Tecopa Natural Hot Springs

Hike Review:

• I was here last year and things were mostly the same.

• However, the springs were especially muddy, which made the water smellier than it was last year. I wonder if it was due to some seasonal changes (the last time I was here, it was in the winter) or perhaps due to the previous occupants of the springs being especially rowdy?

What Happened?

 

After a whole day in Death Valley, I thought it’d be good to dip into Tecopa Hot Springs and clean up. We arrived with the winds howling at 15 MPH, but that did not slow our march to the hot springs. Rather, because it was so cold, it made us quicken our pace as every step brought us closer to 100+ degrees water.

When we got there, we took off our clothes (we already had swimsuits underneath our clothes), tied our lanterns around our backpacks, and headed into the hot springs. We quickly located the hot vents and huddled around them for warmth.

We had been in the springs for less than 5 minutes before another couple joined us in the hot springs. We greeted each other and made some small talk, but we kept our distance and everyone mellowed out with the company they came with.

We stayed in the hot springs for about 45 minutes before we headed back. We were able to get all the sand, sweat, and sunblock off our bodies, but we picked up a fine layer of mud that I even smelled the next day when I took a shower back at my house. Still, it was worth it to soak in some hot water after a long day of adventure.