About Soak Trail

Soak Trail is an independent research project documenting natural hot springs across North America. What started as personal trip planning evolved into a systematic effort to catalog, verify, and publish accurate field data for hundreds of geothermal sites — from remote wilderness pools in Alaska to desert oases in the Southwest.

The Researcher

Chester Beard is an independent researcher and field journalist who has visited and catalogued hundreds of geothermal sites across the United States. His work combines on-the-ground field visits, USGS water quality data analysis, OpenStreetMap contribution, and historical research to produce the most comprehensive and accurate hot springs database available.

Each spring in the Soak Trail network has been researched using multiple data sources including:

• USGS NWIS water quality records (temperature, pH, conductivity, mineral content)
• OpenStreetMap Overpass API (trail access, roads, amenities)
• Wikipedia and Wikidata (historical context and articles)
• Open-Meteo elevation data
• Recreation.gov campground search
• NOAA weather forecasts
• Field visits and first-hand verification

Disclosure

Soak Trail may earn affiliate commissions from gear recommendations and booking links. This does not affect editorial content or spring ratings. All spring data is independently researched and verified. Sponsored content, if any, will be clearly labeled.

Hot springs conditions change. Always verify access, temperature, and fees before visiting. Natural hot springs can be dangerous — follow leave-no-trace principles and respect private property.

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