Mystic Hot Springs has been on our list of things to do and is located on the border of Southern Utah and Central Utah. So it was a convenient stop for us. Plus we thought it would be a fun quick stop for the family!

As we made our way north from Zion National Park to Mystic HotSprings we stopped in the small town of Richfield for the night. We planned to visit the natural hot springs in the morning to enjoy the soaking pools. 

About Mystic Hot Springs

This is only one of Utah’s hot springs and is also known as Monroe Hot Springs as well as Cooper Hot Springs. This hot spring has been located on private property since 1886 originally occupied by the Copper family, now it is a homestead resort. The warm water comes out of the ground at a scorching water temperature of 168 °F (76 °C). We recommend being conscious of letting your kids wander to the area. especially where the hot water comes directly out of the ground.

Arriving at Mystic Hotsprings

We parked in the parking lot across from the frontiersman’s cabins across the street. We pulled up to the parking area for the building that had Mystic Hot Springs painted on the wall. This building would house bathrooms and a small office, but the office wasn’t open when we arrived there.

We called the office and were instructed to endeavor on a short walk towards the cattle gate and enter the property. Outside as you walk to the hotsprings themselves, you pass by many painted and thrifted school buses and cars.

We kept walking, and although we were a little unsure of where the hot springs were, the steam coming off of them was a huge indicator of where to go along with the signage on the property. After what felt like a mile hike to the kids we arrived and they were so excited to experience the hot spring water. We also saw a bunch of on-property, free-roam peacocks!

Soaking Passes

The night before we went to Mystic Hot Springs we were able to buy passes for 9 am and we arrived about 10 minutes early because we were eager to enjoy our time in the pools. Realistically we wanted to get photos before anyone else showed up, it was a great place to get some candid photos of the family enjoying the century-old hot spring. They sell soaking passes in 1-hour increments until 10 pm every day. The soaking passes can be purchased on their website.  

The conditions and information of the soaking pass 

• Enjoying the hot springs is by reservation only
• Your soaking passes are good for a reserved 2-hour time slot

The soaking area includes two large 20×20 ft hot spring pools, and 5 pretty big cast iron bathtubs that easily fit 2 adults. Our whole family was able to fit in one bathtub for a photo, although it was slightly cramped! Another thing to keep in mind is that you’ll be sharing the soaking area/ space with other people who have booked Mystic Hot Springs at the same time you have.

What to Bring With You and Your Family

• You will want to bring towels, they do not offer towels to rent or buy. 
• Bathing suits.
• Insulated water bottles with a cold beverage, no alcohol allowed.
• Some Small Snacks
• Sunscreen 
• Water shoes, we did not need them but the shoes will give you some extra grip while in the big pools.

Our Hot Spring Experience 

While we were at Mystic Hot Springs, the cold air mixed with the hot water created a lot of steam. The steam makes for some dynamic photos during the winter months.

The steam also helped soothe our lungs from the brisk cool morning air. It was a great place to have all to ourselves for about 30 minutes before other people started to arrive. But even then there were only a couple of people.

This specific location has been attracting travelers and hot spring soakers to the perfect temperature water since 1886. The previous family built a wooden collection tub and constructed a stage. They had soaking and dance parties for the guests when the Coopers occupied the property. 

The Big Pools

As we walked up the first set of stairs we were greeted by the first pool. The first pool has a stalactite and a stalagmite that has made a mineral bridge made of calcium carbonate creating a mineral water feature for the shallowest pool. The shallow pool is only 2 feet deep and is perfect for younger soakers.

The second big pool is about 4 feet deep creating an area to stretch, strengthen and float. The second bigger pool felt a tad warmer than the shallow pool and this could be because more of your body is in the water than the shallow pool. It was a nice experience in the deeper pool because there was more room for activities. 

Cast Iron Bathtubs

After experiencing the larger pools we ventured up the stone stairs to the other areas. We are first greeted with 3 bathtubs that are steaming with mineral-filled water. The bathtubs are closest to the spring and have the highest mineral content over the larger pools. 

We enjoy our time lounging in the tubs and soaking in the morning mountain view. The tubs are the best place to relax our opinion. Alex normally doesn’t fit in a standard tub because of his height, but these bathtubs are extra long and the water never gets cold thanks to the water runoff. It’s a win-win situation if you are soaking to remedy some sore muscles.  

We spent most of our time in the cast iron tubs and the big pool for about half an hour. We had a great time here that morning. After an hour we were pretty pruney and felt like we had a good time in the hot water. After an hour or so in the hot water, we felt like jello. 

A two-hour window to soak is a good amount of time. It’s definitely worth the stop if you are venturing through the area and visiting St. George or Park City for a holiday. The hot water relaxed all of our muscles and we felt relaxed and refreshed. This would be our last stop until heading north to Salt Lake City in Northern Utah. 

Other Hot Springs in Utah

If you can’t make it to the Mystic Hot Springs there might actually be a hot spring in your backyard! There are so many geothermal hot spring locations around the state. The Utah Geological Survey has produced a digital atlas of all the geothermal resources of Utah. The publication was produced by the Utah Department of Natural Resources. And it highlights so many hot and cold springs on a map and in the pages of text.

We’ve organized some of the most popular areas by region below!:

Other springs around Mystic Hot Springs (Monroe Hot Spring):

• Red Hill Hot Springs
• Joseph Hot Spring 

If we knew about the Red Hill hot spring we probably would have ventured down the dirt road leading up the hill to the more primitive pools that are located there. They do look like they are in the middle of nowhere, which is my kind of spot because you get to enjoy nature on a more intimate level.

The most popular hot springs in the Salt Lake City area:

• Diamond Fork Hot Springs 
• Crystal Hot Springs 
• Saratoga Hot Springs
• Fifth Water Hot Springs 
• Inlet Hot Springs
• Homestead Crater Hot Springs

The biggest clusters of hot springs and geothermal activity are around the Salt Lake City area and the Meadow-Hatton area going southward. 

The Salt Lake area has plenty of hot springs in the area for your family to enjoy. The Salt Lake area has everything you can imagine. The springs include hot spring resorts, primitive hot springs, and everything in between for your family to enjoy. Some have fees and some do not. 

Central Western Utah:

• Meadow Hot Springs
• Gandy Warm Springs 
• Baker Hot Springs

Unfortunately, the eastern side of Utah state doesn’t have that many hot springs so we decided to leave that region off the list. If you are interested in hot springs on that side of Utah you’ll more than likely have to head to Colorado. One of those is Glenwood Hot Springs.

Final Review of Mystic Hot Springs

Overall Mystic is one of our favorite hot springs we have visited! We have been to a few hot springs on a few beaches in Mexico and in the Colorado mountains while it was snowing. Utah hot springs has a magical feel and a special look that we noticed most other hot springs don’t offer. We really enjoyed our time here, and we loved this spot as a family! If you’re going on a trip through Utah, you should definitely consider checking Mystic Hot Springs out.

If you’re thinking of planning a road trip through Utah, you should check out this blog post with an in-depth list of places to visit and things to do with your family!

Thank you for coming along on our Mystic Hot Spring journey. If you have a hot spring travel story we would love to hear it and if you enjoyed this post let us know in the comments below!  

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Mystic Hot Springs

Mystic Hot Springs or Monroe Hot Springs Resort, is in the state of Utah, which is in the United States. The exact address is Monroe, UT 84754