Clothing-Optional Hot Spring Etiquette: Rules of the Pool
By Reto Pascal Wyss, NudistMap · Updated
At a clothing-optional hot spring, nudity is normal but never required, you rinse off before soaking, keep soap, glass and alcohol out of the water, and respect quiet. At wild, undeveloped springs the extra rule is leave no trace: pack out everything, keep the group small and do not camp on the pool edge.
What are the rules at a clothing-optional hot spring?
Developed springs post them at the entrance; wild springs rely on everyone knowing them:
- Nudity is optional, and the default at most springs in Idaho, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada. Nobody will ask you to undress; nobody should ask you to dress.
- Rinse before you soak where there is water to do it. No soap, shampoo or lotion in the pools, ever; they drain into creeks.
- No glass. Bring water in a bottle you can drop.
- Keep your voice down. People come for silence and stars.
- Ask before joining a small pool, and make room for others in a crowded one; ten to twenty minutes in a hot pool is plenty.
- Same rules as on a beach for photos, staring and touching. See nude beach etiquette.
- Night: a headlamp pointed at the ground, not at the pool.
What is different at wild and backcountry springs?
Most clothing-optional springs in the American West sit on National Forest or Bureau of Land Management land, with no staff and no infrastructure. Their status depends on people behaving: a wave of litter, parties or complaints is how springs end up closed or with a swimsuit rule. Pack out everything including food scraps, do not build new pools or move rocks, stay on the trail, do not camp or light fires within sight of the spring, keep dogs out of the water and go in small groups.
Check temperature before you step in. Some source pools are scalding, and water that is fine in October can be too hot in August. Watch for algae, and keep your head above water in warm, still pools.
Where are the best clothing-optional hot springs?
The Rocky Mountain states and the Pacific Northwest hold most of them. Goldbug and Jerry Johnson in Idaho are wild springs reached on foot; Orvis and Valley View in Colorado are developed, clothing-optional and family-run; Strawberry Park near Steamboat Springs is clothing optional after dark. The hot springs hub lists all of them with measured water temperatures where NOAA has them.
In Europe hot water usually means a thermal spa, where the German-speaking world's textile-free rule applies in the sauna area.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to be naked at a clothing-optional hot spring?
No. Clothing optional means both are fine. At a few private springs nudity is the house rule after a certain hour, which the spring's own site states.
Are children allowed at clothing-optional hot springs?
At developed springs usually yes, sometimes with a children's pool and family hours; a few are adults-only. At wild springs there is no rule, but hot water and small children do not mix, and the social norm is nudity.
Is it legal to be nude at a hot spring on public land?
On most National Forest and BLM land nudity is not a federal offence, so state law applies; in the Western states that usually requires lewd intent or an offended complainant. Posted swimsuit rules at specific springs override this. See our laws pages.
How long should I soak?
Ten to twenty minutes at a time, then cool off. Drink water. Avoid alcohol in the pool; it is banned at most developed springs and dangerous at wild ones.