By Bella Butler EBS EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
CORWIN SPRINGS – Positioned on the fringe of Paradise Valley
and just north of the Roosevelt Arch at the entrance to Yellowstone National
Park, a new hot springs brings to life a historic tale of the West.
On March 8, Yellowstone Hot Springs opened their doors to
residents and visitors of the Greater Yellowstone area after nearly a year of
construction. Patrons of the hot springs experience fresh new pools and modern
infrastructure, but the facility is far from pioneer in its conquest.
In 1899, Julius LaDuke, a French-Canadian immigrant, took
hold of a mining claim along the Yellowstone River. To his surprise, his newly-staked
land was inhabited by a natural hot spring. LaDuke capitalized on the discovery
by building tubs on the banks of the river where the springs flowed in. LaDuke Hot
Springs, as the actual hot spring is still named today, provided a relaxing
environment for the old Aldridge and Electric mining communities.
Ten years later, Dr. Frank Corwin of Livingston opened the
Corwin Springs Hotel, an 86-room inn and spa. Corwin, a physician at the time,
built a one-and-a-half-mile wooden pipeline that drew water from the LaDuke Hot
Springs to his pool. A bridge that crossed the Yellowstone allowed for tourists
traveling on the Northern Pacific Railway to visit the springs.
In 1916, the hotel and its brief but memorable legacy was
swallowed by fire. The land was purchased in 1960 and reopened as a dude ranch,
but the property was acquired in the ’80s by the current owner, Church
Universal Triumphant.
The church bought the mineral rights with the property but
didn’t intend to open a hot springs until more recently. “We wanted to continue
offering the hot water experience to the area,” YHS General Manager John Carp
said of the decision to open a facility for the public.
The staff at YHS believe they offer the same relaxing
opportunity now as past operations aimed to do for the last 100-plus years.
When soaking at the springs, red residue is visible around the pool walls, a
footprint left behind by iron, one of the 12 rich minerals found in the water.
While the staff makes no claims of confirmed health
benefits, they instill confidence that their visitors will depart feeling
refreshed and rejuvenated. During the conception of YHS, the founders sent a
sample to the team of Masaru Emoto, a Japanese author who performed
photographic research on frozen water crystals.
Emoto made claims that water crystals that came from samples
that were exposed to music or were surrounded by positive thinking were the
most symmetrical and beautiful. The image of the YHS water nearly mirrored that
of water that had been prayed over by monks.
For those of a less spiritual mind, Carp makes the assertion
that generally, a good soak can have soothing effects on stress.
Every seven hours, YHS’s 70,000-gallon pool circulates a
combination of fresh well water warmed by the piping hot spring water pulled
from a modernized version of Corwin’s pipeline. The main pool ranges between a
relaxing 102 and 103 degrees, an ideal setting to sit back and admire the two
stunning mountain ranges that sandwich the valley. Perched above the main pool are
hot and cold pools that are about 106 and 70 degrees respectively. The various
pools allow guests to alternate between temperatures, a common hydrotherapy
treatment that supports healthy circulation.
In addition to new features like a propane fire pit, vestiges
of the late western enterprises decorate the YHS grounds. Time-honored brick
fireplaces from the dude ranch stand proudly in vintage fashion along the fence
line, and wildlife roam freely within eye sight of the hot springs, just as
their ancestors did. “We’re continuing on from what those very early hot
springs were,” Carp said.
Next door to YHS, another Church Universal Triumphant
business, Yellowstone Destinations, offers camping and lodging options so that
visitors may enjoy a revived version of the experience that began on the cusp
of the 20th century.
For more information on Yellowstone Hot Springs, visit yellowstonehotspringsmt.com. To book with Yellowstone Destinations, go to yellowstonedestinations.com.
