Montana Spa Guide: The Best Spas in Missoula
Missoula, Montana. [Photo credit: Steven Cordes]
Missoula is situated in the heart of western Montana, tucked between mountains and rivers that outline the area. Long appreciated for its access to wondrous outdoor recreation and proximity to the famed Glacier National Park to the north, the city also boasts a creative canvas of culinary outlets, distinct shops, and wellness opportunities to rejuvenate the body, mind, and spirit.
Downtown Missoula is flanked by stark green rolling hills and split by the Clark Fork River, home to a unique man-made surfing wake near where South Higgins Avenue runs above it. Here, visitors might find local surfers or kayakers riding the flowing river waves during the day.
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While the city boasts abundant access to hiking and biking trails and other outdoor activities, it also features a slew of spas and wellness destinations for those looking to relax away from the rays of the hot summer sun—or from the chilly winter temperatures.
Missoula is a city that excites, and one almost can’t help but get involved in any number of outdoor activities any time of year to get the most out of a visit to the western Montana city—and such exertion might require a bit of TLC, an easy complication to manage with such widespread spa and wellness offerings dotting the city streets to help relax, rejuvenate, and get you up and moving again.
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This Montana spa guide will serve as a highlight reel of spots in Missoula for visitors to consider when looking to book wellness experiences in The Garden City. Whether it’s a rejuvenating facial, soothing sauna session or intensive body massage, Missoula has it all, infused with a healthy dose of Western hospitality.
Read on to discover the best spas in Missoula for the ultimate wellness getaway and check out the best deals on flights to Montana.
Crafted Aesthetics
132 N. Higgins Ave., Missoula, MT 59802; (406) 312-1098
With four locations across Montana, visitors to Big Sky Country aren’t limited to Crafted Aesthetics’ diverse menu of spa experiences in just Missoula—others include Helena, Bozeman, and Butte. The Missoula location is located on Higgins Avenue and keeps its menu diverse, straightforward, and accessible with services like Botox and fillers, lash treatments, massage therapy, facial waxing, and everything in between.
Botox and filler options include wrinkle relaxers, dermal fillers, and Sculptra. Body treatments range from CoolSculpting to teeth whitening, and wellness experiences include hormone therapy and vitamin B12 services. Those looking to prioritize facial skin care will enjoy services such as microneedling, facials and peels, laser, and more.
Crafted Aesthetics’ massage therapies offer an abundance of flexibility between options, whether a client is looking to unwind with hot towels or reset with a deep tissue massage.
Dharma Wellness
415 N. Higgins Ave., Suite 1, Missoula, MT 59801; (406) 384-6955
Sometimes a bit of luxury can be just what the wellness doctor ordered. Dharma Wellness operates on the Ayurveda alternative medicine system native to India, which prioritizes the body and mind through self care, self love, and self awareness with how the human body interacts with nature and surroundings; it is often thought of as the sister science to yoga, which focuses on the soul. Dharma offers a menu of traditional Ayurvedic services like Shirodhara and Abhyanga, alongside using Ayurvedic-grade herbal teas, essential oils, and supplements.
Shirodhara is a comprehensive meditative calming service during which a warm continuous stream of herb-infused oil is poured onto the forehead, recognized as the third-eye area in both Hinduism and Buddhism (among others), from a copper vessel. The oil flow goes for about 30 minutes and is followed by an ultra-relaxing scalp and face massage, ending with a foot massage meant to re-ground the customer.
Abhyanga comprises a full-body Ayurvedic oil massage, a traditional ritual performed with a choreographed routine that follows the different circulatory channels and chakras of the body. Therapists use an infused oil that is specific to the customer’s needs in order to bring the customer into a mesmerizing state of sleepy bliss—an experience that can be further enhanced by having two therapists do it.
Additional Ayurvedic services include Kati Basti, a treatment aimed at providing musculoskeletal relief; Pinda Sweda, a gentle sudation therapy using heated basalt stones, warm herbal oils, and handmade herman boluses; Champi Pada, a massage experience using a specialized Bhringaraj Oil; and Garshana, a lymphatic massage meant to reduce the presence of toxins in the body.
Each of these services can be enriched by a menu of different enhancements that Dharma offers, from face masks and dry brushing to chakra balance, oracle card reading, and foot baths, among others.
