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DAY TRIP
TEXT BY HOLLY MATKIN PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED
f slipping into the relaxation of a steamy outdoor pool while soly-
falling snow disappears into the water around you sounds like the surefire
way to melt your wintertime blues away, it may be time to hit the road for
a trip to Fairmont Hot Springs Resort near Anaconda.
is easy-to-access hot springs location rests in the picturesque valley at
the base of the 158,000-acre Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness area just off of
Interstate 90 at the 211 Exit between the historic communities of Bue
and Anaconda.
e geothermal springs at Fairmont – known as the "Medicine Waters"
by the Native American tribes who camped near them long before
selers arrived in the West – originally bubbled to the surface in 12
separate hot pools.
Brothers Eli and George Gregson purchased the springs for $60 in 1869
and further established a claim to the 320 acres surrounding them. ey
proceeded to build the site's first two-story hotel, complete with five
bathing rooms and a plunge bath.
A Snowy Getaway to Fairmont Hot Springs Resort
Swimming in a
Winter Wonderland:
I