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Texas, 1 public soaking site

Hot Springs in Texas

Texas has one agency listed soak, the primitive riverside spring in the Hot Springs Historic District of Big Bend National Park.

1
Sites listed for soaking
run by National Park Service
Set by site
Fees
each one quoted from the agency page
9
Thermal springs on NOAA’s list
hottest listed feature 117 F
September 22, 2026
Agency pages read
each quote links the page it came from
Site by site

Public hot springs in Texas

One hot spring in Texas is listed for soaking by the agency that runs it. Each card below carries that agency’s own fee, season, access and rules, quoted and linked, as the page read on September 22, 2026. A fee line that says nothing about cost is written as a question for the managing office rather than as free.

Hot Springs Historic District hot spring

Primitive spring

National Park Service, Big Bend National Park

FeeCheck fees with Big Bend National Park
AccessA two mile rough, narrow gravel road leads to the trailhead, then a 0.5 mile round trip walk; motor homes and oversize vehicles are barred from the one way road sections.
Waterabout 105 F
  • Soak only; no soaps or oils.
  • No alcohol and no glass containers.
  • No overnight camping near the spring.
  • Do not buy from vendors on the Mexican side of the river.
J.O. Langford's impressive bathhouse is long gone; today the spring is contained by the foundation remains of the bathhouse, on the north bank of the Rio Grande.
Soak in the Hot Spring, Big Bend National Park, National Park Service, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Be respectful of others; soak only, and use no soaps or oils.
National Park Service on Hot Springs Historic District hot spring. Read it at the source
Alcoholic beverages and glass containers are prohibited.
National Park Service on Hot Springs Historic District hot spring. Read it at the source
Overnight camping in the area of the Hot Springs is prohibited.
National Park Service on Hot Springs Historic District hot spring. Read it at the source
It is illegal to purchase items from vendors operating on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande.
National Park Service on Hot Springs Historic District hot spring. Read it at the source
Be aware that some hot springs can burn you either with the scalding effects of heat or the caustic nature of the water chemistry.
National Park Service on Hot Springs Historic District hot spring. Read it at the source
Swimming is not recommended; be aware that adjacent river currents and depths can be unpredictable.
National Park Service on Hot Springs Historic District hot spring. Read it at the source
When the Rio Grande floods, muddy water flows over the spring, often submerging it.
National Park Service on Hot Springs Historic District hot spring. Read it at the source
A small waterfall pouring between two pale boulders into a clear green pool, with steam drifting off the top of the fall
The falls and a lower pool at Goldbug Hot Springs, Idaho. The first quarter mile of the trail crosses private property on a public easement, and the BLM asks for dogs on a leash there. “Goldbug Hotsprings (25920311177)”, BLMIdaho, Public domain
How many springs

Thermal springs counted in Texas

NOAA’s Thermal Springs List for the United States counts 9 thermal features in Texas, the hottest listed at 117 F, out of 1661 across 23 states. The count is a measure of geology: Natural surface hydrothermal features (springs, pools, mud pots, mud volcanoes, geysers, fumaroles and steam vents) at 20 C (68 F) or warmer; temperatures are the maximum reported surface reading. Most sit on remote ground, on land with no public access, or too hot to approach, which is why the soaking list above is the shorter one. The hottest reading can belong to a fumarole or a steam vent rather than a pool.

Thermal Springs List for the United States, compiled by George W. Berry, Paul J. Grim and Joy A. Ikelman, NOAA Key to Geophysical Records Documentation No. 12, 1980; published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (formerly the National Geophysical Data Center). Data file read September 22, 2026: the thermal springs list and its documentation. Every state’s count is on the national table.

The water

What the CDC and the Park Service say about soaking

Two hazards come up in every agency’s own words: what lives in warm water, and how hot the ground and the water can be. Both are quoted below as the agencies write them, and they apply at every site above.

Always keep your head above water in hot springs and other naturally hot (geothermal) water.
CDC, Preventing Brain Infection When Swimming, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Naegleria fowleri lives in soil and warm freshwater lakes, rivers, ponds, and hot springs around the world.
CDC, Naegleria fowleri Infections, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Hold your nose shut or use a nose clip if you jump or dive into the water.
CDC, Preventing Brain Infection When Swimming, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Avoid digging in, or stirring up, sediment in shallow fresh water. Naegleria fowleri amebas are more likely to live in sediment at the bottom of lakes, ponds, and rivers.
CDC, Preventing Brain Infection When Swimming, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
All thermal waters contain organisms that may cause illness, including skin rash, gastrointestinal illness (vomiting and diarrhea), or other infections that can be life-threatening.
National Park Service, swimming in Yellowstone, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Burns from thermal features are a common cause of serious injury and death in the park. The ground surrounding these features may look solid, but it can be just a thin crust with super-heated water below.
National Park Service, Yellowstone safety, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Even thermal runoff can be extremely hot and cause burns.
National Park Service, Yellowstone safety, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Toxic gases may accumulate to dangerous levels in some hydrothermal areas. If you begin to feel sick while exploring a geyser basin, leave the area immediately.
National Park Service, Yellowstone safety, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Pets are not allowed in thermal areas or on boardwalks, even if they're on a leash or carried in arms, strollers, or backpacks.
National Park Service, Yellowstone safety, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

Texas hot springs questions

Hot springs in other states

First snow in TexasWhen the first snow usually falls in Texas, the start of the season for a warm soak.Hot springs by statePublic soaking sites in every state, Hot Springs National Park and Yellowstone, and NOAA's thermal springs counts.

Compiled September 22, 2026 from National Park Service pages, one per site, each linked beside its quote and read on September 22, 2026. Site types above: primitive spring. Fees, seasons and access change between seasons, a spring can be closed by flood, fire or repair at short notice, and a soak is at the soaker’s own risk, so the managing office is the one to check before a trip. Every state is in the national hot springs guide.