Local Water Wellness
Balneology in the USA
Only a road trip away. Pack your swimsuit and find your local springs.
Travertine Hot Springs, California
Travertine is a staple for cross-country road trippers and solo adventurers, as it’s easy to get to and often frequented by friendly travelers seeking adventure and retreat. Surrounded by mountains and sun, this geothermal pool is adequately named after the limestone deposited by hot mineral springs. Emerge from the water with greater blood flow, improved circulation, and a peaceful, smiling mind.
Glenwood Hot Springs, Colorado
Centrally located between renowned Aspen and Vail Colorado, Glenwood Hot Springs has been a healing destination for 130 years. Native Americans called it "Yampah," which means Big Medicine. There are 15 minerals found in the water of the World’s Largest Hot Springs Pool. Besides relieving aches and pains, soaking in hot highly concentrated mineral water has many other health and wellness benefits. Increasing your body temperature helps naturally eliminate toxins, increase circulation and reduce blood pressure. Essential minerals can be absorbed through your skin, giving your body a natural health boost.
Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs, New Mexico
One of the oldest natural health resorts in the U.S., built around geothermal mineral springs that have flowed from a subterranean volcanic aquifer for thousands of years. More than 100,000 gallons rise to the surface each day, infused with four different types of minerals, including lithia, iron, soda, and arsenic, all of which have purported healing powers. Sulphur-free, unlike most natural springs, Ojo Caliente’s arsenic pool is believed to be beneficial for relief from arthritis, stomach ulcers, and various skin conditions, while lithia water is believed to relieve depression and aid digestion.
Barton Springs, Austin Texas
Within Zilker Park's 358 acres lies one of the crown jewels of Austin - Barton Springs Pool. The pool itself measures three acres in size, and is fed from underground springs with an average temperature of 68-70 degrees, ideal for year-round swimming. Over the years, Barton Springs Pool has drawn people from all walks of life, from legislators who have concocted state laws there to free-spirited, topless sunbathers who turned heads in the 1970s. Robert Redford learned to swim at the pool when he was five years old while visiting family in Austin. Today, Barton Springs still attracts a diverse crowd of people and has seen record setting numbers of visitors nearing 800,000 in recent years.
The Grand Prismatic Spring, Wyoming
Grand Prismatic Spring may be one of the most hypnotizing springs on the entire planet. Currently the largest hot spring in the U.S. and third largest in the world, intensely bright bands of blues, green, yellows, and oranges expand outward from the center in a gobstopper illusion that then steams its own fog of hovering white cloud. However, this isn’t a spring you’ll want to dip into, as extremely hot water travels 121 feet from a crack in the Earth to reach the surface. Visit Yellowstone National Park.
Chena Hot Springs, Alaska
Back in 1905 gold prospectors hoping to cure the health problems they were experiencing because of the extreme physical nature of their work discovered Chena Hot Springs. Less than 10 years later Chena Hot Springs had become a popular resort and visitors traveled for days by stagecoach to reach the springs. Today, Chena Hot Springs is still a popular resort. While the hot springs are warm and inviting, what makes this place so special is the fact that the northern lights can often be spotted glowing in the sky above at night. For anyone hoping to check the aurora borealis off of their bucket list, Chena Hot Springs is the place to do it.
