Moccasin Springs Natural Mineral Spa - Hot Springs in South Dakota

A hot spring facility that had been abandoned for almost 50 years was back in business.

It is no exaggeration to say that this stunning revival was one of the most impressive hot spring renovation in the United States.

THE BATHHOUSE

Hot Springs, South Dakota is, as the name implies, a spa town.

Moccasin Hot Springs, located just off the main street where Evans Plunge is located, is a unique day spa facility.

Although it has the appearance of an upscale spa, no advance reservation is required if you just want to dip in the hot spring.

Admission is $25.00 for an adult (as of this writing); children under 18 are not allowed.

Although the building is brand new, built when it reopened in 2019, this place has a very old history.

It was in 1881 that whites settled in the geothermal area used by the indigenous people and built the first bathhouse.

The rustic bathhouse, named Black Hills Spa, was transformed into a luxurious hotel, the Minnekahta Bathhouse and Hot Springs Hotel, around 1888 to 1890.

It was a time when the mineral springs culture flourished in many parts of the United States.

As in many other cases, people lost interest in hot springs, and the hotel went out of business in 1963.

The ruin was then left to disintegrate for about 50 years.

It was carefully renovated over a period of five years to its current state.

The pool area, with its mysterious atmosphere, is a masterpiece of renovation, making the most of the existing structure as much as possible.

First, change into your swimwear at THE BATHHOUSE, located in front of the pool area.

Alpaca

Beautiful!

We can live here.

Capybara

HOT POOLS

The area just outside THE BATHHOUSE is low like a canal.

This structure is designed to drain the overflowed water from the pools as well as to preserve and display the tub of the old facility, which is in a lower position.

At the far end are two stair-stepped pools, which are called Hot Pools.

The upper one was 104 degrees F and the lower one 100 degrees.

The water temp at the fountainhead is 93 degrees F, which means that it is heated.

THE POOL HOUSE

THE POOL HOUSE is built in such a way that it connects the pool to the pool.

The room was heated by a fireplace.

The water temp was low, so it was nice to have this kind of space.

MOCCASIN POOL could be seen from the window.

MOCCASIN POOL

The box-shaped moccasin pool is like the heart of the spa.

The pool, which can be traced back to the time of the indigenous people, has a concentration of mineral springs, and you can see warm A large amount of spring water is cascading down from the edge of the dam.water gushing out from everywhere facing THE POOL HOUSE.

The water is a clear, colorless, odorless, and tasteless.

There are places where even adults cannot reach the bottom, which is natural bedrock.

1912 POOL

1912 POOL is connected to MOCCASIN POOL through a small tunnel.

As the name suggests, this pool was built in 1912.

Look at the historical postcard.

Moccasin Springs Natural Mineral Spa

You will realize that the distinctive tunnel is still intact.

The first difference can be that MOCCASIN POOL's shed has been demolished.

Secondly, there is a dam in the middle of 1912 POOL.

A large amount of warm water was cascading down from the edge of the dam.

Algae had grown in the drainage pond, making it impossible to dip in it.

While walking around the area where the old hotel used to be, I found an interesting hut.

I went inside and found another source of water seeping out from underneath the historic walls.

I do not know what they are planning to use this space for.

With the utmost respect for the old facility, we will have to wait and see what the past will bring back to the present.

Summary

Official website