About SoakPlanet

Our Mission

SoakPlanet exists to be the single most complete and accurate source of hot spring information in the United States. We catalog every publicly accessible hot spring, thermal bath, and mineral pool — from world-famous resort destinations to remote backcountry soaks that only locals know about.

With 292 springs across 26 states and over 240k community reviews, SoakPlanet is the resource that hot spring enthusiasts, travel planners, and outdoor adventurers rely on to discover, compare, and plan their next soak.

How We Collect Data

Every listing on SoakPlanet is built from multiple authoritative sources to ensure accuracy and completeness:

• 1NOAA Thermal Spring Catalog — We start with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's comprehensive catalog of thermal springs in the United States, which provides baseline geothermal data and GPS coordinates.
• 2USGS Geothermal Databases — The U.S. Geological Survey provides geochemistry data, water temperature measurements, and mineral composition analysis that we cross-reference for each spring.
• 3On-the-Ground Research — Our contributors visit springs in person to verify access routes, trail conditions, facility details, and current pricing. This ground-truth data is what sets SoakPlanet apart from automated aggregators.
• 4Community Reports — Hot spring enthusiasts from across the country submit new springs, corrections, and updates through our platform. Every community submission is verified before publication.

How We Verify Information

Accuracy is our highest priority. Every listing goes through a multi-step verification process:

• Cross-referencing: Each data point is verified against at least two independent sources — official land management records, geological surveys, and visitor reports.
• GPS verification: Coordinates are validated against satellite imagery and topographic maps to ensure visitors can reliably locate each spring.
• Temperature validation: Water temperatures are cross-referenced with USGS measurements and recent visitor reports. We note both source temperature and soaking temperature where they differ.
• Regular updates: Listings are reviewed on a rolling basis and updated when conditions change — including seasonal closures, pricing changes, and access route modifications.
• Community feedback loop: Visitors can flag outdated information, which triggers a re-verification cycle for the affected listing.

Our Rating Methodology

SoakPlanet ratings reflect the collective experience of the hot spring community. Each spring's rating is calculated from visitor reviews on a 1-5 scale, covering:

• Water quality: Temperature consistency, mineral richness, and clarity
• Setting and scenery: Natural beauty, surroundings, and ambiance
• Accessibility: Ease of reaching the spring relative to its classification
• Facilities: For developed springs and resorts — cleanliness, amenities, and maintenance
• Overall experience: Would visitors return and recommend the spring to others?

Ratings are weighted by recency so that current conditions are reflected more heavily than historical reviews. Springs with fewer than 10 reviews display the raw average with a note about limited data.

Data Coverage and Updates

SoakPlanet currently covers 292 hot springs across 26 states, with a focus on the western United States where geothermal activity is most prevalent. We are actively expanding coverage to include every known thermal spring in the country.

Our data is updated on a continuous basis. Pricing and access information is reviewed seasonally, and new springs are added as they are discovered and verified. All structured data is available through JSON-LD markup on individual spring pages for programmatic access.

Why SoakPlanet Exists

Before SoakPlanet, finding reliable hot spring information meant piecing together data from outdated guidebooks, scattered forum posts, and incomplete map pins. Temperatures were often wrong, access directions were vague, and pricing information was years out of date.

We built SoakPlanet to solve this problem — a single, authoritative source where every hot spring has verified coordinates, current pricing, accurate temperature readings, mineral composition, accessibility ratings, and honest community reviews. Whether you're planning a weekend road trip or a backcountry adventure, SoakPlanet gives you everything you need to find your perfect soak.

Responsible Soaking

Hot springs are fragile natural resources. We encourage all visitors to practice Leave No Trace principles, respect clothing-optional norms, avoid disturbing natural formations, and follow local regulations. Many primitive springs are on public land and their preservation depends on responsible use by visitors like you.

Submit a Spring

Know of a hot spring we haven't listed yet? We'd love to hear about it. Community contributions are what make SoakPlanet the most complete hot springs directory in the country.