Meadow Hot Springs: A Robbed Local Treasure

In central Utah right off the Pahvant Mountain Range, a cluster of hot springs is nestled into a vast desert landscape. These naturally occurring springs located in Millard County are known as the Meadow Hot Springs, and their name comes from the nearest town — about five miles out — Meadow, Utah. There are three pools total. The first pool sits at about 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the toastiest of the three, and the next two get progressively colder, with the third pool being cool enough to home a variety of small, warm-water fish.

Although the springs are privately owned, public access is not restricted, and the hot springs have become a popular travel pitstop that brings in a significantly large portion of Millard County’s tourism. People from all over gather at the hot springs to enjoy the pleasant waters, often bringing trailers and tents to stay a few nights. They are the perfect spot to unwind and enjoy a nice soak — too perfect, some think. The picturesque beauty and unavoidable relaxation the Meadow Hot Springs provides is, unfortunately, becoming a problem. The unmonitored public access to the springs has become destructive to the wildlife surrounding the area, and the locals are not happy about it.

The Local History

The Meadow Hot Springs have been a cornerstone of the local community for about as long as the town, Meadow, has existed. Meadow was founded in 1857, and although the exact discovery date of the hot springs hasn’t been recorded, they have lived long in the town’s awareness. The springs have served as a beloved recreation spot for decades, with locals spending hot summer days cooling off in the temperate pools and chilly winters warming up in the hottest pool. Life-long local Aspen Flake (32) shared her personal story surrounding the springs: “I’ve been going to the hot springs for as long as I can remember. My first memory of it is when I was probably about four, and I was trying to learn how to swim … We’ve been going there ever since.” Flake emphasized the local history intertwined with the hot springs: “My Grandpa was actually baptized in them, and a lot of people back in the day were baptized there because they didn’t have warm, running water yet. So, if somebody had to get baptized in the winter, the hot springs were the perfect place to do it.” People may not get baptized in the springs these days, but their past significance lingers on in the community.

Their Rise in Popularity

The hot springs largely remained a local secret until the popularization of the area through social media. According to Flake, the uptick in popularity happened somewhere in the mid-to-late 2010s and has been steadily growing ever since. “[The Meadow Hot Springs] started to become really popular because the internet found them. There’s a video that was going around on Facebook and Instagram, and that’s when it started to get really busy,” said Flake. Now with one quick Google search, hundreds of images of the Meadow Hot Springs are at your fingertips. They all feature close-up pictures of the springs themselves, most often with crystal-blue waters and a beautiful view of the expansive landscape, and every blogger who has ever set foot in the area has written of their magnificent beauty. They’re presented as the perfect destination: beautiful, relaxing and most importantly — free! The appeal of the springs is obvious. Now, thanks to the springs’ online presence, there is a constant stream of travelers coming to and from the hot springs.

The New Reality

This rise in visitors of the hot springs has significantly marred the once-pristine landscape. Flake described the Meadow Hot Springs of her childhood as a completely wild place. The change in years since is palpable, with the wild grasses being swapped out for trash, tire tracks and human waste. “The place is basically trashed now. It used to be pristine with grass growing right up to the edge of the hot pool … There weren’t tire tracks; there wasn’t garbage. Now, anywhere you try to look, somebody has tried to drive there. The whole area is just a dirt pit. There’s always, of course, lots of trash, and even people will go to the bathroom and leave their toilet paper and poop sitting on the ground, right next to the hot spring.” 

Local Dayla Wilcox (56) shared her perspective on the uptick in travelers leading to the hot springs’ decay. She, too, has observed this degradation of the springs up close. “They have no respect for it. There is tons of trash there. Once, there was a refrigerator dumped off there like it’s a garbage dump. They’ve dumped couches, they’ve dumped fridges. People bring all sorts of junk and just dump it there like it’s a place for garbage. It definitely ruins the beauty of the hot springs.” 

