This is a great tasting cold spring inside of Petrifying Springs Park in Kenosha, WI. There are still remnants of an old stone structure downhill from the source that used to collect the water as it flowed down the hill, there is a nice meditation rock right there waiting for you. Follow the flowing water up the hill until you reach a long metal pipe which leads up to the source. This is the best tasting water I have ever had, extremely hydrating and very cold. Nearby in the park there is the reconstruction of the old well house with an artesian well that works. The water from the well smells like it has a high sulfur count although the water from the spring does not have an odor.
Well…I guess everyone who said they were going to test the water died…not from the water, but from the enormous guilt of saying they were going to test it and never did.
Let that be a warning to everyone who says they’re going to test this water and never do. See you at the untested spring….goodbye and good day. I said, “Good Day!”
Tried to check out this spring on Feb 19, 2024. No luck. It is a warmer day but maybe the pipe was frozen. We think we found the spot by following others directions on here. But not enough flowing water to try it. Just a few drops and lots of ice. Hopefully we will try again when it is spring.
Parked in the back corner of parking area 4 and climbed the steep muddy hill. There are stairs in the other corner I had not noticed. I took a left and walked by a wooden bridge. Small hole in the fence by a pipe sticking out of the hill. Pipe looked pretty sketchy, and the water tastes fine but has a yellowish tinge to it. The well house water is a lot clearer looking, but the water has a sulfury taste. Just taste tested both for now, might test the water first before drinking more.
I just went there today, and the water is great! Again, thanks to Mike for the great post! It’s maybe 200-300ft from where the picture above was taken. You go straight from the bridge, up a hill til you find the hole in the pipe. You can definitely carry your 5gl jugs, but you might have to bring them down one at a time, it’s a little steep and the ground is kind of wet/ soft. It’s about 3/4 up the hill. I made it down with two 2.5gl and a backpack with another 2gls in it, so you should be fine. Enjoy!!!
Has anyone gotten water from here recently? Do you go to the little house by the dog park to get the spring water? As I read the older comments they talk of going up a hill to get it. Are both places the same water?
I went to find the pipe at the top of the hill, but it was not there. The park has gone under water mitigation recently for conservation efforts if Pike River. The artesian well is there and very easy to access from parking lot by the dog park.
Runoff water isn’t 40 degrees, so anything that cold is pretty much a natural bubbling spring (so the one on the hill is a natural artesian bubbling spring, which may just be combining with a little runoff, or “running off” of itself from a higher source point — there’s no real reason for that much runoff to be right there, it’s partly to mostly a bubbling spring obviously). But TDS at the hillside spring measured 449 today (that’s really high). Good for drinking in short bouts (not permanently). Probably better for bathing or gardening etc. If you ever go to Madison, make the extra hour drive north to Rock Springs (100 TDS).
My family and I just visited this spring today. We plan on testing the water soon. But I does taste amazing! It was actually fairly easy to find once we read all the comments on it’s location. Go to parking lot 4, take the Indian Springs trail across a bridge then turn to your left and up that hill is the pipe. The hill is very steep and very slick so use caution when you go up it.
Just a tip:
If you’re not in excellent physical condition, I don’t recommend trying to fill up your 5-gallon carboys from this spring – it’s on a steep, muddy hill. Maybe I’m just spoiled from going to Hyegia Spring, which is literally on the side of the road. Either way, it’s not very practical.
That said, the water here is absolutely delicious!
Even better than Hyegia Spring, if you can imagine.
There are a couple of wooden bridges, so make sure you’re at the Indian Springs Trail bridge. If you can’t locate the spring in a minute or two, you used the wrong bridge 🙂
My son and I went up there yesterday and it was truly beautiful. I had a little trouble finding the spring because it does totally look like a runoff pipe. I tried it and it tasted amazing…my son thought I had officially gone crazy, of course. LOL. I am going to get a TDS testing kit and go back up there next week to confirm and will report back my results. The house towards the entrance with the dog park is great as well and I plan on testing both sources. A great day trip with lots of walking trails, playgrounds and open spaces. Should be gorgeous in the coming weeks/month as well!
