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Steam rising off of one of the many hot springs found near Rexburg. Hot Springs are quickly becoming a popular places for BYU-I students.
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Idaho is known for its natural hotsprings spread through out the state.
One of the most popular, Lava Hot Springs, is located just south of Pocatello. Only an hour and thirty minutes from Rexburg, this water park consists of an award-winning Olympic-sized swimming pool as well as various natural hot springs.
The entire park is supplied with water heated by nearby volcanic vents. It contains no sulfur so there isn’t an unpleasant smell. Since three million gallons of water race through the springs every day, the water used in the park is always fresh and clean.
The mineral water was thought by Native Americans to have therapeutic and medicinal properties. That is why the entire area surrounding the hot springs was given the name “Poha-Ba” or “Land of Healing Waters,” according to a company spokesman.
People would come from miles away to bathe and worship in the hot springs. Eventually, when people began to settle in the area and build hotels and tourist shops, a town was established and was named Lava, after the hot springs.
The natural resource is located on what was the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. But the U.S. Government made a treaty with the Shoshone-Bannock Indians in the late 1800s that made the springs and the surrounding land property of the state of Idaho. The land was deeded to Idaho in 1902 in order to create a health and recreation facility. More than a hundred years laer, families are still enjoying the luxury of naturally-heated water.
“It’s a really fun place to go. It appeals to all age groups and it’s definitely worth the hour and a half trip,” Brett Cherrington, a junior from Sugar City, Idaho, said.
Among the hot springs are, the volleyball courts, the horseback riding and the various other activities available in the area, students find it a relaxing break from the rigorous demands of Rexburg life.
“My friends and I didn’t know what else to do but relax. It’s an ideal place to take a date because it is pretty cheap and you get to spend quality bathing-suit-get-to-know-you time together,” Derek Cleaver, a junior from Poulsbo, Wash., said.
The park is open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Admission is free for children under 2, $4.50 for ages 3-11, $5 for ages 12-59 and $4.50 for ages 60 and over. For more information, visit www.lavahotsprings.com.
