One of the pools. Note the highway atop the cliff!

I’ve often wondered who the first genius was who thought of soaking in a natural hot spring for medicinal purposes. Brave.

I got my first chance to soak in a volcanic hot spring in a little town called Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. It’s located about 100 miles southwest of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where Wyoming, Idaho and Utah come together. To get to Lava Hot Springs, you just pull off the road. If you didn’t know it was there, you’d miss it!

I’ve mentioned before that Idaho is full of volcanic activity, and the spring’s heat originates from an ancient volcano that’s constantly venting. About 2.5 million gallons a day circulate through the public pools, and while I always thought they’d have a funky order, maybe sulfuric, they don’t smell like anything. The ph tilts alkaline and the temperature ranges from 102 – 112 degrees Fahrenheit.

They’ve recently renovated the public areas with the utilization of materials like a kitchen backsplash tile. You can choose a pool with jets if you have back trouble, for example, and a masseuse is on staff. The other pools are un-jetted, and the floors are wonderfully soft gravel. No matter where you soak, you’ll enjoy lingering and talking to friends while you watch the trucks go by on Route 30 on the overhead cliffs. Speaking of the cliffs, the town installed beautiful hanging gardens on the hillside too.

I have a healthy appreciation for risk takers, and the first person who decided to see if they wouldn’t boil alive in a hot spring was a risk taker for sure. Whether you’re an inventor, an explorer or an entrepreneur, we’re all in your debt. Thank you, to the world’s risk takers who’ve made life better for us all.