During the cold days and frigid nights of thebrcoming season, soaking your body in a steaming hot natural mineral springbrsounds like a pretty good idea.
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About an hour and a half south of us in Monroebrthere is a hot spring that is the result of a geothermal system along thebrSevier fault. As you drive through Richfield take highway 118 ten miles southbrfor the town of Monroe. Highway 118 becomes Main Street and turn east on 100brNorth. At the end of this street is the Mystic Hot Springs.
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The hot springs have been around for thousands ofbryears and creating the orange-red travertine mound that has become a prominentbrpart of hot springs landscape. The main mineral in the water is calciumbrcarbonate. There is no sulfur in the water and thus no pungent smell. The waterbrflows from the spring at the top of the hill at a pretty constant 168 degreesbrand 200 gallons per minute. The calcium and other minerals are consideredbrtherapeutic for skin and bones and for soothing sore and achy muscles
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While the hot springs were well known to nativebrAmericans for centuries, the first Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saintsbrhomestead at the site was in 1886 by the Cooper family. During the early partbrof the last century, wooden collecting pools were constructed at the bottom ofbrthe hill. At one time a dance floor was built, and the Monroe Hot Springsbrattracted people from miles around.
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In 1995, Michael Ginsburg, who described himselfbras an actor, director, producer, and artist, was on his way home from abrGrateful Dead concert when he discovered and eventually purchased Monroe HotbrSprings. He renamed it Mystic Hot Springs. That is when the series of bathtubsbron the upper slope of the hill were put in.
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What you see today at the hot springs is rusticbrand kind of reminiscent of the hippy era of the 60s and 70s. From the parkingbrlot a few stairs will take you to the office where you find a sign directingbryou to take off your shoes.
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Once inside the office you will see a small roombrfull of artistic creations. This room can be entertaining itself because therebris a lot to see. A soaking pass for six hours is $16 per person. The rules arebrposted on the wall and on the grounds permit; no nudity, no alcohol, no illegalbrdrug us and no illegal public behavior. In the warmer months they have concertsbrregularly scheduled.
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Now, if you want to spend the night, there arebrseveral options ranging from rustic and historic looking cabins, to abrcollection of colorful school buses with beds and or bunks, and you can alsobrtent camp. The cabins and buses are $60 a night and will accommodate two tobrfour people. The cabins are nice inside, betraying the rough exterior.
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A visit to Mystic Hot Springs easily removes youbrfrom the modern world. If you want a unique getaway, this is it and you will bebrtalking about it for a long time.
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If you are an adventuresome person you will lovebrthe adventure of visiting this place because it is its very own experience andbrlike nothing else. If you are in a soul-searching mood this just might be thebrplace for you.
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Mystic Hot Springs is not a five-star resort and is perfectbrfor those that want a unique experience for themselves. It would be fun on abrcold night when the water is steaming up around you, making you feel like youbrare in a faraway distant place to appreciate and ponder the sensual joys ofbrlife. (Helmick is a Serve Daily contributor.)
