The large pool. It may not look like much, but these hot, mineral waters are a godsend for townsfolk and wayward travelers alike!

After months of hot spring depravation, we finally found ourselves back at a beautiful, free hot spring. Unlike other wild springs that we’ve visited on this hot spring tour, the “Hobo Hot Pool” is a man made hot tub that is available to residents and visitors 24 hours a day.

Maybe we were sitting in the 110 degrees zone, but the large tub had us feeling like Goldilocks. It was just too hot!

At first, we weren’t sure we were in the right place, but when we pulled into the gravel drive and saw a plethora of campervans and RVs, we knew we had found what we were looking for. Quickly, we made our way to the change rooms (no nudity here, folks!), excited to finally get in a good soak. After all, we hadn’t hit a hot spring since we’d been in GUATEMALA, and here we were in Wyoming, having just emerged from the high altitude and cold temperatures of spring time in Colorado (we had even had a snow storm coming through a mountain pass). Emerging from the change rooms, we looked out on a large square pool about four feet deep. Adults lounged around the perimeter, dangling their feet over the edge or submerging themselves up to their waist as children swam and played in the center of the pool. Dipping our toes into the pool, we were shocked at how hot the water was. How were these children playing in here! Sitting on the edge, we slowly acclimatized our bodies to the heat. Within seconds our skin turned a bright shade of red and sweat beaded from our foreheads. Near the stairs leading into the pool, we spotted a small walled off pool: The Source, running at nearly 120 degrees F.

The locals informed us that the temperature in this tub averaged around 106 degrees Fahrenheit, but with the source so centrally located, and running at such scorching temperatures, we were certain that the water had to be hotter than 106! After chatting with another traveler who was on his way to an annual gun show - his vehicle full to the brim with deadly weapons - we decided to try the other tub. This smaller, kidney shaped tub was more crowded, but way more agreeable. We eased ourselves into the warm water and were soon occupied by warm conversation. One of the locals said that his favourite pool could be found dug into the side of the nearby North Platte River, but because the water was high from the snow melt, the riverside pool wouldn’t be ready to soak in until much later in the summer. After hours of shared stories and helpful hints for the road we reluctantly - as always - decided it was time to leave.

Saratoga the town isn’t much to write home about, but if you’re in the area, the Saratoga Hobo Hot Springs are a must! Just be sure not to confuse them with the Saratoga Hot Spring Resort, which although kind of cool, is definitely NOT free.

Cleanliness - 4
Amenities - 4
Exclusivity - 1
Scenery - 2
Community - 4
Camping - 1

As you can tell by the small crowd that had formed, this pool was “just right”…