Float Missoula
521 S. Higgins Ave., Missoula, MT 59801; (406) 493-0502
Missoula visitors looking for a bit of a beyond-the-ordinary wellness experience should consider Float Missoula, which provides float therapy and cold plunges in addition to other spa services. Its float therapy experiences place customers in water-filled sensory deprivation tanks meant to calm the mind and body in an environment that simulates zero gravity.
The Evolution Float Pod is best suited for customers under 6 feet in height and not claustrophobic as it is smaller in size; whereas the Quest Float Suite is more accessible and tailored for those who do experience claustrophobia and are under 7 feet in height as it provides a larger space. Both options also offer private shower and changing areas. If you’re unsure, Float Missoula is able to book private tours ahead of time and answer any questions via phone.
The cold plunge experience might be favorable for those visiting at the peak of summer wanting to escape the heat for a bit. Float Missoula notes that cold immersion promotes accelerated recovery after things like intense workouts or muscle soreness, enhanced athletic performance by boosting energy levels and alertness, increased circulation and immune function, stress and anxiety relief, enhanced mental clarity and focus, boosted metabolism and fat burning, and skin rejuvenation.
Its cold plunge tank, the Renu Therapy Cold Stoic 2.0, features a powerful chiller that can drop water temperatures as low as 36 degrees Fahrenheit; an advanced filtration system that maintains water cleanliness; and an accessible design allowing for easy entrance and exit.
To get an even more well-rounded experience, combine the cold plunge with Float Missoula’s infrared sauna session for a remedial hot-cold therapy. Additional services include reiki sessions, massages, acupressure, and sauna-only options.
Massage on Broadway
400 W. Broadway St., Suite 102, Missoula, MT 59802; (406) 926-3033
Locally-owned Massage on Broadway is all about relieving pain and stress, and few things might top the list of solutions alongside a thorough, well-crafted massage. Spanning modalities from deep tissue and Swedish to prenatal and sports massage, the spa’s licensed therapists are able to cater well to a diverse clientele coming in for a bit of pampering and self care.
Massage prices are posted by length of visit per person, starting at $45 for 30 minutes and running up to two hours for $165. Its website is informative in that it provides useful information on each massage style and its best-suited end goal for those who might not be well versed, with deep tissue focused on intense pressure to release muscle tension and best suited for relieving pain from injuries; Swedish prioritizing gentle relaxation and best suited for stress relief; sports massages tailored for the active visitor—who perhaps is snagging a moment’s rest between outdoor recreational activities in the area—and best suited for athletes.
Additional services available include aromatherapy and cupping, the latter of which is a long-used method in the industry of placing small cups on the skin to create a gentle suction effect, lifting the muscle and tissue beneath to relieve pressure and boost blood flow.
Nettles Herbal Health & Spa
715 Kensington Ave., Suite 3A, Missoula, MT 59801; (406) 552-3760
In a place like Montana, there is ample opportunity to bring the natural outdoors in. Nettles Herbal Health & Spa focuses on the therapeutic qualities of plants and minerals throughout its menu of services. The property is accessible for those with physical disabilities and features Wi-Fi on-site.
Its spa packages are all tailored to diverse goals of the customer, whether they’re looking for a simple treatment or a comprehensive health and wellness experience. Its Hand Paraffin Wax gives a much-used part of our bodies a bit of pampering to relieve sore muscles and joint pain, leaving behind hands that feel soft and healed.
Its more expansive packages include the Just Breathe, featuring a 15-minute infrared sauna session, a herbal detox body wrap, and a 60-minute therapeutic massage; the Perfect Day, which offers the same sauna session, a 90-minute massage, a custom organic facial, and an ionic detox foot soak; and its Better Together, which features a regular and deluxe option.
The former runs for about 3 1 ⁄ 2 hours and is available for two visitors at a time (providing a perfect opportunity to bring a friend, family member or partner along) to be serviced with therapeutic massages, custom organic facials, and ionic foot soaks. The deluxe option includes the same services as the regular with the addition of sauna sessions and a longer run time of about 5 1 ⁄ 2 hours in length.
Additional, more specific services available at Nettles include cupping facials and microdermabrasion, haircuts and perms, and eyelash tinting and eyebrow waxing, among others.
[Photos courtesy of spas and resorts]
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Amanda Christensen is a writer and editor based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with experience covering a range of business, lifestyle, and tourism topics. She has a passion for traveling and experiencing the world through a multitude of lenses, using her work to share with readers how they might best accomplish that themselves. View her work at christensencollective.com.