Potosi Hot Springs Resort

[Amy]

What happened to Potosi Hot Springs Resort? That was a very special place that I hold dear to me - and I caanot seem to get in touch? Did it close down?

[Jillie]

Hi Amy - Rumor has it that is has closed down and the owners are keeping it for their personal use only. Friends hiked in last week and could not enter. Sad...nice place.

[PTrapp]

I'm one of the "old" owners of Potosi, and yes, it passed to private ownership over a year ago. Very sad its been closed off completely. Three of my children have remained in the area and if you're visiting the Ennis area, be sure to stop by their businesses - they've all taken the culinary excellence of Potosi and run with it. Eric Trapp is the owner/chef of Continental Divide Restaurant in Ennis (new location on Hwy 287 near First Madison Valley Financial offices) and Sara Trapp is the owner of Cowboy Heaven Cafe/Espresso/Catering right on Main St in downtown Ennis.Jon Trapp is her partner and pastry chef - brings his experience as head pastry chef at Cristina's in Sun Valley. They'd love to swap stories with you about Potosi!

[Carlo V - Monatna]

Old Potosi / We lived fairly close to Potosi, at Butte, MT and would go camping often . This was back in the 60's & 70's, when it was free for anyone to use, and everyone using the pools were super nice. I remember my Dad diving under water and pulling the old woooden plug, and draining the pool and cleaning the moss out several times. When the Old pool was blown up, I could not hardly stand what had happened to this great place. The Old Potosi held many many fond memories. My grandfather use to tell me stories of the Old Mud Baths, and his use of Potosi area way before my time.

[Julie]

My dad lived in Pony when he was a kid in the 30's. Grandpa was principal of the school and taught math and science. When I was a kid, Dad took us to see where he grew up and we camped in the national forest behind Pony and the whole family soaked in the rock pool together. At that point it had a cabin built over it, which Dad said hadn't been there when he was young. When I tried to take my husband there in the 80's, the sign to the hot springs was painted over and no one would tell us anything about it. I'm sorry to hear the pool is gone.

[Robin]

I am glad I found this posting...My guy and I were looking for a great place to spend Thanksgiving, and found Potosi HS in the Hot Springs guide. It looks amazing. However when I tried to call to get info on the rooms, I got a strange recording giving me an even stranger telephone number that would cost $5.00 a call...SO I am assuming it is still under PRIVATE ownership and
closed to the public.(?)

[Jennifer]

Some people from Texas bought it and now they have their own personal hot spring... typical: lucky them, poor locals...

[Brian B]

My family and I were travelling through the area in June 2007 and met the new owners in Ennis. They are from Texas and said they own a ranch down there and were planning on using the Potosi property for a summer home. They were very nice and told us about the hot springs and campround at the end of the road. We took them up on the info and checked it out, what a fabulous area!!!

[Sunny]

Back in the 60s when I was 14 and 15 years old I would stay at Potosi hot springs all summer by myself and look after camp trailers. I met a lot of real nice people. I lived in Butte Montana and my folks. They would bring me there with my tent and some food so I wouldn’t get in any trouble in Butte over the summer. A lot of people that stayed at Potosi hot springs lived in Butte and they would live there camp trailers there for the summer. I would watch over the trailers in exchange for food. During the week it was very quit but Friday night the people would start coming up and before you knew it the camp ground would be full. On Friday night we would pull the plug and drain the pool and clean the moss and algae from the sides and bottom. We would have a big fire by the side of the pool and everyone was working cleaning and having a good time. When it was clean we would put the plug back in and go to the camp ground at midnight and by morning the pool was full and we were swimming in it. I spent 3 summers at Potosi and fell in love with the people and the area. I left Montana when I was 18 and got marred. My wife and I visited Potosi 5 years later the about 5 more years after that but it has changed so much that it was hard for me to see all the changes with the lodge and all so we quit going all together. But I still have many foud memories of the old Potosi swimming pool and the hot tubs and the mud bathes on the other side of the creek.

[Kenn Eichler]

Carlo V - Monatna wrote:

Old Potosi / We lived fairly close to Potosi, at Butte, MT and would go camping often . This was back in the 60's & 70's, when it was free for anyone to use, and everyone using the pools were super nice. I remember my Dad diving under water and pulling the old woooden plug, and draining the pool and cleaning the moss out several times. When the Old pool was blown up, I could not hardly stand what had happened to this great place. The Old Potosi held many many fond memories. My grandfather use to tell me stories of the Old Mud Baths, and his use of Potosi area way before my time.

I might add that in the early 70's when I lived in Butte, Dillon and Anaconda that Potosi was a great place to camp and get away from the city. The 'Bath House' as it was commonly called was cleaned and maintained by visitors and very little vandalism as I recall those years. Yes, I remember the wooden plug at the bottom of the pool that had to be inserted and removed as well as the candles on the ledge that provided the ambiance and kept the bears away...he he. Room enough inside for about 4-6 people max as I recall. Always enjoyed returning to the area and using the free facilities and cleaning up the area leaving it better than we found it. So sorry to hear that it was blown up after I moved away and now again shut down. Living in the Butte America area was a thrill with Evel, The Anaconda Company, Montana Power, Columbia Gardens, and the One Man Band down on the 'Flats' who always said he seemed to be going into the hole when he used to be in Centerville/Walkerville. Luigi's was quite a place....all those memories and Potosi are part of my Butte experiences...and good ones at that.

[Kenn Eichler]

I might add that in the early 70's when I lived in Butte, Dillon and Anaconda that Potosi was a great place to camp and get away from the city. The 'Bath House' as it was commonly called was cleaned and maintained by visitors and very little vandalism as I recall those years. Yes, I remember the wooden plug at the bottom of the pool that had to be inserted and removed as well as the candles on the ledge that provided the ambiance and kept the bears away...he he. Room enough inside for about 4-6 people max as I recall. Always enjoyed returning to the area and using the free facilities and cleaning up the area leaving it better than we found it. So sorry to hear that it was blown up after I moved away and now again shut down. Living in the Butte America area was a thrill with Evel, The Anaconda Company, Montana Power, Columbia Gardens, and the One Man Band down on the 'Flats' who always said he seemed to be going into the hole when he used to be in Centerville/Walkerville. Luigi's was quite a place....all those memories and Potosi are part of my Butte experiences...and good ones at that.

[adam]

The last young couple who owned and operated it as a resort sold it to a texas family as they struggled to make it pay and wanted to start a family. Too bad as they were great, worked hard and we stayed there with them several times. It is now up for sale again. A difficult place to make the operation profitable year round. Still a magical spot.

[Debseer]

I have so many fond memories of this place. My Grandparents spent every June across the dirt road right near the State Park sign hunting and trout fishing. We would walk up that rutted road to the Bath House. When I was a kid (68-75) the pool had already been blown up by a local who didn't care for the "Nekkid Hippies", so the bath house was all I ever knew. I have pictures of my Grandmother swimming in the pool, they are B/W and from the late 40's early 50's, and one of me standing on that little catwalk (1968) My name was carved into that little bath house (I bet I'm not the only one!)And those little wooded plugs and great big wheel that started the water flowing..Pure Heaven!
In the mid 70's the cabin was being used by the university, they would bring cattle up to graze for the summer.
In 1994 I brought my husband up to see it and found the whole thing off limits, very sad. We ended up camping down on the Madison right before the Bear trap State Campground.Perhaps the State should use their powers of eminent domain to return it to State Park status? That way it could be enjoyed by all of us again.