Hot Springs in Mississippi | Are There Hot Springs

Are there hot springs in Mississippi?

No. There are no natural hot springs anywhere in Mississippi. Iuka was a famous spa town by 1880, and Marble Springs in Ocean Springs once offered bathing; both springs were cool mineral water, and both sites are parks today.

The nearest water that comes out hot is in Hot Springs, Arkansas, about 230 miles from Jackson in a straight line. In Mississippi, warm water means resort hot tubs at Choctaw and Biloxi.

The nearest hot springs to Jackson and the Gulf Coast

Arkansas is much the nearest from anywhere in Mississippi; North Carolina and Texas are roughly twice as far.

From	Nearest hot springs (straight line)	Next nearest
Jackson	Hot Springs, Arkansas230 miles	Hot Springs, North Carolina, 490 milesSan Antonio, Texas, 530 miles
Gulfport	Hot Springs, Arkansas370 miles	Hot Springs, North Carolina, 530 milesSan Antonio, Texas, 570 miles

From Jackson, Hot Springs, Arkansas, is close enough for a weekend. From Gulfport it is about 370 miles, still the nearest by a wide margin.

Iuka: a railroad spa town

The Chickasaw probably knew the springs at Iuka before 1832, and the town takes its name from Chief Iuka, who settled near them for their health. The town itself grew up around 1857, when the Memphis & Charleston Railroad was built through the area.

The Iuka Springs Hotel burned in 1869, and a new Mineral Springs Hotel was built in 1872. During the yellow fever epidemic of the late 1870s, Iuka took in people fleeing Memphis, and by 1880 it was a famous spa, with hotels and boarding houses serving visitors who came to drink the water. The town promoted seven different mineral waters, and one of its bottled waters won first prize at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.

World War I and the automobile ended Iuka's days as a railroad resort, and the Mineral Springs Hotel burned in 1944. The springs are now Mineral Springs Park. On the coast, Ocean Springs' Marble Springs stopped flowing in the early 1900s after heavy well drilling; a small park with a replica spring house marks the site.

Mississippi: the essentials

Mississippi's springs were cool mineral springs, and Arkansas's hot springs are only about 230 miles from Jackson.

Prize-winning water: Iuka, 1904 St. Louis World's Fair
Listed here: 4 places
Spa towns: Iuka, Ocean Springs
Nearest hot springs: Hot Springs, Arkansas, about 230 miles from Jackson
Natural hot springs: None

The best springs and spas in Mississippi

Two spring parks with a resort past, and two casino resorts with hot tubs, inland and on the coast.

Mineral springs
Mineral Springs Park
Iuka
The historic springs that made Iuka a spa town, now a park with a walking trail and splash fountains.
Spring history
Marble Springs
Ocean Springs
A small park with a brick gazebo over the site of Ocean Springs' only bathing spa.
Resort
Pearl River Resort
Choctaw
An outdoor pool, three hot tubs and a spa at a casino resort in the hills off Highway 16.
Resort
Palace Casino Resort
Biloxi
A full-service spa and an outdoor pool with a hot tub, a block from Gulf Marine State Park.

Mississippi springs and spas on a map

Where each of the 4 places in Mississippi is. Pin shapes show the type; open the larger map for more detail.

Spring site Resort Heated pool

When to go, costs and getting there

Best time to visit

The spring parks are open-air; spring and fall are the most comfortable seasons. Resort hot tubs run year-round.

Prices and fees

The parks are free. Resort pools and hot tubs are for hotel guests.

How to get there

Iuka is in the far north-east corner, near the Alabama and Tennessee lines. Ocean Springs and Biloxi are on the Gulf Coast; Choctaw is in east-central Mississippi.

Mississippi FAQ

Was Iuka a spa town?

Yes. By 1880 Iuka had become a famous spa, drawing health seekers to its mineral springs, according to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

Did Iuka's water win a prize?

Yes. One of Iuka's bottled mineral waters won first prize at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.

Can you bathe at Marble Springs?

No. The springs stopped flowing in the early 1900s after heavy well drilling; the site is a small park with a replica spring house.

Are there hot springs near Jackson, Mississippi?

The nearest is Hot Springs, Arkansas, about 230 miles away in a straight line, then Hot Springs, North Carolina, about 490 miles away.

Were Iuka's springs warm?

No. Its mineral waters were cool drinking waters, and no Mississippi spring appears on NOAA's list of thermal springs.

Before you soak in Mississippi

Before you go.

Visit the parks for historyNeither Iuka's nor Ocean Springs' springs are for bathing today.
Keep hot tubs at 104°F or belowThe CPSC's safe limit; on a hot Gulf Coast day, cooler and shorter is better.

Pictures of places to soak in Mississippi

Photos of Mineral Springs Park, Marble Springs and Palace Casino Resort, 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.