Minnesota’s Secret ‘Boiling Spring’ Looks Like Yellowstone

Springs that boil, geysers that shoot steam into the air, and steaming mud pots are all incredible natural phenomena that places like Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming are known for. But did you know Minnesota has its own boiling springs?

Sure, Minnesota is the Land of 10,000 Lakes, but we're also the Land of One Strange Boiling Spring. And instead of being located around a thousand miles west of Rochester, as Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is, this boiling spring is located in Eagle Creek, and is only about 100 miles northwest of Minnesota's Med City.

Minnesota’s Boiling Springs Are Hidden Near Savage

Seeing those boiling springs, steaming geysers, and steaming mud pots at Yellowstone National Park was something my wife and I were able to check off our bucket list a few years ago. Their stunning beauty is really something to witness and is unlike the geological features native to the North Star State.

Well, unlike *most* of the geological features here in our neck of the woods, that is. Because in Eagle Creek, near Savage, Minnesota, you'll find a similar boiling spring,  though it's not as impressive as those in Yellowstone.

Get our free mobile app

Why Minnesota’s ‘Boiling’ Water Isn’t Actually Hot

That's probably because the boiling water in Eagle Creek isn't really boiling, because this phenomenon isn't caused by geothermal heat. According to OnlyInYourState, the water only appears to be boiling:

Minnesota's Boiling Springs effect is caused by an artesian spring that lies under the creek bed, and as it flows to the surface, it must push up through the mud at the bottom of the stream.

As pressure builds, the spring water eventually 'boils' to the top, and once the pressure is relieved, the 'boiling' stops, and the process starts all over again, the OnlyInYourState story says.

How to Find Minnesota’s Rare Boiling Springs

If you want to check out Minnesota's Boiling Springs, it's open to the public and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. But it is a little tough to find. Start by hiking a path located off Independence Avenue in Savage. Follow it along Eagle Creek, and it should lead you right to Minnesota's Boiling Springs.

ALSO INTERESTING: This Minnesota Park Has Been Called the 'Yellowstone of the North'

Or, you can check it out in the video below-- and then keep scrolling to check out some of the other most popular national parks here in the good 'ol U S of A.