Dr. Wilkinson’s Hot Springs Resort
The vintage sign and midcentury motel should prepare you for the mud bath ritual that hasn’t changed much since Dr. John Wilkinson opened the no-frills spa in 1952. A chiropractor “with a passion for alternative, holistic health care,” Wilkinson launched his career as the mud king by providing mud baths with his own recipe of local volcanic ash and hot mineral water mixed with Canadian peat.
The family-owned spa is now run by Doc’s children, who also swear by the health benefits of the mud bath ritual.
“In addition to relaxation, our combination of natural hot springs water with local volcanic ash have helped many with arthritic and rheumatic conditions,” said co-owner Mark Wilkinson.
Leave your modesty at the door: You’ll be walking from station to station in nothing but your birthday suit. The service begins with climbing into a bath full of a mixture of volcanic ash, sulfur water from the hot springs and peat to increase the buoyancy. While you are resting in the mud, your attendant will apply the face mask and offer you sips of cold water. Ten minutes later, you’ll be hosed off and sent to relax in the mineral whirlpool bath. Afterward, you can continue your detox in the steam room.
The service wraps up with an attendant swaddling you in blankets for cooldown. While $89 will buy you the mud bath ritual, the most popular service is “the works,” which includes the mud bath ritual plus a 30-minute massage for $144. Bonus: With the purchase of a bathhouse spa service (mud ritual, massage), you will have all-day access to three natural hot spring pools.
$89: 1507 Lincoln Ave., Calistoga, (707) 942-4102, www.drwilkinson.com