sign: Welcome to Hot Springs State Park

The Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers
at Hot Springs State Park
in Thermopolis, Wyoming
September 28, 2012

Below: The view from the front window of the RV of the two RV Gypsies at Riverton RV Park. The two RV Gypsies do not have anything to say about this park. They were only here one night. Then they continued on to Thermopolis Wyoming and Hot Springs State Park.

sign: Riverton RV Park
the RV of the two RV Gypsies
The view from the front window of the RV of the two RV Gypsies

Below: The two RV Gypsies drove through Windy River Canyon to the Hot Springs

Driving through Windy River Canyon to the Hot Springs
sign: 3 tunnels ahead

Below: Entering the first tunnel

Entering the first tunnel
Entering the first tunnel

Below: The second tunnel plus a train tunnel

Below: In the second tunnel,
and seeing the third tunnel

The second tunnel plus a Train tunnel
In the second tunnel

Below: Entering the third tunnel and the curvy road after exiting the tunnel

Entering the third tunnel
the curvy road

Below: Thermopolis, Wyoming and Hot Springs State Park, the world's largest mineral hot spring.

sign: Thermopolis welcomes you
fall flags
sign: Welcome to the world's largest mineral hot springs
a teeppe fountain in the town square
directional sign inside Hot Springs State Park

Below: Karen Duquette was eager to soak in part of the World's Largest Mineral Hot Springs, while Lee Duquette spent time exploring the State Park. The bath house was free, but Karen chose to pay the $10 fee to enjoy the larger, much nicer area at Star Plunge as shown below.

the hot mineral pool building
the outside mineral springs pool

Below: After Karen Duquette changed clothes in the locker room, she entered the indoor springs area and there were quite a few people there, so she decided to try the outdoor mineral springs area first (shown above and below). It looked like any other large swimming pool with a deep end and a diving board, but this was healing mineral water. There was a small slide for the kids, and a bigger slide for adults, but Karen did not feel like walking around to figure out where the beginning and end of the larger slide was located, so she just jumped into the pool. Karen did not think the water was as hot as she likes hot springs to be, so after a bit, she returned to the indoor area.

Karen Duquette in the outside mineral pool at Hot Springs
Karen Duquette in the outside mineral pool at Hot Spring

Below: Most people had left the indoor area by now, so Karen Duquette was overjoyed to have space to herself. She first tried the little square area shown below because that is where most people were when Karen first entered earlier. But again, Karen thought the water was not hot enough. Then she noticed the "Lobster Pot" area.

a cooler section: inside mineral spring
a long view of the indoor mineral springs
Karen Duquette enjoying the mineral springs
Hot stuff clipart

Below: The hottest mineral spring - The Lobster Pot - Karen Duquette's favorite spot - 114 degrees instead of the standard 104 degrees in the other area.

Karen Duquette in The hottest mineral spring - The Lobster Pot
The Lobster Pot

Below: The entrance to the Vapor Cave (a fancy steam room). No one under 21 allowed in the Vapor Cave. Karen Duquette had this all to herself.

entrance to the Vapor Cave
entrance to the Vapor Cave

Below: Inside the Vapor Cave - so steamy, that a clear photo could not be taken.

Inside the Vapor Cave

Below: One of the water slides - the entrance was from outside the building, and it ends up inside the building.

the end of the waterslide
the end of the waterslide

The State Bath House : In 1896 a treaty was signed with the Shoshone and the Arapaho which gave the public use of the largest mineral hot springs in the world. The hot springs was known as having "healing water." There was no fee for using the Bath House; however, there was a nominal charge for rental of towels and swimsuits. The hot mineral water was maintained at 104 degrees Fahrenheit to provide the safest healing water possible. A time limit of 20 minutes is set for the soaking time for safety reasons. The State Bath House was free to use, just like entrance into the State Park was free. But since it had a 20 minute limit, Karen Duquette chose to only use the area shown above because there was no time limit there.

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Please continue on for more of Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis, WY with its rainbow terraces, swinging bridge (suspension bridge), Spirit Hole, Devil's Punch Bowl, White Sulphur Spring, Big Horn River, and more