Hot springs are a popular tourist attraction in many countries. Not only do they offer calming relaxation, but they also often boast beautiful scenery for photos.

Credit: Charles Willgren under license CC BY 2.0 No changes were made to the image.

In a survey of hot springs trends from the Global Wellness Institute, hot springs are recognized and appreciated for their health and healing potential. Thermal mineral springs are also used as a natural remedy to improve health and recovery for visitors. While hot springs are increasingly sought-after globally, some of the best and most unique ones are right here in the US. Below, we’ll look at some of the most unique hot springs in the country and why you might want to check them out:

Hot Springs State Park in Wyoming

Containing the world’s largest mineral hot springs, Hot Springs State Park in Wyoming is a park that is simple to navigate, offering hiking trails and buffalo fields for excellent landscape photography. In a previous post, we’ve mentioned Hot Springs State Park and highlighted the turquoise and green mineral-laden spring in Thermopolis, Wyoming. Visitors can picnic, explore The Swinging Bridge — a suspension footbridge across the Bighorn River — or soak in the calming springs. The hot springs offer indoor and outdoor options, providing enough room for everyone and preventing congestion. Visitors can also appreciate the view of the State Park’s beautiful summer flower gardens for some colorful photography.

Pohoiki Hot Springs in Hawaii

Credit: W. Bulach under license CC BY-SA 4.0 No changes were made to the image.

The 2018 lower Puna eruption in Hawaii created several natural thermal ponds, including Pohoiki Hot Springs, as well as a black sand beach that has since become a tourist attraction. Located in Isaac Hale State Park, getting here takes about an hour, but this depends on where you’re coming from; it could take two to three hours coming from the Kona side of the island. To get to the Puna District, where the hot springs are located, you’d need to travel by private car.

There are plenty of car rental options on Hawaii’s Big Island to help you get south of the city of Hilo, allowing you to enjoy the lush green surroundings, heated tide pools, and freshwater springs. Traveling by car in Hawaii is also a great sightseeing opportunity for rugged coastlines and lava fields, especially if you’re looking to explore past your hotel or resort. Once you reach the town of Pahoa, you’ll be able to get to your target destination when you see the detailed signage in the area.

Yellowstone Hot Springs Resort in Montana

One of Montana’s newest hot springs experiences, the Yellowstone Hot Springs is located between two mountain ranges on the bank of the Yellowstone River. The mineral-rich pool waters have become visitors’ go-to for a relaxing, stress-free day.

If you want beautiful scenery to accompany your hot springs experience, you can enjoy the view of the surrounding mountains and the big Montana sky. Visitors will also be able to enjoy other attractions in and around Yellowstone National Park, such as wildlife, thermal geysers, and the sunset. The Yellowstone Hot Springs also offers seasonal campsites and RV parking, with plans to offer cabin rentals for a family-friendly outdoorsy experience.

Chena Hot Springs in Alaska

Credit: unagiinu1210 under license CC BY-SA 3.0 No changes were made to the image.

Last but not least, the Chena Hot Springs offers hot springs and houses an ice museum and kennel for family-friendly fun. They offer seasonal activities such as ice fishing and snowmobile tours in the winter and an unforgettable viewing tour for visitors to glimpse the famed Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. Most importantly, the Chena Hot Springs resort is geothermally powered, having installed Alaska’s first geothermal energy plant in 2006. The facility’s geothermal resources heat its outdoor baths, swimming pools, and greenhouses and even refrigerate its ice museum. You can book a Chena Hot Springs Resort shuttle for the scenic 60-mile drive from downtown Fairbanks to the resort, with the occasional moose and wildlife along the way.

Post penned by Chloe Pearl Alexander
for yellowstonehotspringsmt.com

Yellowstone National Park Trips featured us (much appreciation!) in their list of “17 Best Hot Springs and Pools in and Near Yellowstone.” In their article they say: “Swim in hot springs pools at the brand-new Yellowstone Hot Springs in Corwin Springs, Mont., 6 miles north of Gardiner off Hwy. 89. It offers 400 square feet of pools in a natural setting. Fresh mineral water is constantly flowing into the pools, so the water is always fresh and clean.”

If you haven’t already checked it out, be sure to take a look. There were even a couple I had never heard of. For instance, I had not heard of Heise Hot Springs in Ririe Idaho.

Another they mention is Hot Springs State Park, in Thermopolis, Wyoming. “As you travel through Wyoming, don’t miss the opportunity to swim in the “world’s largest mineral hot springs,“ or so locals say, located in Thermopolis, Wyoming. Greek for “hot city,” Thermopolis derives its name from the hot water that comes from Big Spring. The turquoise and green, mineral-laden spring issues forth 3.6 million gallons of water every day.”

There are also a number of other beautiful hot springs scattered around Montana and Wyoming. We are passionate about hot springs here at YHS and love sharing lists of some of the hidden gems in the area. Here are some additional hot springs photos to whet your appetite for more soaking fun!

