4 Of The Midwest's Best Hot Springs To Escape The Cold Weather

When you need to warm up from the cold weather, there's nothing like a natural hot spring. Hot springs occur when geothermal heat causes groundwater to rise up to the surface, creating a natural "hot tub." Soaking in hot springs is a longstanding practice, dating back thousands of years. While there have been many health claims about the benefits of hot springs, today, most agree that the mineral-rich waters simply feel soothing and make for a cozy soak. 

Many of America's best hot springs are located in western states, including California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. However, you can find hot springs in other regions of the country, too — including in the Midwest. Hot springs are created by shifting tectonic plates, so it makes a lot of sense that they're more common in the mountainous western area of the country, which is closer to the edges of the North American tectonic plate. The Midwest is far from any tectonic plate edges, so hot springs are less common there, as are other tectonic-related phenomena such as earthquakes. 

For this guide, we combed through online travel guides, Tripadvisor, and Reddit's r/travel to find four active and fascinating hot springs in the Midwest where you can warm up in cold weather. (They also happen to be the only natural hot springs in the Midwest that are still active.)

In the mid-1800s, several small towns in Southern Indiana became known for their mineral springs. Advertising compared the mineral waters to the "Elixir of Life," and resorts popped up around them, offering wealthy travelers a place to recuperate in comfort. Today, two of those resorts remain: West Baden Springs Hotel and the French Lick Hotel, both part of French Lick Resort, a lavish casino with Vegas-style gaming. 

While you can't drink or swim in the mineral waters anymore, you can book a spa treatment that makes use of them. The Historic Signature Pluto Bath treatment at the Spa at French Lick Hotel offers a 25-minute soak for $125 and invites guests to "Relax in a private tub and soak in the same mineral spring waters that made this hotel famous in the 1800s." Prices for French Lick Resort currently start at around $250 per night. However, you do not need to be a guest to book a treatment at the hotel spa.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Original Springs Hotel & Bathhouse was created in 1867 when founder Rudolph Plegge discovered that his well water "rusted" tin, thanks to the presence of sulfur, magnesium, and other minerals. He opened a bathhouse and later a resort on the site, which became a popular health destination through the early 1930s. The current hotel was purchased and modernized in the 1960s. 

Until recently, the hotel continued to operate, offering access to affordably-priced rooms (starting at around $83 a night) and the mineral spring spa, with admission priced at $35. "The 'Mineral Bath' is a nice experience harkening back to times gone by," wrote one Tripadvisor reviewer in 2024. "My wife and I personally hope we never lose little gems like this that allow us to experience what our forebears have experienced." The hotel temporarily closed for renovations beginning in October 2025 and, at the time of writing, has not yet announced a reopening date.

The aptly-named city of Hot Springs, South Dakota, is located in the southern part of the Black Hills and offers hot springs, fossil history, and small-town creative charm. Per local news source SDPB, evidence shows that the Indigenous peoples of the region, including the Lakota and Cheyenne, made use of the thermal waters. In 1881, a group of men who had originally come to the area during the Gold Rush decided to form the town of Hot Springs and open a resort. The area's hot springs and bathhouses became a popular tourist attraction in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Today, Moccasin Springs Natural Mineral Spa is one of just two hot springs that are still in operation. Visitors can soak in six outdoor, natural mineral spring pools that range in temperature from 80 to 105 degrees, including the 1913 Pool, which was built in 1913. Soak passes start at $29 for two hours. "This place is absolutely phenomenal...magical even," writes one Google reviewer. "Staff is friendly and helpful, place is clean, quiet, and just an all-around 110% perfect place to go relax."

Less than a mile away from Moccasin Springs Natural Mineral Spa, you'll find Evans Plunge Mineral Springs. This spot has a long history. Founder Fred Evans built the first tourist structures and began marketing the mineral springs as a cure-all in the 1890s, making it the oldest still-operating tourist attraction in the Black Hills. The current building was built in the 1970s.

The City of Hot Springs purchased Evans Plunge in 2013. Today, tickets cost $19 for adults aged 19 and up, with discounts available for children and large groups. You'll find a large pool fed by a thermal spring, with slides and pool toys to keep kids entertained and a sauna and steam room for adults. One Google reviewer describes it as "a natural hot springs turned into a city recreation center, but still capturing the historical preservation," adding, "The kids would have stayed all day..."

We began by researching hot spring locations in the Midwest via resources including HotSpringsJourneys.com, UltimateHotSpringsGuide.com, Tripadvisor, and Reddit's r/travel. We defined the Midwest as consisting of twelve states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Despite the fact that there are very limited hot springs in the Midwestern states, we used Google reviews, Reddit, Tripadvisor, and local news sources such as SDPB to confirm that the spots listed here are active, worth visiting, and are open to the public or plan to re-open soon.