Stop #29: Meadow Hot Springs, Meadow, UT
- Denisse Storti
- Jan 20, 2024
- 4 min read
On our way to Salt Lake City from Gunlock, we boondocked overnight at Meadow Hot Springs. To get to the hot springs you do need to drive about 4.8mi on a dirt road which for the most part wasn't in terrible conditions. Meadow Hot Springs resides in a private property and its owner has been kind enough to keep it open to the public. There are three soaking areas to enjoy, but note that these have varying temperatures. We drove past the first spring which has a big parking lot and decided to drive further to the next one having seen a few cars already there.
This next part of the road wasn't as great. We made it to the next spring driving carefully around ruts and parked to check it out. This spring is right on the side of the road versus the other ones which require a bit of a walk to get to. We got out to check it out, noticed a few little fish in there and soon after found out (from some people who walked over from the third spring) that this one was the coldest of the three, which was a shame because it did look inviting. The path to the third soaking area was in too rough a shape for us to even attempt so we decided it would be best to drive back to the parking area and set up there for the night. Here's were things got interesting... in not the best way.
The ruts that we avoided getting in were in the way for us to get out and we soon found our jacks digging deep into the dry mud. We ended up taking one of them off and after a while of maneuvering and inching back and forth, we finally managed to drive out of that area. So word to the wise, if traveling with your rig, leave it at the lot before exploring further and honestly, exploring by foot is probably the wisest choice, as later that night a truck got stuck while attempting to reach the third hot spring and had to get help.
By the time we parked and set up camp for the night it was close to sunset. The main hot spring (the first one and warmest one) had only gotten busier as the night approached but we were there only for the night so this was the only opportunity we had to enjoy it during sunset. We got our suits on and layered with sweat pants, long sleeve shirts, and hoodie. We wore our rain boots as the path looked muddy and in hindsight, were so glad we did. We walked over with towels and a couple of drinks in hand. The hot spring was indeed crowded with about 16 or so local high schoolers in addition to other visitors. We got there just in time to watch the sunset which was beautiful overlooking the surrounding fields. There are no benches or any other facilities in the area so we found a good enough rock to lay our stuff on and proceeded to get in. The water was great for the chilly evening. A couple, whom we met while checking out the second spring earlier on, joined as well and we had a great time chatting with them and others who were enjoying this unique spot.
We stayed for a while after the sun set, but even as we were leaving we walked by many others making their way to the spring. We think this was because this was a Friday night so if you'd like to check this place out during sunset hour and prefer to avoid the crowds, I'd suggest attempting this on a week day instead. Alas, we were staying overnight so we decided we'd give it a shot again the next morning with hopes for a more exclusive experience. Boondocking here worked out well. It was a bit noisy early in the evening because of the crowds but that soon tapered down by the time we got ready to sleep.
The next morning, we got ready soon after having a quick breakfast and headed back to the hot spring. This time around we had the place all to ourselves for quite some time which allowed us to get some nice pictures and do a Timelapse of us enjoying the hot spring. The hot spring was nice during the night but during the day we were able to take in the beautiful clear blue water and its surrounding landscape. In addition to being the warmest, this first hot spring is also the deepest and the one with the least algae in it. The rocks inside are a bit slippery so best to enter carefully. I slipped on the way in and cut my finger on a rock in the process. I was then paranoid of having some hot spring living bacteria enter my finger reason for why my finger is out of the water on the bottom pictures below. Haha A while into our morning soaking experience, two other couples arrived which was still starkly different than what we experienced the night before. By the time we got out of the water, a group of divers also showed up equipped with their scuba gear - perfect timing for us to leave!
We are thankful we got to experience this unique place as a family. The kids gave it two thumbs up but at the same time were scared while swimming across the deep dark hole in the middle. To be honest, I wasn't too fond of it myself. lol Hopefully visitors clean up after themselves and act responsibly (enough) so the owner continues to have this place open to the public. There are no trash cans in the area so you do need to make sure you pack out everything you bring in. Next up - Salt Lake City!
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