Norman Wesley Brooks said: “Christmas is forever, not for just one day, for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf. The good you do for others is good you do yourself.”

Every holiday has its special nuances and traditions. Christmas is no different, and is arguably one of the most celebrated and recognized holidays. From childhood, we are taught the significance of a holiday from family, friends, and the community. That limited perspective can sometimes drift over into adulthood, and we forget that there are glorious celebrations, which may look different from what we know, all across the globe. For example, here in the United States, Christmas is widely known to be celebrated on December 25th. But, is this the same everywhere? Where did this date come from? The Christmas holiday is meant to honor the birth of Jesus, but this date was never specified in the Bible. So where did it come from? The first official mention of December 25th as Jesus’ Birthday appeared on a Roman calendar from AD 336. However, is this when everyone celebrates the miracle birth?

With this in mind, I started to think about how others view this very special day. So, I set out on a journey, and I would love for you to take a moment to join me for a magic sleigh ride around the world. We will take a peek into the way that some other countries celebrate this very special holiday, and maybe add new practices to our own Christmas traditions.

Sweden Celebrates Christmas, Wishing us “God Jul!”

Christmas is sometimes referred to as the “second most important celebration in the Swedish calendar after Midsummer.”— Royal Djurgården

Can you believe that the Christmas celebration lasts almost 2 months in Sweden? Christmas in Sweden begins on the first Sunday in December and continues until January 13. During this time, there are several celebrations that may seem different than what most people imagine when they think of Christmas.

Forsta Advent Day

The Swedish celebration of Christmas kicks off with the lighting of a special candle on the “Forsta Advent,” or first Sunday, in December. This ceremonial lighting continues for every Sunday in December.

Courtesy of Flickr

St. Lucia Day – Little Yule

St. Lucia Day is an honoring of a young girl named Lucia who lost her life for her religious beliefs in 304 A.D. This amazing young lady daringly took food to Christians who were hiding from persecution in the catacombs under Rome. For this courage and dedication to God, she is celebrated by Scandinavian countries. During this time, the morning of “little Yule” the eldest daughter in the home wakes early and awakens each family member bearing gifts of coffee and buns. She dresses in a long white dress with a red sash and a crown made of twigs that holds 9 lighted candles. There are also community celebrations where a young girl is selected to be St. Lucia participating in an Advent procession, visits hospitals and schools, and acts as the recognized symbol in parades.

Decorating for God Jul in Sweden

Families in Sweden are much like that of other families around the world who celebrate Christmas. They love to decorate! Whether it is their home, yard, community, or their Christmas tree, decorations are important. They choose to try to utilize the theme of “natural is better.” A favorite activity is to make ornaments out of straw as a reminder of Jesus in His manger. Their Christmas decorations will bring joy to all until January 13th. This is when they take down their Christmas tree and decorations.

Santa Claus Tradition in Sweden

Santa Claus is a jolly tradition in many Christmas stories, and it is no different for the Swedish children. There has been an evolution of this Christmas icon from an angry man who guards local agriculture to the rosy cheeked warm fellow known today. He is believed to look similar to a gnome and goes by Jultomten. Families leave delicious snacks out for Jultomten like rice pudding with cherries and almonds.

Christmas Eve in Sweden

Sunset on December 24th is when Swedish families open presents, but that is not all. At 3:00 in the afternoon, almost everyone in Sweden stops what they are doing to watch the American TV show, “From All of Us to All of You,” or a marathon of Disney movies/shows. That night, families gather for a jalbord feast of things like cold fish, pickled herring, cheese, pickled pigs feet, ham joint and meatballs. There is a very special tradition during this time that includes “risgryngrot” which is a rice pudding dish. There is one bowl that has an almond hidden inside. If you are the lucky winner of this bowl, it means that you will get married in the upcoming year!

Attending Church on December 25th

If December 24th is for family celebrations, you might be wondering what they do on December 25th. Well, Swedish families recognize this as a day for families to attend church.

Next Stop on Our Christmas Traditions Sleigh Ride

Join us again next week for several more Christmas traditions from around the world. We will take a look at a few more countries and how they celebrate. Can you guess what country opens their presents right after midnight on December 24th?

Yellowstone Hot Springs is honoring first responders this weekend (October 15-17) and next weekend (October 22-24). First Responders soak for FREE at YHS and their family members soak for only $1. We appreciate all the hard work, dedication and risks that first responders take to keep us safe. A big THANK YOU from all of us at YHS!

Officially, the National First Responders Day is October 28th. However, this has only been “officially” recognized since 2017 (first by Colorado, then nationally in 2019), even though many have been honoring our First Responders for much longer.

Who is a First Responder?

So who is a “First Responder?” There is some disagreement on the technicalities of who qualifies.

