Scenic Hot Springs
Encyclopedia
Scenic Hot Springs is a natural hot spring
in Washington. Located on a high steep northwestern slope, it is located to the south of US Route 2 about 8 miles west of Stevens Pass
, and bordering the Alpine Lakes Wilderness
. Nearby, the Great Northern Railway had a stop for travelers to experience the springs.
Near the railroad, in the 1890s, a lodge, known as Madison Hot Springs, was built to accommodate seekers of these mineral baths who arrived by train from Seattle. The name was later changed to Scenic Hot Springs and it survived as a commercial venture until 1928. Construction by the Great Northern Railway of an 8-mile tunnel
under Stevens Pass dumped rubble into the front yard of the lodge and effected its destruction. Largely forgotten until the 1980s, it then became a popular gathering spot for mineral water
bathers with several tubs constructed of various temperatures.
In October 2001 the King County Sheriff shut down the springs and threatened to arrest bathers for trespassing, at the land owner's request. The land owner was apparently not aware of what was taking place on the property. Activities occurring at the springs were a liability risk and the fact that the area is environmentally protected and no building permits had been issued was used as a reason to demolish the decking.
It is not clear that the springs will ever be available in the form they were before the incident in 2001. A new landowner is in the process of reconstructing the tubs and making improvements to the property to support visitors in the near future.
As of September 2011, access to the springs is conditionally open to those the owner has given permission to be there. Note: this is NOT public lands (although it is surrounded by public lands), but in private ownership, and permission from the land owner is needed in order to access the springs, at all, for any reason.
Hot spring
A hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust. There are geothermal hot springs in many locations all over the crust of the earth.-Definitions:...
in Washington. Located on a high steep northwestern slope, it is located to the south of US Route 2 about 8 miles west of Stevens Pass
Stevens Pass
Stevens Pass is a mountain pass through the Cascade Mountains located at the border of King County and Chelan County in Washington, United States....
, and bordering the Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Alpine Lakes Wilderness
The Alpine Lakes Wilderness is a large wilderness area spanning the Cascade Range of Washington state in the United States. The wilderness is located in parts of Wenatchee National Forest and Snoqualmie National Forest, and is approximately bounded by Interstate 90 and Snoqualmie Pass to the south...
. Nearby, the Great Northern Railway had a stop for travelers to experience the springs.
Near the railroad, in the 1890s, a lodge, known as Madison Hot Springs, was built to accommodate seekers of these mineral baths who arrived by train from Seattle. The name was later changed to Scenic Hot Springs and it survived as a commercial venture until 1928. Construction by the Great Northern Railway of an 8-mile tunnel
Cascade Tunnel
The Cascade Tunnel refers to two tunnels at Stevens Pass through the Cascade Mountains, approximately to the east of Everett, Washington. The first Cascade Tunnel was a 2.63-mile long single track railroad, built by the Great Northern Railway in 1900 to avoid problems caused by heavy winter...
under Stevens Pass dumped rubble into the front yard of the lodge and effected its destruction. Largely forgotten until the 1980s, it then became a popular gathering spot for mineral water
Mineral water
Mineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value, generally obtained from a naturally occurring mineral spring or source. Dissolved substances in the water may include various salts and sulfur compounds...
bathers with several tubs constructed of various temperatures.
In October 2001 the King County Sheriff shut down the springs and threatened to arrest bathers for trespassing, at the land owner's request. The land owner was apparently not aware of what was taking place on the property. Activities occurring at the springs were a liability risk and the fact that the area is environmentally protected and no building permits had been issued was used as a reason to demolish the decking.
It is not clear that the springs will ever be available in the form they were before the incident in 2001. A new landowner is in the process of reconstructing the tubs and making improvements to the property to support visitors in the near future.
As of September 2011, access to the springs is conditionally open to those the owner has given permission to be there. Note: this is NOT public lands (although it is surrounded by public lands), but in private ownership, and permission from the land owner is needed in order to access the springs, at all, for any reason.