Thermopolis / Hot Springs County

[jonathangreen]

Hi folks - my name is Jonathan Green, and I'm a newspaper reporter in Thermopolis, which is the county seat of Hot Springs County, one of the three "target" counties here and also one of the smallest (both in population and area).

I followed the FSP but it dropped off my radar when an eastern state was selected. In January I moved here to take the newspaper job, wanting to return to my native Wyoming. I have only recently heard of FSW.

I can answer... or find the answer to... any queries about the area. I'd be interested in chatting with anyone already here or who is interested in coming to the area.

Cheers,

J. Green

[MamaLiberty]

Welcome to FSW, and I'm so glad you made it back home to Wyoming!

I'm happily living in Newcastle, but would like to visit Thermopolis one day. I love hot mineral springs. Some of my family used to operate a mineral springs spa in Southern California and I have lots of fond memories of it.

I have a question about that. Are all the springs there set up as spas or are there some a person could just get into without all the fru-fru and expense?  ...though I'd love a good massage. 

[Seniortech]

Mama,
Johnathon will probably tell you all about this, but I went there last year and there is
a public bath house where you can get in the hot water free if you bring your own bathing
suit and towel.  You can rent a towel and suit for a dollar each.  Very enjoyable.

[jonathangreen]

Seniortech is right: the treaty signed by the Indians here a little over a century ago guaranteed perputual free use of the spring water here. There are two private bathing facilities, as well, which charge $10/day. The state bath house is free, but they run you out after 20 minutes (or so says their policy). If you go to the state house you can only go inside or outside during a given trip, not both, and the private baths where you could set your own temperature are now gone in favor of a single indoor and outdoor pool. (A single private room is maintained for handicap folk.) The Holiday Inn here does offer massages, though.

[MamaLiberty]

Thanks! $10. for a whole day is nothing! I'm surprised. At our spa in the late 1940s and early 50s, the day rate was several hundred dollars (in real money) and included a massage, facial and mud pack, plus bottled mineral water to take home. It was considered a bargain then too.

It's not a good idea to stay in the hot mineral water for more than 20 minutes at a time, but it's wonderful to be able to get out and cool off, then go back in. Depends on the temperature, of course. The private ones sound like a bargain and a half! Now I just have to figure out what the going rate for the massage is. <G>

Of course, I'd spend a fortune in gas just getting there... sigh

[jonathangreen]

Well, the two private joints aren't to be confused with "spas" in the sense you're getting at. They're more like waterparks that happen to have hot mineral water. Both have a few slides and hot tubs, as well as a vapor room and of course, the warm pools. But no spa treatments. For those you'd have to look into the Holiday Inn. As much as I'd love a massage I'm perennially broke, so I've never even bothered to look into their pricing. But given what the market will bear here I'd bet they're pretty reasonable.

[MamaLiberty]

Oh, I wasn't looking for the VIP treatment for $10. -- just savoring some fond memories. I worked summers in the bath house as a teen ager and we got to enjoy the pools ourselves after hours. It's been a very long time!

I'll have to put this trip on my list of must dos for the near future.

[wyomiles]

Howdy Jonathan, glad you found us.