Merriam Webster defines it as: “a person (such as a police officer or an EMT) who is among those responsible for going immediately to the scene of an accident or emergency to provide assistance.”

In general terms, a First Responder is a member of an emergency service who are first on the scene in an emergency. Typically: Police, EMS, Firefighters.

Brief History of the term “First Responder”

President Lyndon Johnson received a white paper report in 1966 showing that a large cause of death in young people was due to injuries caused by accidents. One of the suggested solutions was to have standardized training for response teams who would help in situations of crises. These “EMS” teams consisting of fireman, police and medics would be called in for emergencies.

In 1969 the first national training for EMS was published. Initially, an EMT and paramedic were considered the same thing. In the early 1970s a group of doctors decided that further training could be provided to help save more lives and the first EMT-P (paramedic) training was born.

Now there were EMT-B and EMT-P training (Basic and Paramedic). An EMT-B program generally provides 120+ hours of training in basic life-saving protocols. An EMT-P often requires as many as 1800 hours of training and is trained in advanced care. They can administer IVs and medication, provide breathing support, EKGs, resuscitate, and many other medical procedures.

Over time, “EMT” has become the common term for anyone with Emergency Medical Technician Basic training. EMT-P are generally referred to as paramedics.

Did you know that all firefighters have at least EMT training, and many are also paramedics? Some police forces also have EMT training, but this varies by state and department.

Modern EMS

Within hours of the attacks on September 11th, 2001, thousands of rescue team members made up of firefighters, rescue dogs, police, and volunteers rushed to Ground Zero to hunt through the collapsed buildings for survivors. EMS teams from all over the country combined their efforts in one of our nation’s greatest rescue missions.

Firefighters were first on the scene, arriving just 6 minutes after the World Trade Center’s north tower collapsed. They were already climbing the building trying to rescue trapped people on the tower’s higher floors, when another plane struck. This was the deadliest day in history for U.S. firefighters. 343 firefighters lost their lives that day while trying to rescue Americans trapped in the rubble and collapsing buildings.

Of the over 17,000 people estimated to be in the towers, 87% of them were helped to safety by First Responders.

YHS Thank you to First Responders

Since then, the term First Responder has become a widely accepted designation for police, firefighters and EMS teams who are the first personnel at the scene. To all of you, Yellowstone Hot Springs says THANK YOU! You work hard, put yourself at risk and under stress. You deserve time to relax and unwind. Bring your families and relax in the pools at YHS. Come join us for a soak at YHS the weekends of October 15-17 and 22-24.

Did you know that YHS now has camping spots and an RV park? That’s right, Yellowstone Hot Springs, through its partner/sister company Yellowstone Destinations, now has camping sites available close to the pools at YHS, and an RV park just a short stroll away. Both locations make access to the pools, showers, and wifi as simple as walking a couple hundred feet from your campsite, to YHS.

We have both full-hookup RV spaces and also offer electric-only sites for RVers (yes, we might have made up that word) who want a more “nature oriented” experience.

Full-Hookup and Electric Only RV Parking Options

Our Electric Only RV sites are located on the south side of the campground. You will take a left just before the bridge. Each site is located to the LEFT of the numbered post. Generators are allowed. Quiet hours are 11pm-7am

Our Full-Hookup RV Spaces are located on the north side of the campground, directly next to our campground shower house. Please make a one way loop past the tent sites, the Yellowstone Hot Springs parking lot, and continue into the full-hookup area. Please bring extension hoses as our hookups are on opposite ends of each pad. Picnic tables and fire rings are provided. Outdoor cooking is allowed.

YHS Wifi Pavilion

Do you need wifi access to check your email, upload some wildlife photos, or map out your route through Yellowstone National Park? We provide wifi access for anyone camping or staying at our RV park, but we also have a wifi pavilion where you can plug into electrical outlets while you sit and enjoy the view, get some work done, or reconnect with any digital services you need to manage.

Yellowstone National Park

Camping Sites at YHS

Camping sites are located directly adjacent to Yellowstone Hot Springs and are really popular with people traveling through Yellowstone National Park, or planning to visit YHS for a few days at a time. One of the benefits is that our camping sites are close to YHS, so you can walk from your camp to enjoy a relaxing soak in the pools just a few steps away.

So the next time you are in the area or planning a mini vacation, don’t just come soak at YHS; bring the whole family and stay for a few days. With so many amazing things nearby:

• Visit Yellowstone National Park
• Go river rafting along the Yellowstone River
• Soaking in hot and cold pools at YHS
• Nearby mountain trails (ask some of YHS staff about hiking in the area)
• Beautiful mountain views and wildlife
• Camping at YHS camp sites & roasting marshmallows by the river
• Staying at our RV park
• Restaurants and gift shops just a few minutes away in Gardiner
• Fishing
• Horseback riding
• Ziplining

…a weekend trip to YHS is bound to be a fun adventure for the whole family.