Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
OGDEN — Morgan Holzhausen has nothing but good things to say about the hot pots off state Route 39 along the Ogden River.
"It's healing, it's amazing, all the people you meet," she said, describing the typical experience. "It ends up being divine."
The natural hot springs and pools, however popular they may be, can be a headache for the Weber County Sheriff's Office, though, and moves are afoot to crack down on the activity and stop the visits. The hot pots, as they're known, sit on private property at the mouth of the Ogden Canyon on the eastern periphery of Ogden and when visitors hike to them, they're actually trespassing.
"It's always been a problem down there. Over the last several months, we've just continued getting called down there," said Lt. Colby Ryan. Since Jan. 1, 2023, he said, the sheriff's office has responded to 57 calls in the area — a "pretty significant" number for one location — and on Jan. 30, Ogden firefighters had to rescue two men found unconscious at the location.
In response, the sheriff's office announced Wednesday that it has reached an accord with the property owner, giving law enforcement officials the right to patrol the area and enter the property to maintain order. Ryan said Ogden police and Utah Highway Patrol troopers also have authority to police the area, per the letter of agency agreement.
"In conjunction with the Utah Highway Patrol, the Weber County Sheriff's Office will conduct regular patrols in the area. Those disregarding the no trespassing signs and found on private property will receive citations," reads Wednesday's announcement. The federal government owns a strip of land in the area, according to signage along state Route 39, also known as Ogden Canyon Road.
Beyond the patrols, "no parking" and "no trespassing" signs have been posted at a spot just east of the hot pots on S.R. 39, where many typically park their cars before clambering around a chain-link fence to the paths that lead to the warm pools. The Utah Department of Transportation placed a concrete barrier at the spot and also put up "no parking" signs across S.R. 39, where motorists also frequently park their cars before heading to the hot pots.
"It's illegal to park on either side there," even if it has become a common practice, said UDOT spokesman Mitch Shaw.
Many park on the north side of S.R. 39 near the hot pots also to view the man-made waterfall that cascades down the side of the mountain into the Ogden River at the location. Nevertheless, Shaw said, the parking and pedestrians make for a dangerous mix given the traffic flow on S.R. 39 and the limited sight lines along the narrow, curving roadway.
Ryan said hot pot users include warm spring enthusiasts, homeless people who bathe at the location, partiers and others. Typical problems, he said, have been emergency medical problems, like the two men found unconscious late last month, drug and alcohol use and abuse and "lewdness."
"It's progressively been worse over the past year and it's tying up a lot of resources to respond down there," Ryan said. At least one of the unconscious men found at the hot pots on Jan. 30 had to be hoisted out of the area with the help of an Ogden Fire Department ladder truck, requiring the temporary closure of S.R. 39 at the spot. The rocky trail leading to the hot pots was too icy and treacherous.
A woman was found dead at the hot pots last year, a suspected drowning victim, according to KSL-TV. Back in 2012, a man died at the location.
'Feel it healing you'
Natural warm spring water spilling into the Ogden River at the spot feeds the hot pots. Over the years, users have built a series of pools on the south side of the Ogden River, using large stones to contain the warm water. They've also created a network of paths to reach them. The development, according to Ryan, has all been the work of the hot pot aficionados, not the property owners.
Enthusiasts like Holzhausen and her partner Cody Flynn are regulars and they visited the location on Thursday to get a peek at things on learning officials planned to crack down on visitors. Both said the vibe at the hot pots is typically relaxed and peaceful, countering the problematic vision offered by Ryan.
"You're out here in nature, soaking in some hot water. You can just feel it healing you," Flynn said.
"It's never wild. It's never rowdy. It gets crowded at times," Holzhausen said.
Nakia Rose of Cottonwood Heights, also visiting the location on Thursday, expressed surprise at learning of the planned enforcement efforts. "That makes me sad they're closing it," she said.
Whatever the case, Holzhausen and Flynn, both from Ogden, suspect the warm spring-fed pools will be too much of a draw for some people.
"I think people are going to do what they want to do," Holzhausen said.
"People are going to find more dangerous ways to get to them," added Flynn.
