If you were an unsuspecting person strolling along Eagle Creek in Savage, Minnesota, you may be taken aback if you were stumble upon a place where the creek bends and, at times, the water seems to “boil” - like the famous mudpots of Yellowstone National Park. This Minnesota natural wonder is Maka Yusota, in the Dakota language - otherwise known as Boiling Springs.
Mudpots are some of the most well known - and interesting - geothermal features in Yellowstone National Park, where mud seems to boil up from the ground. Some, like Mud Volcano, near Hayden Valley can be huge.
Others, like Red Spouter, in the lower Geyser basin, are of more modest size.
Maka Yusota, where the water seems to boil in Eagle Creek, is an important site in the Mdewakanton Dakota culture.
At some point, however, it came under private ownership as part of a farm. When the site was privately owned, it was billed as a tourist destination, where people would visit to see the strange-for-Minnesota spectacle.
After the property owners died, vegetation filled in, and for many years it was lost to the public.
Eventually, though, the site passed into public hands, and it is now protected and open to visitors. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
There is no parking area or obvious signage, however.
To get to Maka Yustota, you must hike an easy trail along Eagle Creek near the border between Savage and Shakopee, skirting the yards of homes that have been built nearby.
Then, you’ll veer off into the woods, using caution to negotiate some downed trees - and there you’ll see it: Maka Yusota, Boiling Springs.
Unlike Yellowstone’s mudpots, there’s no real heat involved in making Maka Yusota “boil.” Rather, 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. It cannot do so, however, until enough pressure builds up and it “boils” to the top. Once the pressure is relieved, the boiling stops, and the process starts all over again.
Maka Yusota isn’t the only Minnesota natural wonder that bears some resemblance to other bigger, more famous sites. In fact, there’s a mine pit in Minnesota that’s sometimes referred to as “The Grand Canyon of the North.” It’s definitely worth a visit, as well!
Have you visited Maka Yusota/Boiling Springs in Savage? What are some other Minnesota natural wonders that resemble sites in other parts of the country?
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