Cutler Warm Spring
Cutler Warm Spring flows at 73°F, registering 1,030 mg/L chloride and 616 mg/L sodium in waters that test at 2,120 mg/L total dissolved solids. This sodium-chloride thermal feature emerges ten meters from North Cutler Dam Road, making it immediately accessible in Cache County's agricultural lowlands. Recent USGS readings confirm 23°C discharge with a pH of 7.6.
At 4,280 feet elevation near Benson, the spring occupies flat terrain carved by ancient Lake Bonneville, where the Bear River's historical distributaries deposited sediments across what is now irrigated farmland. North Cutler Dam Road runs through fields of alfalfa and grain, with the Wellsville Mountains rising eight miles to the east and the Malad Range visible west across the valley. Annual precipitation of 17.9 inches supports row crops and pasture, while winter snowfall averages 44.5 inches in a climate that sees temperatures swing from summer highs in the eighties to winter lows below zero.
The spring takes its name from the Cutler Reservoir system, constructed by Utah Power and Light in 1927 as part of a hydroelectric development that flooded portions of northern Cache Valley. Mormon settlers established the nearby Benson community in 1868, drawing on both surface water and thermal seeps for irrigation and livestock. Historical records make no reference to Indigenous thermal use in this particular locale, though Shoshone peoples inhabited the broader Cache Valley for millennia before white settlement displaced them in the 1860s.
Visit during late spring through early fall when access roads remain passable and ambient temperatures make the moderate 73°F flow more noticeable. Winter snow can drift across unmarked county roads, requiring four-wheel drive or cautious navigation. The 23-degree temperature differential above ambient air means the spring barely qualifies as thermal by recreational standards. Combine with visits to nearby Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge or the Wellsville Mountain Wilderness, both within a half-hour drive.
Is Cutler Warm Spring worth visiting?
Best for
- Easy day trips
- Overnight camping trips
- Mineral-rich therapeutic bathing
The water at Cutler Warm Spring is slightly alkaline (pH 7.6) with 2120 mg/L total dissolved solids. It is notably rich in magnesium (known for muscle relaxation and stress relief), sodium (supports circulation and skin hydration), and chloride (natural antiseptic with skin health benefits).