Great Day Trip! Previously we had heard of the Meadow Hot Pots, just outside Fillmore, but in researching a trip that direction we also found some Lava Tubes.  Hitting the Hot Pots in winters seemed like a fun adventure, so with that as the foundation we headed out one Saturday morning with the boys.

Our first stop was the Territorial State House Museum in Fillmore, which was the original capital of Utah until 1969.  With a $6 entree fee for an entire family this is an economical stop, that in the winter time allowed the day to warm up a bit before we went to the Lava Tubes, which we assumed would be quite cold.  This was a fun little stop with some historical items such as weapons and farm equipment.  There was a cool room that was part of the prison which gives a sense for the stark living conditions of inmates (cold stone room with a mattress and manacles).  One of the coolest sections is the hallway with all the portraits from floor to ceiling lining the hall.

After this we were headed out to the Lava Tubes, on the way we saw a sign on the corner of a street for Mexican Tacos.  We followed the sign down the street to a house where this cute little family was selling tacos for $2 a pop, out of their garage.  We got a smattering of tacos, but they have many other offerings.  The food was awesome and we met a cute little hound that wanted to come home with us.

Getting to the lava tubes was a chore.  We cannot give directions because we wandered all over the place asking several people directions before a very kind young man basically drove us there and pointed up a street saying it was at the end of that road.  We were in the car, not the Jeep, and for this road that was a mistake.  There were lots of potholes filled with water and rocks (we took a couple loud hits on the under carriage).  But it was all worth it. The Lava Tubes are otherworldly. They are stark black with huge caverns you can wander through.  Unlike other lava tubes we have been to, these all had an entry and exit point with airflow so they were not stinky at all, and they were very beautiful.  There were a few pigeons that would fly out of the darkness that startled us a few times, but in the winter time this was a pretty stark landscape and we were all by ourselves.

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The next stop was the Meadow Hot Pots.  We were definitely not alone at this stop.  There are about three different pots with the main one being clearly warmer than the others.  The main pool was so packet with people it was hard to find the water.  Apparently there was a college performance group that had bused there, so it was extremely packed.  The outside pots were much more private and fewer people were there.  The water was more tepid, than hot, but pleasant never the less.  The ground was extremely muddy from one spot to another and took some creative navigating to avoid mud bogs.

Overall, it was an all day event that was well worth the time. The Lava Tubes would be a great place to camp, although there are no facilities so it would be primitive camping.  I would have liked to have more time to explore the surrounding areas because I am certain there would be many cool surprises if one was to take the time to explore that area in greater detail.

It is a trip I would do again, and I hope you get a chance to check out these uniquely Utahan spaces.

Categories: UncategorizedTags: adventure, family, hiking, history, hot springs, lava tubes, liesure, lifestyle, outdoors, utah