It took us nearly as long to get out of the Treasure Valley as it did to get to central Utah and our first night away on vacation. First we had to do a few "quick" errands, then stop by our son's house, then have coffee with our daughter; it felt like we would never get on the highway. Once rolling we got to our destination with no problems. We were rather surprised to find this hot spring / campground right in the middle of the little town of Monroe. They have a handful of "rustic" cabins and buses for rent if you forgot your tent. They are retro and funky and we were very glad we had our tent... they looked like the "funky" part might go right through to the chassis.
We had just pulled in to Mystic Hot Springs and fishy was admiring some of the locals
when we got our first indication that all was not as charming and peaceful as it might seem. Either someone was murdering a small child or these people had peacocks... The nonchalant reaction of our fellow campers confirmed our worst fears - peacocks! At least they did not climb onto our tent and sing to us all night like the last hot spring peacocks we met.
The soaking pools are open 24-7, but you are not allowed to have a beer (or smoke) in them. The flow through rate is adequate that the water is not funky like the buses, but there are enough minerals that it is just a little murky looking. The minerals lay down their deposits, year after year, decade after decade, creating a formation similar to stalagmites.
These travertine mounds have had pools built around them, or tubs tucked up next to them for soaking in. The tubs have been there so long they are starting to be engulfed by the mineral deposits themselves.
It is sad how many resorts we've seen that were once spectacular but are now crumbling.
It is a bit run down now. They do have a friendly staff and it is actually pretty clean but it has that feeling like no one really cares any more. We overheard an employee saying they were getting rid of some things around there, so maybe they are going to try to spruce it up. The buses are sort of amusing but... they really do not add a "resort" feeling to the place.
It cost us $30 each to camp one night and have a soak. A soak only pass is $15 per person. It was a great place to visit, we do love checking out new hot springs. The camping area was very nice; level, shaded, plenty of space for each camper, and a shower and bathroom were available. There was even power and coffee pots set out for campers to use. Truth be told, if we were coming back this way we would probably not stop here again. "Meadows" is a primitive but free hot spring nearby that is sparkling clean and you can drink a beer there, camp for free, and eat any peacocks you may find...
