Tuli Sauna & Plunge

Tuli is an outdoor wood-fired sauna on the Sugar River near Madison, Wisconsin, with a natural river cold plunge, social and private sessions, open all year.

Tuli, the Finnish word for fire, is a wood-fired sauna on the banks of the Sugar River in Paoli, Wisconsin, minutes from Madison. It describes itself as the Madison area's first permanent outdoor sauna and natural cold plunge. Large windows frame the river and trees. Founder Emily built it because she wanted an authentic outdoor sauna that connects people with nature and community through the changing seasons. After the heat, a pier with stairs leads down into the river for the plunge. Sauna, river and rest A typical session is 10 to 20 minutes in the sauna, usually between 160 and 200 degrees, then one to three minutes in the river and five to ten minutes of rest.

Wood-fired river sauna: wood-fired heat, seats about 8. A modern wood-fired sauna with large windows over the Sugar River, used for 80 minute social sessions and 110 minute private sessions. Listed amenities: Cold plunge, Changing rooms, Lockers, Towel rental, Parking, Hosts events, Social sauna sessions.

Listing type: Community sauna. Access: Reservation. Listed capacity: Social sessions are shared with up to seven other guests; private sessions are for your own group. Cold plunge: A natural cold plunge in the Sugar River from a pier with stairs, averaging about 50 degrees Fahrenheit and ranging from about 30 in winter to 70 in summer. Hours: Open year-round. Sessions run 80 minutes for the social sauna and 110 minutes for the private sauna. Book a social sauna session, where you share the sauna with up to seven other guests, or a private session on Tuli's own booking page. Everyone signs the waiver before using the sauna; it can be signed online ahead of your visit. Walk-ins are allowed, but if the stove is not lit the sauna needs about 1.5 to 2 hours to heat. SaunaShare records this listing as editorially reviewed by SaunaShare. A listing label describes where the information came from, not the quality of the sauna. Listing details were last reviewed on October 10, 2026.

SaunaShare does not process bookings. Confirm current hours with the operator, and book with them.

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