Are There Hot SpringsAre there hot springs in Rhode Island?
No. No natural hot springs reach the surface in Rhode Island. For hot mineral water, Bodhi Spa in Providence has a 104°F Epsom salt pool and a 98°F Dead Sea salt pool, plus a 55°F cold plunge.
The nearest water that surfaces hot is in Bath County, Virginia, about 510 miles from Providence in a straight line.
The nearest hot springs to Providence
From the smallest state, the nearest hot springs are a long way off in the Appalachians.
| From | Nearest hot springs (straight line) | Next nearest |
|---|---|---|
| Providence | Bath County, Virginia510 miles | Hot Springs, North Carolina, 740 milesHot Springs, Arkansas, 1,270 miles |
For natural hot water, plan on a flight or two days' driving; closer to home, Providence's 104°F pool is as hot as a public soak should get.
Rhode Island's resort history: the sea, not springs
Rhode Island's summer resorts were built for sea bathing. In the late 1800s Narragansett Pier changed from farmland into a major summer resort colony, drawn by its sandy beach, and joined Newport and Watch Hill among the fashionable seaside towns of the north-east.
Its social center was the Narragansett Pier Casino, designed by McKim, Mead & White. On September 12, 1900, a fire that began at the Rockingham Hotel destroyed the Casino and most of the village center; only the granite walls of The Towers, the Casino's arched entrance, survived. They were restored in 1910 and still stand on Ocean Road.
There was never a spring resort to match. Today's heat comes from bathhouses: a salt-pool spa in Providence, a Korean-style bathhouse in Lincoln and a wood-fired outdoor mineral bath in Richmond.
Map of spas in Rhode Island
The map shows all 3 places we list in Rhode Island. Zoom in on the larger map for more detail.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Spas in Rhode Island
A salt-pool spa in Providence, a Korean-style bathhouse in Lincoln and an outdoor spa in South County.
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Bathhouse
Bodhi Spa
ProvidenceA 104°F Epsom salt pool, 98°F Dead Sea salt pool, 55°F cold plunge, steam room and saunas.
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Jjimjilbang
Spa Light
LincolnA 14,000 sq ft Korean-style bathhouse with saunas and heated and chilled pools, at Bally's.
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Forest spa
OH! Spa at The Preserve
RichmondHeated whirlpools, an infinity-edge pool and a wood-fired mineral bath outdoors; day passes, no stay needed.
Before you go
Bathhouse basics.
- Rotate hot and coldShort spells in the 104°F pool, then the 55°F plunge, then rest.
- HydrateHot salt pools and saunas dehydrate you; drink water between rounds.
- Don't linger in a damp swimsuitChange and shower with soap after a soak; that is the CDC's tip for avoiding hot tub rash.
When to go, costs and getting there
Seasons
All three run year-round; winter is the obvious season for a 104°F pool.
Entry fees
Each charges for entry or a day pass. OH! Spa's pass runs from 9am to 6pm and does not require a hotel stay.
Access and travel
Bodhi Spa is downtown on Broadway in Providence. Lincoln is about 10 miles north, and Richmond is in South County, about 40 minutes south-west. Narragansett Pier is on the coast south of Providence.
Questions about soaking in Rhode Island
What is the hottest pool in Rhode Island?
Bodhi Spa in Providence lists a 104°F Epsom salt pool, the CPSC's upper limit for hot tubs.
Do you need to stay at The Preserve to use OH! Spa?
No. A pass gives non-guests access from 9am to 6pm.
Did Rhode Island have spa resorts?
Its resorts were seaside ones, at Newport, Watch Hill and Narragansett Pier, built around sea bathing rather than springs.
Are there hot springs near Providence?
None closer than Bath County, Virginia, about 510 miles away in a straight line; Hot Springs, North Carolina, is about 740 miles away.
What are The Towers in Narragansett?
The stone entrance of the old Narragansett Pier Casino, the only part left standing after the fire of September 12, 1900.
How we checked this page
Reviewed on against the sources below.
- Town of Narragansett: Pier history (1900 fire, The Towers)
- NPS: Narragansett Pier, National Register nomination (summer resort colony)
- Visit Rhode Island: The Towers of Narragansett (Casino remnant)
- Visit Rhode Island: Bodhi Spa (pool temperatures)
- Visit Rhode Island: Spa Light (Korean bathhouse)
- Visit Rhode Island: The OH! Spa (whirlpools, infinity pool)
- Visit Rhode Island: Top spas (mineral bath, day pass)
- NOAA: Thermal Springs List for the United States
- CPSC: Hot tub temperatures
- CDC: Preventing hot tub rash
Hot springs elsewhere in the United States
Continue to another state.