HOT SPRINGS DO'S & DON'TS
hot springs do’s & don’ts
hot springs do’s & don’ts
Natural hot springs are healing, soothing, and beautiful destinations. The best hot springs I have found take an excursion, long hike, and/or an adventure just do find them. These springs are not only beautiful and therapeutic for us but they are also the most epic of places, geologically. Natural hot springs are produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater that rises from the Earth's crust. While some of these springs contain water that is a safe temperature for bathing, others are so hot that immersion can result in an injury or death.
These springs can often contain a very high mineral content, containing everything from simple calcium to lithium, and even radium. Because of both the folklore and the claimed medical value some of these springs have, they are often popular tourist destinations and locations for rehabilitation clinics for those with disabilities. Even though these magical, geothermal paradises make you feel alone in your own private oasis, these springs are for all and we must be respectful not just to the springs and landscape but to the people we are sharing them with.
DON’T BE LOUD
As much as it would be a perfect place for the ultimate party, unless you are alone in hot springs or just with your group of pals, it is quite inappropriate and disrespectful to loudly party, shout or speak loudly, or blast music at an extreme volume. Most visit these springs for a peaceful experience with the solitude of a solo bubblebath in nature. Do not assume that the music you want to hear in this place is what everyone wants to hear. Believe me, I showed up at one of my favorite springs on a busy weekend and the person blasting rave-style techno (which has its appropriate place and time) aaaall day, pretty much ruined the vibe for everyone looking to share that special place and solitude for the day. Don’t be that person.
Arizona Hot Springs, AZ
DON’T BE A CAMERA CREEPER
You have probably noticed that I love taking pictures in beautiful places, especially when I get to share them with friends. Taking photos at a hot springs is a particularly delicate business. Many hot springs are secluded from any surrounding civilization and therefore have a “clothing optional” tolerance. This is a special thing where people can feel safe and free in the buff, whether or not you keep your suit on. Do not make it awkward or uncomfortable by photographing strangers, naked or clothed, that have come to this special place to be truly off-the-grid, perhaps physically as well as mentally. I am sure that if I am taking photos in such a place that only myself or pals are in the frame. Be respectful of others and their honoring of these sacred spaces.
Wild Willy’s Hot Springs, CA - and yes, that is a heart-shaped hot spring
DON’T PEE IN THE SPRINGS
This of course seems like a no-brainer but, look, I get it. You’re no doubt in some secluded nature that took a while to get to, peeing can be tricky in backcountry as it is, and these pools are all warm and comforting… but seriously don’t do it.
DON’T DRINK THE SPRING’S WATER
While this is a unique and rare risk is is still a super nasty one so it is probably not take the risk at all. About 10 years ago the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention assigned a team of scientists and physicians to study a recent spike in deaths caused by Naegleria flowleri, an amoeba found naturally in bodies of warm fresh water, such as lakes and hot springs. The group was formed in response to six deaths in 2007 in Arizona, Florida and Texas, all attributed to the amoeba, which typically enters the body through the nasal passages and then attacks brain tissue (yikes!).
In a separate study conducted in 2003 by Montana State University, researchers tested the waters at 23 hot springs in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks and found Naegleria flowleri and other amoebas present in the hot-water pools. The study concluded that the amoeba is not a transient organism but rather thrives in some hot springs. “These amoebae may pose health risks to people who use the hot springs for recreation,” according to the study, published in Applied and Environmental Biology in October 2003.
So this may not be relevant now but I sure don’t want to risk a brain-eating amoeba! So just be sure when you visit any hot springs to air on the safe side and not completely submerge your head under, or drink / breathe in the water. Nothing has ever happened to my friends and I in the maaaany hot springs encounters we have experienced, but better safe than sorry!
*Study information from LA Times, Hugo Martin 2008
DO BE WELCOMING TO ALL
These special and beautiful Earth-anomalies are for anyone and everyone to enjoy. Even if you find yourself at a hot springs with no one else around, it sadly does not make it your paradise to claim. Be welcoming and respectful to those that are sans-clothes and hope they will do the same to you. If you the one sans-clothes be respectful to those around you that may not want to see or be near all your bits.
DO LEAVE NO TRACE
Simply put, it should appear that you were never there at all. Leave the place cleaner and better than you found it. I actually always bring an extra bag to pick up trash I see on my adventure to throw away when I get back to town.
DO RIDE THE RELAX-Y TAXI TO CHILLVILLE
Natural hot springs increase blood circulation, soothe tense muscles and, detoxifies the skin. Not only are they the best for your body but they are usually in stunning natural and peaceful settings that put right to a tranquil and freeing vibe right away.
SULFURIC VS. MINERAL HOT SPRINGS
Many hot springs, like Deep Creek Hot Springs in CA or the Arizona Hot Springs, are simply hot and smell as clear as ony other natural body of water. Other hot springs, while still hot and wonderful, give off a rather farty, old-eggs-sulfuric smell. That funky smell is actually H2S, or hydrogen sulfide. Even though we associate the smell with sulfur, in odor it is the result of a bacteria that feeds off of the sulfides, creating hydrogen sulfide as a result. Some springs’ waters don’t reach the depths where this happens so you get all the health benefits of dissolved sulfur without all that smell.
Both types of springs provide the same therapeutic relief and healing properties, therefore I would suggest trying both and all, no matter the smell.