FIFTH WATER HOT SPRINGS - HIKING UTAH WITH KIDS
Ever since I saw a fellow travel family share a photo of the Fifth Creek Hot Springs it has been on our bucket list to do, so while planning our trip home from our road trip from Utah and it popped on our map on our path I got really excited. It's located off the beaten path I'm Spanish Forks in what turned out to be a gorgeous valley with lots of hiking options. I read multiple stories about going there and the continuous theme was that if we wanted to avoid the crowds we needed to get there nice and early, so we got up in time to be on the trail between 5 and 530am. When we started we had to use a headlamp because it was pretty dark so all we could do was follow the trail and listen to the creek for the first mile until it the sun started to rise.
When you start you will pass through a gate to the left of the parking area. On your immediate right there will be a bridge, do not cross it. The trail is rocky and will gradually dip and climb for about 1.3 miles where you will hit a bridge that you will cross. When you cross the bridge go straight up the trail, not to the left. From there it's pretty straightforward. You will reach another fork that meets back together. We took both and suggest going to the left because the right was pretty narrow and sketchy with some major erosion happening, especially if you have little ones with you.
You will start seeing the water's slight change in color and then you will start smelling the sulphur as you get about ½ mile before you hit your first hot spring. You'll know them when you see them because the water is a beautiful aquamarine color. There are quite a few pools; enough room for a lot of people. Gary and I hiked up farther than the kids to check things out and we weren't the first ones up there. There was a nude couple in the middle area, and then some couples in the very top one so we chose to soak in the lower section with the kids.
At first the kids didn't want to get in because they were creeped out so that you couldn't see the bottom, but once they felt the warm water they couldn't help themselves. Funny Olivia wore her mask the whole time because she did not like the smell. 😆
We spent about an hour there and then headed back around 815am which ended up being the perfect time because on our way we passed about 20-25 people. Some playing music, carrying booze, and getting ready to party at 9am in the morning (no judgement here, I'd have had mimosas if it was just Gary and I 😊).
We definitely think it was worth the 4.6 mile hike though we would have loved to have gone when it was cooler outside. The colors were absolutely gorgeous. One thing that really bothered us when we were there was the amount of trash we saw around, there was even a whole bag of trash with clothes, sandals, and a truly box left behind. Please, please, please clean-up after yourselves and Leave No Trace. We grabbed the bag of trash plus anything we found along the trail back.
If you want to stay close by, the Diamond Campground is not far from the trailhead. The whole area is beautiful so if we go again we would definitely camp there. We had reservations at the campground originally, but ended up staying in nearby Orem at a hotel because we happened to be there during a crazy 100+ degree heat wave. We were back to the hotel just in time to take advantage of their complimentary breakfast!
To help you plan your trip the directions from Google Maps directions are straightforward and accurate.
Thank you to Blank Family Adventure for the initial inspiration!
Have you been to Fifth Waters Hot Springs? What did you think of them? Do you know any other hot springs that we should go to that might be nearby?
