Elke and I both enjoy visiting a good hot spring for a nice, relaxing soak. We’ve both been to Sierraville, Harbin, Mercy, Orr, Travertine, Tassajara, and Esalen. It was time to visit the next in our list, Wilbur Hot Springs, a clothing-optional hot spring. A couple of features that you will find common to most hot springs are remoteness and the smell of sulphur. Wilbur was no different. From the moment that we left the paved highway and started down the gravel road, our trip began to disconnect us from the rest of the world. There is no wifi or cell phone coverage at Wilbur Springs.
Amongst the wide and varying display of wildflowers that you can see at this time of year, you will also find my favorites, wild lupins, in both purple-blue and yellow-white.
Elke got us a nice room, number 24, within the main building. It was a bit noisier as it was right behind the front desk, but it was also a 40 second walk to the hot spring. There are much nicer accommodations, but they are all further from the hot spring. I loved our cozy little basic room.
Time slows down at a hot spring. You soak in as hot a water as you can handle. The temperature of the hottest pools are about 105-109 degrees F. You then switch out to ice cold water for as long as you can handle. You do this a few times, and it washes and resets your brain.
There are communal areas for both cooking and hanging out.
There are places to hike and explore, meditate, watch wildlife, take a snooze, or just lie out in the sun.
On one hike we came across a sheepherder who runs a service in which he brings his sheep to mow the tall grass. With the help of his Australian Sheepdog and his Anatolian Shepherd dog, he works with nature to control wildfires, which sounds like a pretty idyllic life, if you ask me.
While relaxing, I completed a jigsaw puzzle and caught at least a couple of shows where guests played guitars and sang.
In the space of a couple of days, Elke and I got some solid downtime. If you are looking to quiet racing thoughts, give yourself a calm space to relax, or simply soak aching muscles, a hot spring is a nice place to do that. Elke and I are both lovers of a good hot spring, and Wilbur Hot Springs is one of our very favorites.
