Luxurious Pools Found in Fifth Water Creek
Utah has dozens of notable hot springs and Diamond Fork/Fifth Water may be the most popular. Found near the town of Spanish Fork, these hot springs can be accessed from a few different routes. Depending on the conditions, the routes could greatly vary in length.
All Trails and several park service websites will inform you whether or not the trails are open and it's important to check this information prior to going as hikers could cause damage to the trails and avalanches have occurred at the hot springs.
We visited in early May and the trail was finally accessible after months of closure. The main gate was closed, so that added about 2 miles roundtrip to our hike.
We began at the main gate at 8 AM and started hiking along the paved road, quickly passing beautiful campsites on our right as well as Sixth Water Creek. Eventually the trail will hook right and you'll reach the official trailhead.
Pass through the gate and the trail will become a little more technical, encountering some elevation gain along the way. Eventually, you'll pass a large rock that looks like a brain on your right and come to a small bridge that crosses over the creek.
Now traveling along Fifth Water Creek, you'll start to notice some sulfur-like smells and some interesting vegetation grow along the creek. Again, likely contingent on time of year and conditions, but we witnessed more algae in the creek than I had ever encountered before.
The actual Hot Springs comes up on you fast, with the first few pools being a little underwhelming, but when you go up the trail further, you'll encounter some much nicer ones.
The pools were a translucent teal color, but I've witnessed photos where many of the pools were a milky blue. I'm unclear on what conditions are required for the different appearances, but they're enjoyable either way. You can easily see that some serious work has gone into these pools, with concrete holding some rocks together and a nice little drainage system.
If you travel up the trail a little further, you'll encounter the largest waterfall and some additional pools above it. A couple words of caution... First, you're likely to encounter some insects near the pools, also enjoying the heat/moisture. Next, it's extremely easy to slip and fall on some of the rocks. Lastly, wear an old swimsuit as it's likely to inherit some new colors and smells before you're done in the pools.
And please, do not leave trash, swimsuits, or towels on the trail! It's embarrassing that such a beautiful spot would be treated with such disregard, so please help to keep this gem clean!
While I'm newer to the area, I hear that this trail gets extremely busy during the summer months, so I would definitely recommend getting there early before the droves of people arrive.
Know Before You Go
This hike is seasonal. Be sure to check on the status of the trail before heading over to the trailhead.
The rocks at the pools are extremely slippery. I'd recommend good water footwear.
There is some notable elevation gain during the hike. Make sure you are healthy enough for the hike.
You're likely to encounter some insects near the pools; we noticed dozens of spiders and ants.
Sunblock/hats always recommended.
Resources
Video
Location
Closest to the town of Spanish Fork, its most easily accessed from State Route 89 and then turning onto Diamond Fork Road. Depending on the season, sections of this road may be closed.
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