Hot Springs in Alabama | Are There Hot Springs

Are there hot springs in Alabama?

No. There are no natural hot springs anywhere in Alabama. Its best-known springs, the four mineral wells at Bladon Springs in Choctaw County, come out of the ground cool, and visitors came for their minerals rather than their heat. The old spa grounds have been a state park since the state bought them in 1934.

Water that surfaces hot is out of state: in Hot Springs, North Carolina, about 230 miles from Huntsville in a straight line, and in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Inside Alabama, a warm soak means a day spa or a resort spa, such as the two in our list.

How far are the nearest hot springs from Alabama?

North Alabama is closest to the riverside soaking tubs of Hot Springs, North Carolina; from Mobile, Arkansas comes first.

From	Nearest hot springs (straight line)	Next nearest
Birmingham	Hot Springs, North Carolina280 miles	Hot Springs, Arkansas, 360 milesBath County, Virginia, 500 miles
Huntsville	Hot Springs, North Carolina230 miles	Hot Springs, Arkansas, 370 milesBath County, Virginia, 440 miles
Mobile	Hot Springs, Arkansas390 miles	Hot Springs, North Carolina, 470 milesSan Antonio, Texas, 630 miles

For a long weekend from Birmingham or Huntsville, the North Carolina town is the shorter trip. From the Gulf Coast, Hot Springs, Arkansas, is about 80 miles closer than the Carolinas, and its bathhouses sit inside a national park.

Bladon Springs, the "Saratoga of the South"

Bladon Springs opened as a private spa in 1838, built around four mineral wells in Choctaw County, in south-west Alabama. In 1846 a large Greek Revival hotel went up to house the visitors, and the resort became known as the Saratoga of the South, after the famous spa town in New York. It stayed open through the Civil War.

People came to drink and bathe in water they believed would cure them; it was never warm. The hotel has gone, and the State of Alabama bought the property in 1934 and turned it into a park. Today it is a quiet stop for camping, picnics and short walks, and it is on the Alabama Black Belt Birding Trail.

Alabama State Parks lists the park as open seven days a week. Its pages give both 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. to sundown, so check the closing time before a late visit. Campsite bookings go through the park manager.

Alabama springs and spas on a map

All 3 places on this page, with pin shapes showing the type. Open the larger map to zoom in.

Spring site Spa Heated pool

Alabama springs and spas

A spring park from the 1830s in the south-west, and two spas: one on Lake Guntersville, one on Mobile Bay.

Mineral springs
Bladon Springs State Park
Bladon Springs
Four mineral wells from an 1838 spa once billed as the Saratoga of the South; a state park since 1934.
Day spa
The Soak House & Soapery
Guntersville
A day spa in downtown Guntersville offering therapeutic mineral soaks.
Resort spa
Spa at the Grand Hotel
Point Clear
A 20,000 sq ft spa with a hot tub, therapy bath, steam room, sauna and indoor pool.

How to visit

Seasons

Both spas work in any season. Bladon Springs is best in spring and fall, before and after the Gulf Coast summer heat.

Entry fees

Spa treatments are priced one by one. At the Grand Hotel the pools and hot tub come with spa services or a stay, so ask before you book a day visit. Alabama State Parks lists no fee for Bladon Springs online; check when you call about camping.

Access and travel

Bladon Springs is about 70 miles north of Mobile in a straight line, off rural roads in Choctaw County. Guntersville is on Lake Guntersville in north-east Alabama, and Point Clear is on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay.

Common questions

Are there hot springs near Birmingham?

Not in Alabama. The nearest is Hot Springs, North Carolina, about 280 miles from Birmingham in a straight line, and the next is Hot Springs, Arkansas, about 360 miles away.

Was Bladon Springs a hot spring?

No. Its four wells are mineral springs at ordinary temperature. The 1800s resort sold the water's minerals, not its heat.

Can you swim at Bladon Springs State Park?

There is no swimming at the springs. Alabama State Parks lists camping, picnic pavilions, walking trails and a playground.

Where can I soak in warm water in Alabama?

At spas. The Soak House & Soapery in Guntersville offers therapeutic mineral soaks, and the Spa at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear has a hot tub, a therapy bath, a sauna and an indoor pool.

Why does Alabama have no hot springs?

Springs in the eastern US come out hot only where rainwater sinks very deep and returns quickly along faults, as in Bath County, Virginia. No Alabama spring brings water up that way, so they flow at ordinary groundwater temperature.

Rules and good manners

Two things to know before you go.

Don't expect to bathe at Bladon SpringsThe wells are historic features in a day-use park, not a bathing site. Come for the history, a picnic or a night of camping.
Keep hot tubs at 104°F or lessThe CPSC's limit for hot tubs is 104°F; in an Alabama summer, a cooler tub and a short soak are easier on you.

Pictures of places to soak in Alabama

Photos of Bladon Springs State Park and The Soak House & Soapery, all places to soak in this guide. We only use photos whose license allows reuse and credit the photographer under each one. The full credits are on our photo credits page.