On my own visit to the Meadow Hot Springs, I immediately observed the changes described by Flake and Wilcox. The gate that separated the parking area and the road to the first springs looked as if it had been run over and was left in its twisted form. The road to the spring (which Wilcox had described as historically narrow) was blown out to be about 20 to 30 feet wide and almost entirely consisted of ruts and holes. It was clear that many had tried and failed to drive out to the spring, thus destroying the road more and more. As I walked down this road, I felt like I was finding my way through a maze, and at one point, I had to traverse a particularly deep rut filled with water by way of broken pieces of fence and wooden planks. 

In the spring itself, there was a group of people soaking. On the edges of packed down dirt, there were discarded glow sticks, beer cans and other refuse. On the east side of the pool, somebody had lit a campfire and left the charred wood just a few feet away from the water. This trail of trash continued as I walked along another blown-out road to the second warmest spring where two vehicles were parked, their owners obviously having just spent the night. The sight of destruction was similar to the previous spring. As I circled around to the pool, there was actual human refuse no more than three feet away from the water’s edge, just left there right out in the open. At the coldest spring, two tents were set up, full of travelers, and a couple was taking a selfie in front of the water. There were remnants of a dock, just a skeleton of its former glory. 

Along the roads and by the pools, metal cylinders with slots at the top were set up with signs showing “ENJOY PLEASE DONATE.” All of these were covered completely with graffiti and stickers. The same goes for the trash cans which were actually chained to wooden poles stuck into the ground. It was obvious that this place is in desperate need of help. 

A Community Left Dreaming

The effects of the Meadow Hot Springs’ disrepair is undeniably affecting the community surrounding this space. It is a tragedy that such an important place has been downtrodden in such a way. Flake expressed that the new reality of the springs has discouraged them from enjoying the space as often as they once did. Flake said, “I go maybe once or twice a year at the most because there are so many people that you can’t even enjoy it.” For someone with such a personal history to the springs, the loss is palpable.

Wilcox shared a similar feeling of loss: “The hot springs are a sacred place to me. I love them so much. I would have to say it’s one of my very favorite spots on the planet, and it’s actually been very sad to watch how they’ve been treated and to watch how the earth has been torn up, to watch how trash has just been dumped there when it’s this amazing place. It saddens my heart to see people feel so entitled to do what they want with it without regard to it.”

When prompted, Flake relayed her thoughts on the springs’ rehabilitation: “I dream of this!” She explained that, although she is aware that nothing can really be done (due to the private ownership of the hot springs), she desires the restoration of the area, nonetheless. Her biggest wish would be the restriction of motorized vehicle usage, while still allowing travelers to enjoy the wonders of the hot springs. 

Wilcox shared a similar sentiment and spoke about striking a balance between preserving the natural wildlife and still allowing the public to indulge in the hot springs: “I believe there is always a way to find a balance, but the balance would have to be found in a way that does not exist now. There has to be some other sort of action.” 

A Message and a Warning

Sadly, the Meadow Hot Springs have been significantly changed from their wild state, much to the dismay of the community in which they reside. But that’s not to say that there isn’t hope for them yet. Locals Aspen Flake and Dayla Wilcox both believe that through responsibility, travelers can help take the hot springs a step in the right direction. 

Flake offered up a warning that spreads larger than just the springs: “There’s only one Earth. There’s no more land being made. This is a really cool thing, and I wish people could just take care of it. Once it’s gone or ruined, it’s gone and ruined forever, unless something changes.” This is a sentiment that everyone looking to enjoy public land would do well to remember. Preserving wildlife is of the utmost importance, and the hot springs are a perfect example of what can happen when people forget to be mindful of their responsibility to keep the land in good shape.

Wilcox leaves a message for anyone looking to visit the Meadow Hot Springs in years to come. She says, “My advice is to just have respect, to treat the hot springs and the Earth like the gifts that they are, to be kind to them.” So, if you are thinking of stopping by the hot springs, or any public land for that matter, remember the impact your actions have on the wildlife and community in that area — be a part of the positive change the Meadow Hot Springs need.