How Mineral Waters And Mud Baths Built Calistoga For Wellness

NAPA VALLEY, CA — Napa Valley is known for its rich volcanic soil good for growing grapes and creating award-winning wines. For over 150 years, another earthy allure has brought visitors to Calistoga to soak in the healing mineral waters, hot springs, and mud baths.

Calistoga’s hot springs became the focus of travelers in search of healing through hot springs, volcanic ash mud baths, and mineral soaks, according to Visit Calistoga.

“Calistoga has long been a sanctuary for those seeking rejuvenation – and with good reason,” a Visit Calistoga spokesperson said. “Over a millennia ago, the magical healing waters of our wellness mecca were discovered by the local Wappo tribe.”

The region was named Agua Caliente, or hot water, due to the hot springs that have become essential to the region's growth. To this day, Calistoga shuns fast food franchises and focuses on staying walkable and building tourism both in the hot springs and winery industry, according to the Napa County Historical Society.

Many Calistoga spa owners have become experts in balneotherapy, which can help with arthritis, Fibromyalgia, and lower back pain, according to Derm.net. Bathing in thermal mineral waters and alternating between mineral-rich hot springs soaks and mudbaths is said to help detoxify and relax almost any visitor.

A Visit Napa Valley spokesperson shared why people who don’t love to get dirty should consider the benefits of the volcanic mud bath.

“While the idea of getting into a tub of mud might give you pause, rest assured that it’s a spa treatment that many cultures have been using for centuries,” they wrote on their website. “The indigenous tribes of the A'shoichamai or Wappo villages in Calistoga contained sweat lodges; people in these tribes also partook in hot mud-bathing to eliminate toxins. This practice wasn’t much different from the mud baths of today.”

When you go, seek a treatment that you will find most relaxing. You can soak in a tub of the viscous mud at Spa & Baths at Dr. Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort & Mineral Springs or have volcanic mud painted on your skin only to warm in the sun before rinsing off as they do at Spa Talisa at the Four Seasons Resort and Residences.

What makes mudbaths sanitary? The addition of scalding hot mineral water acts as a sanitizer. Specifically, the sulfur in mineral water mixed with the alkaline in volcanic ash kills all bacteria every time, according to Visit Napa Valley.

The waters are rich in minerals such as sulfur, calcium, and magnesium, which are often associated with alleviating muscle soreness, improving circulation, and promoting good health and mental well-being.

There is nothing quite like the experience of visiting a mud bath and mineral spa in Calistoga, according to Visit Napa Valley.com, earning the city the title of “wellness capital of Napa Valley.”

Find your perfect Calistoga mineral water and mud bath location:

• MoonAcre Spa at the Calistoga Motor Lodge at 1880 Lincoln Avenue: A unique spin on the traditional mud bath. Guests visit the outdoor mud bar to paint the mud onto their bodies for a fun DIY experience.
• Spa Calistoga at Calistoga Spa Hot Springs at 1006 Washington Street. This spa uses locally harvested volcanic ash for its classic mud bath, followed by a whirlpool bath and cool-down wrap.
• Spa & Baths at Dr. Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort & Mineral Springs at 1507 Lincoln Avenue: This is one of the few properties to offer a private mud bath experience. Pair that with a CBD massage or sound therapy.
• Golden Haven Hot Springs Spa at 1713 Lake Street. Come to stay with room and spa packages, couples mud baths, and girls’ getaway specials.
• The Spa at Indian Springs Calistoga at 1712 Lincoln Avenue. It’s a spa that mines the volcanic ash on the property mixed with steaming hot mineral waters to create a traditional mud bath treatment.
• True Spa at Mount View Hotel & Spa at 1457 Lincoln Avenue: Here, explore mud treatments in body wraps of painted-on mud. Spa-goers are cocooned in biodegradable wraps.
• Baths at Roman Spa Hot Springs Resort at 1300 Washington Street. Here, you’ll find one of the few spas offering private mudrooms for two, along with massage treatment and pool access, making it a popular retreat for couples.
• Spa Solage at Solage Calistoga at 755 Silverado Trail. This spa infuses its volcanic mud with essential oils, painting it on the body for spa-goers to relax and rehydrate.

For more information, or to plan your perfect stay, browse through www.visitnapavalley.com.