If you have never experienced a natural hot spring, you HAVE to.

It is like a hot tub in the middle of the woods, or a warm rocky stream, without all of the nasty chemicals that are traditionally in hotels' hot tubs and pools.

Most natural hot springs in the US are located in the western part of the country: Montana, California, Wyoming, etc.

Are there natural hot springs in New England?

To my surprise, and likely yours, there IS a natural hot spring in New England.

It is not the hot spring that you would expect, either. You would likely see this hot spring and think that it is just a "regular" swimming pool...but it is not.

Sand Springs Pool and Recreation Center, Williamstown, MA:

According to the Sand Springs Pool website, the natural hot spring in Massachusetts has been used for over 250 years.

Back in the 1820s, it was used to treat diseases and poison ivy.

Today, the pool at Sand Springs looks like any other swimming pool...but the water inside is vastly different.

Natural Wonders in New England:

The Sand Springs Pool is the only thermal spring in New England.

The Water starts in Pownal, VT, where it descends thousands of feet.

From there, the water is filtered through sand, an aquifer, and sent up through thermal and fluid pressure to the pool.

The springs bubble out of the ground at about 73 degrees Fahrenheit. So it is not a HOT, hot spring. But rather one that can resist being frozen solid in the winter, and one that will cool you off in the summer.