Ricks Springs - Logan Canyon Utah
Logan Canyon is one of Utah’s Scenic byways and connects the Cache and Bear Lake Valleys. The drive from Logan to Bear Lake will provide spectacular views of the surrounding area, but if you really want to enjoy this canyon you must stop and take part in the many activities this canyon has to offer, such as hiking, camping, and sightseeing.
Ricks Springs is one of the unique sights in this canyon and is located approximately 15.7 miles from the mouth of the canyon. There are two pullouts for parking, one on each side of the canyon road. From the parking area, visitors can enjoy a walk along a boardwalk, which will allow you to view this unique natural feature. Signs will provide information about the area and the geologic features of Ricks Springs.
Geology of Ricks Springs:
Ricks Spring is a karst spring, which means the water is rapidly transported through underground caverns. The water flowing out of the spring comes from the Logan River. The rock that surrounds the Ricks Spring cavern has been folded, causing a fault line. This fault line passes through the cave and connects with the river. The spring is an underwater cave that is large enough that many cave divers have explored this cave system up to 2200 feet.
Don’t Drink the Water!
We advise that you don’t’ drink the water because it does not come from an artesian source. This means the water is not safe to drink. For many years, the water from Ricks Spring was believed to be pure mountain spring water. Many visitors drank from the spring and filled jugs to take home, causing most to become sick from the microorganisms in the water. The water in the spring must be filtered with the proper water filter or boiled before drinking.
Directions:
From the mouth of Logan Canyon, travel approximately 15.7 miles to mile marker 477. You will see the parking areas on both sides of the road.
If you happen to be driving through Logan Canyon, enjoying the scenic drive, stop and take the time to visit Ricks Spring. You can view this area in less than 15 minutes or stay as long as you would like.
Hello David,
Thank you for your comment. The information in the article about “not drinking the water” is plastered all over the signs around the springs. I would never recommend anyone to drink from a natural spring because the chances of that natural water source having bacteria, virus and parasites are high. There are so many cheap water filtration products on the market today, why not play it safe and filter the water.
The comments are rubbish! In the fifties, sixties, and early seventies my family would stop at Ricks Spring and fill a 5 gallon can with water. This was our culinary water for our weekends at Bear Lake. We never boiled, filtered, or treated the water and we never got sick from drinking the water in all those years of drinking that water.
I don’t know about the water quality now but for more than twenty years we had no problems from drinking that water.
Leave a comment