Mystic Hot Springs
Unique getaway to Monroe easily removes you from the modern world
During the cold days and frigid nights of the coming season, soaking your body in a steaming hot natural mineral spring sounds like a pretty good idea.
About an hour and a half south of us in Monroe there is a hot spring that is the result of a geothermal system along the Sevier fault. As you drive through Richfield take highway 118 ten miles south for the town of Monroe. Highway 118 becomes Main Street and turn east on 100 North. At the end of this street is the Mystic Hot Springs.
The hot springs have been around for thousands of years and creating the orange-red travertine mound that has become a prominent part of hot springs landscape. The main mineral in the water is calcium carbonate. There is no sulfur in the water and thus no pungent smell. The water flows from the spring at the top of the hill at a pretty constant 168 degrees and 200 gallons per minute. The calcium and other minerals are considered therapeutic for skin and bones and for soothing sore and achy muscles
While the hot springs were well known to native Americans for centuries, the first Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints homestead at the site was in 1886 by the Cooper family. During the early part of the last century, wooden collecting pools were constructed at the bottom of the hill. At one time a dance floor was built, and the Monroe Hot Springs attracted people from miles around.
In 1995, Michael Ginsburg, who described himself as an actor, director, producer, and artist, was on his way home from a Grateful Dead concert when he discovered and eventually purchased Monroe Hot Springs. He renamed it Mystic Hot Springs. That is when the series of bathtubs on the upper slope of the hill were put in.
What you see today at the hot springs is rustic and kind of reminiscent of the hippy era of the 60s and 70s. From the parking lot a few stairs will take you to the office where you find a sign directing you to take off your shoes.
Once inside the office you will see a small room full of artistic creations. This room can be entertaining itself because there is a lot to see. A soaking pass for six hours is $16 per person. The rules are posted on the wall and on the grounds permit; no nudity, no alcohol, no illegal drug us and no illegal public behavior. In the warmer months they have concerts regularly scheduled.
Now, if you want to spend the night, there are several options ranging from rustic and historic looking cabins, to a collection of colorful school buses with beds and or bunks, and you can also tent camp. The cabins and buses are $60 a night and will accommodate two to four people. The cabins are nice inside, betraying the rough exterior.
A visit to Mystic Hot Springs easily removes you from the modern world. If you want a unique getaway, this is it and you will be talking about it for a long time.
If you are an adventuresome person you will love the adventure of visiting this place because it is its very own experience and like nothing else. If you are in a soul-searching mood this just might be the place for you.
Mystic Hot Springs is not a five-star resort and is perfect for those that want a unique experience for themselves. It would be fun on a cold night when the water is steaming up around you, making you feel like you are in a faraway distant place to appreciate and ponder the sensual joys of life.