Bathing Journal: Hot Spring Lake — They Called It the “Mayo Clinic of the West”

Hot Lake Hot Springs is one of the most productive and hottest hot springs in North America, producing over 2 million gallons of water per day at a steady 180° to 200°F. It has been known for centuries by the Nez Perce for its healing properties. Known as “Valley of Peace” in their culture, it was a neutral ground where all were welcome to enjoy the healing waters of the mineral rich geo-thermal spring.

As westward expansion began, Washington Irving documented the springs in 1836 in Astoria: “they came to where there were several hot springs, strongly impregnated with iron and sulphur, and sending up a volume of vapor that tainted the surrounding atmosphere, and might be seen at the distance of a couple of miles.”

That description still holds. You can’t drive by without seeing clouds of steam rising from the earth. It is beautiful, surreal, and slightly disorienting.

The hotel, frozen in time, carries a distinctly sanatorium-like presence. The façade is made up of identical windows, austere, rhythmic, and utilitarian. It makes you wonder if the next evolution of “wellness” is a return to the sanatorium. Why not prescribe rest and recovery to a culture that feels increasingly unwell? Convalesce! Send us away!

In 1864, the first permanent structure was built by the lake, housing a post office, blacksmith shop, and lodging. After the railroad arrived in 1884, the property expanded into a full sanatorium with over 100 rooms. In 1912, William Thomas Phy purchased the site and dubbed it the “Mayo Clinic of the West,” using the mineral waters to treat a wide range of illnesses.

Today, you can stay at the lodge, starting around $340 per night, or visit with a day pass for about $20 for three hours.

Outside, cement soaking tubs are fed directly by thermal water. You sit overlooking the steaming lake, its natural temperature around 186°F, while the tubs are cooled to a comfortable 104°F. One of the oldest stone tubs can hold up to 14 people and has a stone stairway and more sunken so you are eye level with the lake.

There’s something simple about it. A place to leave your belongings, Adirondack chairs, and rising steam that blurs the horizon. Without technology and without distraction, you are left with a quiet realization.

At the very least, the earth itself is still trying to keep us well.