HOT SPRINGS and RVs

[Byron Kinnaman]

I thought it might be nice to create a list of places that are RV friendly with hot springs either at the place or close by.

I'll start by listing a place we stayed at several years ago. The hot spring pools were great, and if you're so inclined there's another hot springs up the road a bit. It's kind of hidden along the banks of the McKinzie River and is considered a swim suit optional place.

Here's the link to Belknap Hot Springs.

[Bigfoot Mike]

We have several in this area of the California Central Coast. It is called the California Central Coast because it is half way between Los Angelus, CA and San Francisco, CA. It is 200 miles south of San Francisco and 200 miles north of LA.

Avila Hot Springs is an easy bike ride to the beach. It is owned by Sycamore Hot Springs just up the road.

Avila Hot Springs has RV parking, Hot tubs and a heated swimming pool. Very spendy at $45 per night but stays booked.

[Jen'nBarb]

Lliard Hot Springs in Northern BC are well worth seeing! They're very natural and beautiful. Since they're in a provincial campground the price per night is reasonable.

[Al and Cindy K]

Our favorite http://www.nps.gov/bibe/historyculture/hotsprings.htm
Camp for free in the back country or $10/night in one of the three Park campgrounds. Water & electric available at the concession operated facility for more $.

Al

[Dan Meyer]

115 miles east of San Diego you will find Agua Caliente County Park. There is a campground there - but I've never had the pleasure to stay.

http://www.co.san-diego.ca.us/parks/campin...a_caliente.html

-- Dan Meyer

[Donna D.]

An hour east of Portland, Oregon...up the Gorge! and across the Columbia River is:

[b]Carson Mineral Hot Springs Resort
Preview: A sleepy Victorian-era hotel and bathhouse that features a regimen of therapeutic hot mineral baths reminiscent of old European spas. If you’re looking for a luxurious spa treatment with elegantly furnished rooms, then Carson Mineral Hot Springs Resort isn’t for you, but most visitors to this historic resort fall in love with the creaky Victorian-era hotel and the quirky hospital atmosphere of the bathhouse. With a prescribed, almost ritualistic approach, the resort follows the old European style of taking the mineral waters. The hot springs emerge from the banks of the Wind River at 136 F and cool to around 126 F by the time they reach the bathhouse. The soaking tubs can be adjusted to any comfortable bathing temperature.

Resort This place is like taking a huge step back in time. Funky, but fun and extremely clean.

Several Forest Service campgrounds are north of Carson off Wind River Road. Closest is Panther Creek Campground, nine miles up Wind River Rd., and 1.5 miles up Forest Service Rd. 6517. The campground is open mid-May to mid-November. Beaver Campground is 12 miles up Wind River Rd.; open mid-April through October. Paradise Creek Campground is 21 miles up Wind River Rd., and another six miles on Forest Rd. 30; it's open mid-May to mid-November. Make reservations at 518-885-3639 or 877-444-6777

More inf: NW Source Travel and Outdoors

[BOBSMITH]

I thought it might be nice to create a list of places that are RV friendly with hot springs either at the place or close by.

I'll start by listing a place we stayed at several years ago. The hot spring pools were great, and if you're so inclined there's another hot springs up the road a bit. It's kind of hidden along the banks of the McKinzie River and is considered a swim suit optional place.

Here's the link to Belknap Hot Springs.

[b]Wow! Thanks for this topic! My wife and I want to visit some nice state parks and National Forest campgrounds that have hot springs. This is a great way to find them!

[Donna R]

Here is the web site for the charming and historic hot springs in Big Bend Nat. Park.
We were there 5 years ago and really enjoyed it

http://www.americansouthwest.net/texas/big...ings_trail.html

[Adrian W]

Faywood Hot Springs - A geothermal spa resort that has several outdoor public and private soaking pools. There are separate clothing-required, clothing-optional and private bathing areas. There are also private cabins, tent sites for camping, pull through RV sites with full hook ups, travel trailers and a teepee for overnight lodging accommodations. Massage therapy, picnicking, hiking, bird watching, horseback riding and relaxing solitude also available. Building a new Visitor's Center which will have a cafe, museum and gift shop. hotsprings@faywood.com Located on HWY 61, 2 miles east of the intersection of HWY 61 and HWY 180. This is between Deming and Silver City, NM (505) 536-9663 Small Fee

Also a NM state park is about a mile or so away, City of Rocks State Park.
Back in the late '70's a ranger told us about the hot springs, it was just some pools and one could soak in them, no fee, no one around. But it has been expanded since then, it was in ruins from it's former hay day in the late 1880's in the '70's. They are trying to come back.

Other New Mexico hot springs can be found at this NMSU and The Rural Economic Development Through Tourism site:

http://www.redtt.org/html/HotSprings.html

There are many hot springs found in the national forests in NM but one should use care in them:
Notes on Meningitis - A number of fatalities have occurred nation-wide from a rare form of meningitis caused by an amoeba (Naegleria fowleri) that inhabits warm water and soils worldwide. The organism enters the brain through the nasal passages and produces a runny nose or sore throat, severe headache and possibly death within a few days. Bathers are advised not to immerse their heads and to keep their noses out of the water.