I just went out here this afternoon. (March 7th. 2016) – I found this old, 3 inch steel pipe running down the slippery, muddy hill right between the Indian Springs Trail wooden bridge and Hwy J in the woods. I’ve been a Kenosha resident for 51 years now. My grandparents and great grandparents used to always fill the old glass gallon jugs from the Artesian well at the entrance of the park in the little brick structure years ago, when everyone did it. The Artesian well is the only source anyone has ever heard of. I never knew about this OTHER supposed underground “spring” until now. I filled up a clear, clean, glass, old, empty, spring water bottle up with this water that was just simply gushing out of this old steel pipe on the muddy hill that everyone is talking about. It looks clean, clear, no mineral smell to it and I put a pH test strip paper to it and it read almost 8. I can see why most people in the Racine/Kenosha area would never know about this thing. it totally looks like some old storm/rainwater run-off kind of pipe. Which is also why the not-too-knowledgeable Kenosha County Parks Dept. employees think it’s just ground “run-off” too. I suspect nobody knows anything about this thing, or much its history. (“Petrifying Springs Park”?)……It’s not easily findable or visible. What I would like to know is the actual history of this thing, how old is it? WHO tapped into it? ……how deep this pipe goes into the ground?….. the possible SOURCE of this spring, if it truly IS a subterranean “spring” (underground river) and I’d like to have the TDS, turbidity, magnesium, phosphates, sulfur, lead, mercury, arsenic, chemical contaminates checked, etc…..to see if there is anything bad in it. From what I can tell, just by looking at it, this truly IS real spring water. I’m not going to drink it however, until I have it independently tested at a legitimate laboratory. If this stuff comes back totally legit, I am going to load-up every empty glass jug I can find with this stuff. FREE SPRING WATER. I will be back, people. To be continued………Joe P.
I too would like to know if the water is runoff or spring water, and if it has been tested recently. I live nearby and would love to use the spring water.
FYI Just called department of public works and what seemed like a very knowledgeable person said he wouldn’t drink the water uphill from the pipe.
As far as he knows it’s just a pipe stuck into the hill for runoff, and they let the water flow for aesthetics.
Water from the pump/well is supposed to be fine.
Has anybody had the water from the pipe up the hill tested?
Drinking pure spring water is one of the most important things we can do for our health. Our bodies are over 99% water at the molecular level, so water affects every aspect of our biology. Yet, not all water is created equal. Almost all the bottled spring water available is pasteurized for shelf stability, which neutralizes many of the powerful health benefits such as increased hydrogen, healthy probiotics, and crystalline structure. For more about why unprocessed spring water is the best water to drink, read this.
The best way to guarantee you are getting real unprocessed spring water is to collect it yourself. This is a short and simple guide filled with information about how to gather spring water. We will cover how to find a spring, how to collect the water, how to honor the spring, how to store the water properly and other tips.
FindASpring.org is the best resource for locating a spring near you. However, not all springs are on the map. First, check the map to see if there is a spring in your local area. If there is, look at the reviews and comments. Has anyone shared helpful information about flow rate or posted a water test result? Is the spring in a pristine area? Do a bit of research and make sure the spring is safe to drink from. If you have any doubt about the purity, don’t risk it and get a water test, HERE. If you don’t see a spring on the map in your area, there still might be some that aren’t listed yet. First, ask the older generation who have lived in your area a long time if they know. You can also ask people in your community who might already get spring water such as people at a health food store or at a farmers market. Another great option is to view A US forest service map, where many springs have been marked. You can view these maps through the Gaia GPS or All Trails hiking apps on your phone. The map overlay you want is USGS Topo. Not all are easily accessible or ideal for drinking, but some are and it can be a fun adventure to find them. We have found over half a dozen great springs this way.
