A number of steam vents are located under Boiling Springs Lake, keeping the temperature of the lake around 125 degrees. The mudpots on the southeast shore are among the best in the park. Their coloring is magnificent.
The trail crosses a meadow and then goes through forest to the lake and around it. Trees include incense-cedar, ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, white fir, sugar pine, and others. A variety of wildflowers are found, and it is a good area to observe birds.
At the beginning of the trail hikers can pick up a leaflet describing 44 points of interest. These refer to trees, shrubs, flowers, geology, and other nature subjects. This is a relatively easy walk and one can profitably spend half a day using the leaflet.
[34]. DEVIL’S KITCHEN
| Starting Point: | Drakesbad Lodge |
| Distances: | 1.5 miles one way |
| Topography: | Gradually uphill 300 feet |
| Time: | 2½ hours for the round trip |
| Features: | Flowers, forest, hydrothermal activity |
This hydrothermal area is larger than the Sulphur Works, smaller than Bumpass Hell, and differs from both. Hot Springs Creek runs through the area, and on a shelf just above this creek are a number of mudpots. Whoever named this area apparently imagined the devil cooking over these pots. The area extends above and beyond the mudpots with a number of steam vents on the side of the hill. And at the lower end are a group of trees which were killed quite recently when new vents opened up. In exploring the hot springs area, hikers should be extremely careful as crusts may be thin and trails thru the area have not been established.
The trail to Devil’s Kitchen crosses a meadow near Drakesbad (where one should look for wildflowers) and enters the forest. Just beyond the meadow are some dead snags where marmots are frequently seen. Further along, just below the trail and in the creek are some beaver dams.
This is an excellent trail for those interested in biology and geology.