soda springs geyser

Oosch

We drove through Soda Springs to follow the Old Oregon Trail and we loved it. What a great little stop to do in this town (there isn't a TON to do, so do this one if you are there). Only captive geyser in the world and it goes off on the hour. Kiddos loved seeing it, and so did the adults. I highly recommend having lunch at the restaurant in the hotel downtown and you can see the geyser right from the back of the restaurant. (lunch is delish too!)Boardwalk was easy to climb, you can also get a clear view from the flat parking lot below.

LissaM635

We were sitting in the car at the entrance of our hotel, when my husband looked up and spotted the geyser of water, just a couple of blocks away. Cool! So we figured out how to get there, and walked up to watch it blow. We checked out the interpretive signs, and took a lot of photos. It's a very interesting, unexpected thing to find in the middle of Soda Springs. Check it out if you're passing through; it blows off once an hour on the hour, and it's worth waiting around for.(catching up on reviews from a September 2014 road trip)

mamacroc

We found this very easily by following the signs. We arrived just as the geyser went off. It was pretty cool and we easily occupied an hour reading the plaques and visitor center info until it went off again. Then we went across the street to the park where they have restored engine "Dinkey" which the kids loved. There's also a stagecoach - not well displayed - and the "Galloping Goose" bus. The kids - 2 & 3 - played on the playground as well before we had lunch at the Geyser View. We finished lunch just in time to see the geyser one last time before leaving. We got some really cool pictures, too. Excellent afternoon thanks to Soda Springs!

MemoriesWeaver

We stopped there on our way. they say its the only captive geyser in the world. The geyser is controlled by a timer and erupts every hour on the hour for about 10-15 min, it was enough time to take pictures. The geyser reaches heights of 100 ft. there is a board walk and you can also step on orange ground. I don't know if its safe to drink it, but I had a sip and my stomach didn't like it :( Overall, we enjoyed the experience.

bnic5

An old water well that hit an artesianal pocket of carbonated water (soda water). Easy to plan a visit to since it goes off every hour on the hour. The viewing area is fairly neat. Does not compete with Yellowstone but neat if you're in the area. Also recommend trying Hooper springs, the original soda spring. It tastes awful (copper and sulfur) but is a unique experience. Make sure you get your water from the flowing portion of the spring. Also, you should only drink it fresh, do not bottle it. Algae will grow inside your bottle if you wait too long.

local20

It was very pretty. There is a nice park nearby with lots of history. The whole town is cute. Right on the Oregon Trail

thunefeld

Kids will for sure love this. I actually preferred Hooper Springs a couple miles to the north. You can drink the fizzy water at Hooper! But anyway, Hooper is not available on trip advisor. The downtown geyser goes off every hour on the hour because it is regulated… a cap prevents it from performing except when scheduled by the Chamber of Commerce… Which happens to be the top of the hour, every hour, for the enjoyment of tourists. Especially kids.

jbarm

Passing through Soda Springs on the way to Jackson. Saw the various signs for the Soda Springs geyser on the highway so decided to stop and check it out.Sort of hard to find in old part of town off of main road behind a bar.Located on mound with sort of rickety fences and trails.Parking lot with no clear parking spaces and broken light pole.Attraction is basically the same as if someone stuck a pipe in the ground and had it shoot water in the air at the top of every hour. In this case, they have a capped well that is naturally pressurized, they put a timed valve on it and it shoots up in the air every hour.I could do the same at home with a garden hose and a timer.Lame.

104davidm

We went to there today and it was alright, but we didn't really see it spout out water like the geysers in Yellowstone. All this proves to me that the natural geysers are better than the man controlled geysers. Anyway, it wasn't all bad on account it gave us a chance to stretch our legs and walk around. So all in all was it good? I would say yes it was, Would I go back? probably not.

Roderick19

The Soda Springs Geyser is a lot of fun if it is on your route. Be there at the top of the hour. It is a mineral geyser, and the town has thoughtfully posted signs warning visitors not to park cars too close to the geyser as the spray may damage a car's paint. The geyser and surrounding park are near the middle of town. Adjacent to the geyser is a marker commemorating the service of Soda Springs' Ground Observer Corps, a WorldWar II/Cold War initiative of the U.S. Air Force designed to protect the U.S. from air attack. The visitor's center provides additional information about the geyser, the Ground Observer Corps, the Oregon Trail and area atractions.

jacobm691

This is a really neat out of the way attraction. It is the worlds only man-made geyser, accidentally created, capped, and now goes off on the hour for about five minutes. If you want you can right up to it, it's cold water, I didn't know until some little kid in a bathing suit went up. There are a few interpretive signs on the geyser, and next to it, is a original Cold War lookout building, where volunteers would watch for any unidentified planes. Also go across the street to the Enders Hotel and Museum, it is AWESOME, and the Oregon Trail sites in Soda Springs. WARNING, try to avoid parking in the lot next to the geyser, the wind will get the geyser water all over your car and get your car super dirty, if it does happen, go over to the Food Mart in Soda Springs and get vinegar, water and a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, it gets most of it out. But definitely worth visiting.

xxxMaryxx

The geyser goes off every hour on the hour and it lasts about 8 minutes. We had a few minutes before the geyser was expected to go off so we made some coffee and enjoyed the beautiful Idahoan blue skies. The geyser water is a little cold but refreshing. It was a fun stop. Would do it again if my travels broufht me this way. Now we are off to the next adventure. Can't wait to see what we will find a long the way!

mcalmax

Just before the church bells go off the geyser starts spouting water for 5 minutes! Cool! Also check out the Cold War lookout station and the cemetery nearby!

Basilio_10

This is really not far of the road to see if you are driving through Soda Springs. We came out purposefully for an afternoon, and it is amazing just how enclosed it is by the rest of the town. It goes of once an hour, on the hour and is really quite amazing. Expect to be showered if there is a breeze blowing. If you are coming specifically for a visit don't expect to find a huge amount to fill a long space of time. There is a tour of things of interest in the area but none of them take very long to see. There is a small museum beside the geyser which is quite interesting but is just information for reading and would not be of such interest for young children. We also drove up the hill to Hooper Spring, which was worth doing as you are able to see (and taste if you wish) some naturally sparkling spring water!!

ZakS113

Visited here just before sunset on a cold January day. Apparently the geyser is operated on the hour, every hour, every day of the year (though don't quote me on this). Nobody else was around. There was ice all over the surrounding walkways, but the water was very warm. When the geyser was activated, it went incredibly high, and created steam all around it -- fun to experience. The weirdest thing: when I put my hands back in the water right after the geyser stopped, it was much, much colder than it had been beforehand. Anybody who can explain this gets a gold star.