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We visited the Hot Pots on 9-27-03 and were astounded to find the waterfalls shut off and naked men running around everywhere.
Years
of drought have taken a toll and the stream is very low above the Hot Pots.
The waterfalls were essentially dry. (The waterfall photos below were take earlier
in the summer and are representative of how they normally look.) Water in the
Hot Pots was very hot - too hot for soaking. Usually you can find a comfortable
temperature because the stream above is bringing cool water into the pots.
We
don't mind discreet nudity. Skinny dip, if you want, but do it tactfully. On
this trip we were astounded to see several naked men, middle-aged or older,
hiking on the trail and laying out on rocks. They seemed to be angling for maximum,
not minimum, exposure. One family was hiking out totally nude, it looked like
a grandfather, father, teenage son and pre-teen daughter, hiking the 2.25 mile
trail. In the past you might occasionally see someone soaking
nude in the hot pools. It appears the place may now have been taken over
by overt nudist. We chose not to take their photos.
There are 4 scenic waterfalls within a short area just above the hot pots. The lower falls almost hits the big hot pot pool. It's at N 40 deg 04.922, W 111 deg 19.00, about 2.25 miles from both the Three Forks and the Rays Valley trailheads. (Three Forks is closed right now because of construction.)
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