Fifth Water (Diamond Fork) Hot Springs, Utah

Cold water flows down the waterfall.

In the both sides of the plunge basin, hot mineral water is gushing.

4.6-mile Hiking

I flew to Salt Lake City, and was thinking of going north for visiting natural hot springs in Idaho, and finally found that it was raining in that area.

I changed my mind and decided to go to Fifth Water Hot Springs, where was only an hours’ drive to south in the state of Utah.

It is located at a popular hiking trail; usually crowded with many people on weekends.

The trail is 4.6-mile for a round trip with moderate distance, well-maintained, and beautiful scenery of a stream from the beginning to end.

Natural Hot Springs with Opaque Water

I began feeling smell of sulfur, and then reached the destination.

Hot water gushes generally in two areas.

One is in the downstream, near a small waterfall.

In the right bank, a rock pool is fed by moderately hot water.

The blueish water of the stream is due to mixture of geothermally heated water.

Depending on conditions, the color becomes stronger to turquoise.

Another area is in the upstream, under a big waterfall.

There is the biggest pool in the right bank that accommodates more than ten soakers.

Hot water is flowing down from the slope.

Extremely hot water around 140 degrees F is spouting out.

Most part of the pool was in a moderate temperature, being mixed with cold water from the stream.

Be careful for some points that are scalding hot.

Water flows down beyond a slip on a fault.

A fault is considered to be a path for geothermally heated water in the ground to gush out.

I thought that these hot springs were just along such theory.

In the opposite side of the shallow plunge basin, the bottom looked browned.

There was another source of the springs, flowing into a small rock pool.

The water contains higher in sulfur, which makes it greenish and with strong smell.

I really enjoyed the natural environment full of sound of the waterfall.

Fibrous forms of mineral deposits were adhered to rocks.

Looking back the downstream, I observed stronger opaqueness due to altered mineral deposits.

I saw many hikers, so that clothing is required.

Fifth Water Hot Springs would be one of the best place to visit in Utah.

Summary