Olympic Hot Springs is located in Olympic National Park, Washington, United States. The springs contain 21 seeps near Boulder Creek, a tributary of the Elwha River. The temperature varies from tepid to .
History Olympic Hot Springs were used by the Klallam Tribe for centuries as a place for vision quests. With the help of a Klallam friend, Andrew Jacobsen in 1892 was the first person of European descent to make it to the hot springs.Robert L. Woods, Olympic Mountains Trail Guide. Seattle:Mountaineers Books, 2000, 350pp. They were rediscovered in 1907, after which a trail was blazed to the springs and a resort was built.
A resort existed on the site until 1966WISDOM OF ELDER BOB, OLYMPIC HOT SPRINGS when its lease with the National Parks expired.Francis E. Caldwell, Beyond the Trails. Port Angeles, WA: Anchor Publishing, 1998.Alpenglow Ski Mountaineering History Project Since then the site has not been developed and the buildings that existed have been removed.
Description
The spring is accessed by using the Appleton Pass Trail which is about a hike. In the past, it was possible to drive and park at the trailhead. However, due to the removal of the Glines Canyon Dam and subsequent road washout, the road ends at the Madison Falls Trailhead and it now must be hiked which is an additional 8 miles to the Appleton Pass trailhead. Another hot spring in the area is the developed Sol Duc Hot Springs. The springs lie on a fault and it is likely that the breaks in the rock allow surface water to be heated and driven back from the hot interior of the Earth. However, geologists say they are uncertain of the mechanism that produce the springs.
The depth of the pools averages around one foot. Some pools are deeper due to rocks being placed to block the exit of the spring water.
A sign at the Olympic Hot Springs trailhead reads:
See also Boulder Lake (Washington) Boulder Peak (Washington)
References
External links
National Park Service Boulder Creek Campground outdoor.com, Washington, Olympic Hot Springs Trail