basin requiring careful entry. Clothing-optional by tradition.

Goldstrike Hot Springs

Goldstrike Hot Springs (Nevada) near Lake Mead is accessed via a moderate hike through a slot canyon. The setting is desert with multiple terraced pools. Worth the hike for the unusual desert-canyon hot springs experience.

What to Pack for a Hot Springs Trip

A few specifics beyond the standard packing list:

• Water shoes: most hot springs have rocky entries and submerged hazards. Cheap water shoes are protective.
• Sit-towels or sit-pads: the rocks around natural springs are often sharp or uncomfortable. A small towel or pad for sitting between soaks is useful.
• Extra water for hydration: hot springs dehydrate you faster than you’d think. Drink more than you think you need.
• Cold drinks if you’re not at altitude: nothing better than a cold drink between hot soaks.
• Soap: do not use soap in the pools themselves. If you need to wash, do it well away from the springs, on the bank or downstream.
• Trash bag: most wild springs have no service. Pack everything out.
• Headlamp: for evening or post-dark visits to springs that allow them.
• Altitude awareness: many western springs are at 5,000-12,000 feet. Watch for altitude sickness, especially at Conundrum.

Hot Springs Etiquette

The same etiquette principles apply as at beaches and resorts (see our etiquette guide), with a few hot-springs-specific additions.

Don’t dominate a pool. If a pool fits four people comfortably, don’t sprawl across it solo when others are waiting. Hot springs are shared resources.

Test temperatures before getting in. Some natural pools run very hot — over 110°F. Hand-test before submerging.

Don’t soap in the pools. Mineral water is sensitive to introduced substances. Soap, lotion, and sunscreen residue can damage the chemistry and the surrounding environment.

Quiet voices, especially in the evening. Hot springs have a meditative quality that loud conversation breaks. Keep your voice low.

No glass anywhere. Broken glass in or around hot springs is a serious injury risk.

Photography rules apply. Same as beaches and resorts: no photos of other people without explicit consent.

FAQ

Are hot springs in national forests legal to use nude? Mostly. Federal land managed by the Forest Service or BLM doesn’t have explicit prohibitions on simple nudity at remote hot springs. Enforcement is minimal at established C/O springs. The legal status is technically softer than the cultural status, but in practice, the community-maintained C/O springs operate without legal issues.

Are kids allowed at clothing-optional hot springs? Most public-land hot springs allow families. Resort hot springs vary — Mi Kasa is adults-only, Harbin currently is too. Public springs like Bagby and Cougar Hot Springs accept families with appropriate parental supervision.

Which hot spring is best for first-timers? Bagby Hot Springs in Oregon. Managed facility, short hike in, clear rules, friendly culture. Easiest entry to clothing-optional hot springs.

Which is best for serious backcountry experience? Conundrum Hot Springs in Colorado. Full backcountry trip with overnight permit, 8.5-mile hike each way, dramatic mountain setting.

Are these springs busy? Weekends are crowded at the most famous ones — Bagby, Cougar (Terwilliger), Umpqua, Spencer. Weekday visits are dramatically quieter. Winter visits are quieter still, though some access roads close.

What about safety from animals or weather? Mountain springs in summer have lightning risks; afternoon thunderstorms are common in the Rockies. Wildlife at remote springs (bears in the Pacific Northwest, mountain lions occasionally) is real but rare. Standard backcountry safety practices apply.

Is there a hot springs season? Most springs are accessible year-round, but access roads close in winter for high-elevation springs (Conundrum requires winter skis/snowshoes for the long hike). Summer is peak season, fall and spring are shoulder seasons with smaller crowds.

Related Guides

• How to Find Local Clothing-Optional Hiking Groups — many group hikes specifically target hot-spring destinations.
• Best Clothing-Optional Resorts in California — for combining a resort stay with hot springs day trips.
• Nude Beach Etiquette: The Unwritten Rules — the same etiquette applies at hot springs.

Featured Locations

The hot springs shortlist by region:

California:

• Deep Creek Hot Springs — Mojave wild springs.
• Harbin Hot Springs — Lake County retreat.
• Mi Kasa Hot Springs — Desert Hot Springs resort.
• Buckeye Hot Spring — Eastern Sierra wild spring.
• Sespe Hot Springs (California) — Los Padres backcountry.

Oregon:

• Bagby Hot Springs — Mt Hood managed.
• Umpqua Hot Springs — Cascades terraced pools.
• Terwilliger Hot Springs — Willamette NF.

Colorado:

• Conundrum Hot Springs — Maroon Bells backcountry.

Idaho:

• Goldbug Hot Springs — Salmon-Challis NF.

New Mexico:

• Manby Hot Springs — Rio Grande Gorge.
• Black Rock Hot Springs — Rio Grande Gorge.
• Faywood Hot Springs — commercial property.

Nevada:

• Spencer Hot Springs — Lander County BLM.