Chico Hot Springs Resort

Historic hot springs resort in Paradise Valley with geothermal soaking pools, a legendary dining room, and rustic lodge accommodations dating back to 1900.

Chico Hot Springs Resort has anchored the southern end of Montana's Paradise Valley since 1900, when founders William and Percie Knowles opened the Chico Warm Springs Hotel near the base of Emigrant Peak. Long before their three-story wooden lodge was constructed, local miners used the natural geothermal waters to wash their clothes, a practice recorded as early as 1865 by miner John S. Hackney. Under the Knowles family, the property transformed from a rustic boarding house into a celebrated wellness retreat. Following William's death, Percie hired Dr. George A. Townsend in 1912 to establish a fully functioning medical hospital on-site, leveraging the mineral-rich waters to treat everything from skin ailments to inflammatory conditions. The resort teetered on ruin in the mid-twentieth century until Mike and Eve Art purchased and began restoring the property in 1973. It was later owned by long-time manager Colin Davis and his wife Seabring, before its acquisition by DiamondRock Hospitality in 2023, with operations now overseen by EOS Hospitality. Today, the resort retains its historic Georgian-inspired architecture and Craftsman-style interiors, sprawling across a historic 153-acre resort core and an adjacent 595-acre ranch.

The heart of the resort remains its two open-air geothermal soaking pools, which are fed by natural spring water that emerges from the ground at 113 degrees Fahrenheit. Rich in sodium, calcium, silica, and magnesium, the thermal water is channeled into a large, family-friendly pool maintained at a comfortable 96 degrees Fahrenheit, and a smaller, covered soaking pool that hovers around a steamy 103 degrees Fahrenheit. A beloved local insider routine is to soak at 7:00 AM, just after the pools have been drained and refilled overnight with fresh, pristine mineral water. Guests can move between the pools and the adjacent historic saloon, where live music frequently plays on weekends. Overnight accommodations across the property total 117 rooms, offering a wide spectrum of lodging styles. Guests can choose the nostalgic simplicity of the main lodge, where historic third-floor rooms feature antique brass beds and shared hallway bathrooms, or opt for more modern privacy in the resort's detached cabins, luxury chalets, and nearby ranch houses.

Dining at Chico is an esteemed Montana tradition, spearheaded by the Historic Dining Room. The culinary program gained legendary status under chef Larry Edwards in the 1970s, who introduced signature dishes like Beef Wellington and the famous Flaming Orange. This dramatic dessert, a hollowed-out orange filled with chocolate and orange ice cream, crowned with meringue, and set ablaze tableside with high-proof rum, remains a staple of the menu. Today, the kitchen continues to honor these classic recipes while introducing contemporary dishes that utilize fresh herbs and vegetables grown year-round in the resort's on-site, geothermally heated greenhouses, a cultivation method first pioneered on the property by a miner named Randall in 1876. For more casual fare, Percie's Poolside Grille serves burgers, flatbreads, and local trout right next to the water, ensuring that the resort's celebrated hospitality remains accessible to both overnight guests and day-soakers alike.

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