The Pacific Northwest is riddled with hot springs, some big, some small, some primitive, some highly developed. One humble little site, Ohanapecosh Hot Springs in Washington State, has a glorious history belied by its appearance today.
Birth Of An Industry There is nothing new about public bathing or use of hot springs. The Roman baths were legendary, and there is evidence that the ancient Egyptians also promoted public bathing. The Hebrew culture has included ritual bathing for many centuries. Public baths became a place for socialization throughout Europe from the 1400s to 1800s, until religious reformers shut them down, perceiving them (perhaps accurately) as dens of iniquity and sites encouraging the spread of sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis.
Ironically, the pro-health benefits of water immersion (not to mention cleanliness) brought hot springs and public bathing back into favor in the mid-19th century. Mineral waters, in particular, were touted as restorative for all manner of mental and physical maladies. The early-20th century health craze (as exemplified in the 1993 comic novel "The Road to Wellville" by T. Coraghessan Boyle, as well as the subsequent Anthony Hopkins movie) included spas and sanitoria featuring mineral baths. By the 1920s, hot springs were very much in vogue.
Glory Days As America swept westward, the Pacific Northwest was poised to take advantage of the hot springs craze. Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana were still "The Wild West" to many, and were considered very fashionable places to visit by adventurous and well-to-do Easterners.
In 1924, N.D. Towers and Dr. A.W. Bridge constructed a small hotel and two bathhouses at a U.S. Forest Service campsite known as Ohanapecosh. The resort continued to develop and expand through the next two decades until seafaring adventurer Martin Kilian purchased it in 1947. Kilian operated the hot springs resort until the contract was terminated in the early 1960s. By 1967, all of the resort facilities had been dismantled and the hot springs were allowed to return to their natural, pre-excavation condition.
Ohanapecosh Today Today's visitors to Ohanapecosh Campground (now part of Mt. Rainier National Park), see only a colorful seepage in a swamplike setting when they visit the springs. The story of the historic hot springs is told via a self-guiding tour booklet available at the adjacent visitor center. The water still emerges at 115- 120 degrees F, flowing in shallow rivulets down the hillside. Visitors traverse the area on a half-mile handicapped-accessible series of boardwalk trails.
Ohanapecosh is located in the southeast part of the park near the town of Packwood, Wash., about 5 miles north of State Highway 12. The visitor center, open seasonally, features exhibits about the forest, a gift shop, and information about park activities. Park rangers and volunteers can be reached there at 360-569-2211, ext. 6046. The campground, located at 1,914 feet above sea level, is open from Memorial Day until Columbus Day. It offers 188 individual sites, (two of which are wheelchair-accessible) and one group site that accommodates 12- to 25 campers. Guided walks and children's activities are offered during the summer months. Evening programs are held at a campground amphitheater in season.
The Ohanapecosh River flows through the campground, a breathtaking 40 degrees F waterway for only the hardiest of swimmers. Silver Falls Trail, a 2.4-mile-loop with rewarding views of the falls, is accessed from B-loop of the campground.
Sally O'Neal Coates is a Pacific Northwest native who writes weekly for Sportsmansguide.com. She has enjoyed camping at Ohanapecosh since the early 1960s.