Stop 6: Men's Bathhouse Spring

Men's Bathhouse Spring

NPS/Irene Owsley

This is Men’s Bathhouse Spring. You can still see part of the wooden structure that remains from when it was used as a sauna. Generally, this spring has limited water and is full of bubbling mud - a mudpot. The gases escaping in the bubbles are hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide. You will likely smell the hydrogen sulfide – it smells like rotten eggs. Mudpots are generally hot and acidic, and this one is no exception. The temperature of this spring is about 140 degrees F and the pH is around 2. Water at 140°F can cause a serious burn to human skin exposed for 3 seconds.