HEALING WATERS OF OKLAHOMA A BARTLESVILLE MAGAZINE REPORT

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Oklahoma might be far from the oceans that border the United States, but that doesn’t mean people can’t enjoy the waters in the area.

When it comes to taking in the healing benefits of water, the Sooner State has some prime mineral springs within its borders that draw people from far and wide. Mineral springs have long been thought to help with healing, according to one blog. Soaking in warm water can relieve muscle aches and tightness and lead to more lasting contributions to overall well-being.

What makes springs so beneficial? Generally, it’s because the waters contain an array of dissolved minerals. They benefit the body because they are absorbed through the skin while one soaks in the mineral water – a process called transdermal absorption. Mineral springs are known to contain some or all of these minerals: boron, calcium, chloride, sodium, sulfate, lithium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron, silica, zinc, fluoride, phosphate, and nitrogen. Those minerals each have their own healing properties.

Almost since the dawn of time, humans and animals seemed to instinctively seek out natural, thermal waters so they could immerse themselves in them and start a journey of relaxation and rejuvenation. More recently, scientists have been able to explain the efficacy of hot springs by learning how the healing waters interact with cellular biology and biochemistry. Simply put, because the skin is porous, trace amounts of the minerals can pass through and start working their magic on the human body. Meanwhile, the natural warmth of a geothermal spring can help relieve pain and tension in the body.

Oklahoma’s most noted springs can be found in the Chickasaw National Recreation Area, with the former Platt National Park being a big draw, the National Park Service (NPS) said on its website. Platt is considered a lost national park in that it is no longer in the NPS. When taken into the fold, it was the seventh national park. Although it has since been dropped from the NPS registry (because it was better suited as a recreational area than a park), the area continues its centuries-old tradition of attracting people who want to enjoy the mineral springs.

Unlike the nearby Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, visitors to Platt shouldn’t expect the water to be naturally hot. It’s approximately 63 degrees when it comes out of the ground, while Hot Springs’ water reaches 147 degrees. Still, the Oklahoma springs have a history of being used to improve well-being.

“In 1921, the State of Oklahoma constructed a tuberculosis sanatorium for veterans immediately south of Platt National Park,” according to the article “Two of a Kind: Hot Springs and Sulphur Springs” on the NPS website.

“A trail connects the Veterans Center to Pavilion Springs,” the NPS article says. “At Platt National Park, there were few bathhouses built, and all were required to move outside of the park boundaries when the original Sulphur Springs Reservation was established. Also, the main focus was not bathing in the water, but drinking it.” from • WATERS • page 10

The water was considered to help cure a variety of ailments, including infection, asthma, indigestion, nausea, nervousness, and arthritis. It also acts as an insect repellent, minimizing the nuisance of mosquitos, chiggers, and ticks.

Elsewhere, Medicine Park offers a number of cold-water mineral springs in the park which give rise to sulfur, bromide, and iron-bearing waters. Springs there include Hillside Spring, Pavilion Springs, Black Sulphur Spring, and more. Medicine Park dates back to 1908 when John William Elmer Thomas turned the site into what would become known as Oklahoma’s first resort town. He touted the healing properties of the nearby Medicine Creek and said he learned of its benefits through communication with the Plains Indians, the town website said.

Bromide, Medicine, and Sulphur Springs are three sites that all have the same origin, trickling from a fissure at the base of Bromide Hill at one time. In early times, they were known as salt springs. Early on, park superintendents limited visitors to one gallon of bromide water per person per day without a physician’s prescription.

When it comes to finding the perfect “swimming hole,”

Travertine Creek is probably the first place that comes to mind. It’s one of the best-known swimming holes, and it’s known not only for its crystal clear spring water but also because the swimming hole, where the temperature of the water is in the 60s, offers a refuge from the sweltering summer heat. This swimming hole is ice-cold during the hot summer months, making it the ultimate swimming spot. The creek flows along a 2.5-mile course from the Travertine Nature Center to Pavilion Springs, a course that features six man-made dams and dozens of rock falls.

It’s easy to get to, as it is located 10 miles off Interstate 35, near the city of Sulphur.