Soak in the rare, naturally carbonated 90-degree waters of Vichy Springs Resort, a historic Mendocino County retreat established in 1854, before hiking to Chemisal Falls.
Vichy Springs Resort stands as one of the oldest continuously operating wellness destinations in California, located in the Yokayo Valley just east of Ukiah. Long before European settlers arrived, the native Pomo people utilized these naturally carbonated waters for ceremonial and medicinal purposes, finding relief for ailments from arthritis to skin irritation. In 1848, Frank Marble came across the springs, and by 1854, William Day established a formal resort on the property. The resort saw significant expansion under Civil War veteran Colonel William Doolan, who constructed the concrete baths, guest rooms, and a cold swimming pool. Doolan named the property after the famous geothermal town in central France because of the water's identical alkaline, carbonated makeup. Over the decades, this quiet retreat drew a legendary roster of writers, politicians, and historical figures, including Mark Twain, Jack London, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Theodore Roosevelt.
The undisputed heart of the resort is its unique hydrotherapy. Vichy Springs offers the only naturally warm, carbonated mineral baths in North America. The water flows from deep underground, emerging at a comfortable 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) without the heavy sulfur odor common to other geothermal springs. Guests soak in the historic, antique concrete tubs where the natural carbonation creates a gentle, effervescent tingling sensation on the skin, famously referred to as a champagne bath. Current owners Gilbert and Marjorie Ashoff, who purchased the property in 1979 to save it from being developed into a mobile home park, have carefully preserved this bathing ritual. In addition to the individual concrete tubs, the resort features a year-round hot soaking pool, a seasonal 25-meter Olympic-size swimming pool, and a day spa that incorporates the property's mineral water into specialized clay facials and massage treatments.
Accommodations at the resort blend historic charm with simple country-inn comfort across 26 rooms and cottages. Three of the restored cottages date back to 1852, holding the distinction of being the oldest standing structures in Mendocino County. Guests can also stay in the Mountain View rooms, built between 1866 and 1870, or the Creekside rooms, which were originally constructed as the resort's restaurant during the same era and now overlook the bubbling waters of Little Grizzly Creek. While there is no lunch or dinner restaurant on the premises, overnight stays include a full buffet breakfast, and the dining options of downtown Ukiah are only a ten-minute drive away. Beyond the historic buildings, the resort's 700-acre private reserve offers miles of quiet trails winding through oak and madrone woodlands. The most popular path follows the creek on a 40-minute hike to Chemisal Falls, a delicate 40-foot waterfall that tumbles into a pool surrounded by ferns and wild chaparral.
Pack your own picnic lunch and dinner, as there is no restaurant on-site, then take the 40-minute trail along Little Grizzly Creek to see the 40-foot Chemisal Falls.
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