AW

[Nancy in Oregon]

Here's an Internet list of Oregon hot springs:

Oregon Hot Springs

A nice (small) one about an hour from our house is called the Umpqua Hot Springs.

Nancy

[Kathy Davisson]

Regarding Belknap Hot Springs, I'm not sure about a swimsuit optional policy. I've been there several times and have not seen any skinny dipping. Did you maybe get it mixed up with the one near there in the national forest?

[Donna D.]

Regarding Belknap Hot Springs Kathy, I reread Byron's post...he's talking about the optional swimsuit policy being for the hot springs up the road from Belknap.

and if you're so inclined there's [b]another hot springs up the road a bit. It's kind of hidden along the banks of the McKinzie River and is considered a swim suit optional place.

[David and Nancy]

If you are headed up the Alaska Highway try the Takhini Hot Springs just north of Whitehorse. There is a nice little RV park in the woods and fine developed pools. It is 20 minutes or so off the Alaska Highway but well worth it.

Dave

[Candi Woods]

We're going here this summer. It should be a nice relaxing day trip after some serious hiking in the mountains.


Pagosa Springs Resort, Colorado

Candi

[Domenica and Sheila]

-- love those hot springs ideas! thanks. Here is a couple.

Great to hear a mention of Belknap above. We trailer at Belknap (Oregon) several x's a year and love it, too. Great gardens at Belknap and a wonderful hike to hand lake just up the road on 242. ($$20ish)

Crane hot springs near burns, oregon is worth a trip. it's a hot spring lake on private land that offers trailer hook ups, tent sites and small cabins. Great birding during spring & fall right from the hot spring lake. book ahead.($12ish) www.cranehotspings.com

A commercial spot we love is Kah-Nee-Ta, near madras, oregon in the high desert. Full hook-up RV sites ($$$45ish a night). They offer two very large hot spring swimming pools. One offers a big slide which is great fun, even for adults. Kah-Nee-Ta is a resort offering a wonderful dinner house with a full view of the desert ($$-$$$). Casino, too. In fact, they run shuttles from the rv sites to the casino every 15 minutes. We stayed there last fall for 4 days during the middle of the week and had the RV park almost to ourselves.

See you at a hot spring somewhere!

[Adrian W]

Someother hot springs: In Jasper Nat'l Park Alberta, the Miette Hot Springs Jasper National Park of Canada we enjoyed it.

http://www.pc.gc.ca/regional/sourcestherma...2-/miette_e.asp

Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis, WY has The State Bath House. In 1896 a treaty was signed with the Shoshone and the Arapaho which gave the public use of the largest mineral hot springs in the world. The hot springs was known as having "healing water." There is no fee for using the Bath House; however, there is a nominal charge for rental of towels and swimsuits. The hot mineral water is maintained at 104 degrees Fahrenheit to provide the safest healing water possible. A time limit of 30 minutes is set for the soaking time for safety reasons.

http://wyoparks.state.wy.us/HSslide.htm

Both of these were swiming pools to soak in, in Jasper they had a cold water pool to jump into after warming up.

Both really neat places.

[Robert Scallan]

OK, I know this is a Hot springs site, but here in FL, we don't seem to have too many, and besides it's Hot Enough....so check out this site....there are some incredible springs in FL and you might want to look at what seems like a very COOL site...he he...COOL...ok I'll go to my room.

LIFE IS GOOD!!

http://www.thiswaytothe.net/springs/florid...ngs.htm#Florida

[BOBSMITH]

I love the springs in Florida. There are so many great first magnitude springs in Florida that I can't choose a favorite. Ichetucknee is great. The most fun I think I've had swimming in a Florida spring is Salt Spring. Juniper Springs is good. Silver Glen Springs. The Silver River and Silver Springs. There are hundreds of great springs in Florida.

[barring]

Alamosa Colorado has a hot spring pool that my granddaughter and I visited a couple of weeks ago (mid-March), for our first trip in the new egg. The pool is grand, loads of kids, various temperatures. I don't recommend their camping facility - it's just a small gravel parking lot with hookups. Instead head on up to Salida (which also has a hot spring pool) and camp in one of the state campsites along the Arkansas River. No hookups, but absolutely gorgeous, right on the river, about 5 miles from the highway.

I'll attach pics later once I figure out how.....

Barring

[Jim Sherwood]

Sol Duc Hot Springs in Olympic National Park has a campground. The Hot Springs are run by a NPS concessionare. It is a short drive off of Hwy 101 just west of Lake Crescent.

Another option is Olympic Hot Springs which is a day hike destination with two OMP campgrounds close by; Elwha and Altaire. This is a clothing optional area used by the local residents of Clallum, Jefferson and Kitsap Counties. It is a short drive off of Hwy 101 just east of Lake Crescent and west of Port Angeles.