Once you’ve found your spring, figure out how you are going to gather the water. Is it right on the side of the road and easy to access or do you have to hike to it? We recommend storing spring water in glass instead of plastic to preserve the purity of the water. It is better for the environment, your body, and the water. Even BPA free plastic has toxic chemicals that can leach into water and cause health issues. If you do want to use plastic for safety reasons when filling at the spring, we recommend transferring the water to glass as soon as possible. FindASpring is sponsored by Alive Waters, which offers beautiful reusable glass. They have a 2.5 gallon option, which is a convenient size for carrying that isn’t too heavy. They also sell handles that you can use to transport the jugs even more easily. If you have to hike to access the spring, we recommend putting the water jugs into an extra large backpack to hike the water out with ease. We use Osprey packs that hold 2 jugs each. You can also use a wheelbarrow or even a stroller depending on how easy a walk it is.
Filling 2.5 Gallon Alive Waters Jug
When you get to the spring, remember to first give back before you take. Springs are considered sacred in indigenous cultures around the world for their life giving water and also as a connection to the inner earth. A powerful and simple way to give back is to clean up. Is there any trash that needs to be collected? Could you move any dead leaves or sticks to improve the flow rate? Show up in service. Some other wonderful ways to give is with a moment of expressing verbal gratitude, singing songs to the water, offering the water an ethically sourced crystal, a feather, or some other physical gift. Flowers are a popular and beautiful thing to offer, but please be careful to source organic ones as most flowers from the store are sprayed with pesticides and can be toxic to put near a spring. Also, flowers can attract bugs as they decay, so it can be best to offer them to the flowing water directly or a little downstream from the spring head.
When gathering the water, fill the jug as close to the spring head as possible, never gather downstream. Be very careful as wet glass is extremely slippery. Make sure the lid is securely fastened. When transporting the spring water home, the jugs can sometimes slide around the car. Secure them in place or wrap them with towels or something so they don’t crash into each other.
How you store your spring water is essential. It is not pasteurized like spring water from the store, so it will start growing algae if left in direct sunlight. This is good because it means it’s alive! If the water you drink can’t even support the most basic life forms, how do you think it will support your body? Store your water in a cool, dark place such as a dark corner, pantry or closet. The fridge is ideal if you have room. Some people prefer to filter their water through a Berkey filter before drinking, but if the spring is pure, it’s not necessary. We drink our spring water completely unfiltered.
How long the water stays good for depends on how cold a temperature it’s stored at. Spring water is best fresh. We personally do not prefer to drink spring water past 2 weeks old. However, we know other people that will drink it at a month old. It’s great to get in a rhythm where you know how long the water lasts you and put your collection day on the calendar in advance.
I believe that water is calling us to reconnect with her in the deepest way, to gather our own water. Just like our ancestors did. Our ancestors didn’t have fancy water machines. They also didn’t create villages or settle where there was no water. Water was revered as the center of the community and the nodal point around which life could spiral out and take root.
Here’s to restoring the sacred connection with the waters of life.
Written by Dakota Chanel. Water Priestess and Ceremonialist. DakotaChanel.com
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Indian Springs @ Petrifying Springs Park, Kenosha, WI
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Well…I guess everyone who said they were going to test the water died…not from the water, but from the enormous guilt of saying they were going to test it and never did.
Let that be a warning to everyone who says they’re going to test this water and never do. See you at the untested spring….goodbye and good day. I said, “Good Day!”
I did test the water with a testing kit from Home Depot the water is safe to drink!
Tried to check out this spring on Feb 19, 2024. No luck. It is a warmer day but maybe the pipe was frozen. We think we found the spot by following others directions on here. But not enough flowing water to try it. Just a few drops and lots of ice. Hopefully we will try again when it is spring.
Parked in the back corner of parking area 4 and climbed the steep muddy hill. There are stairs in the other corner I had not noticed. I took a left and walked by a wooden bridge. Small hole in the fence by a pipe sticking out of the hill. Pipe looked pretty sketchy, and the water tastes fine but has a yellowish tinge to it. The well house water is a lot clearer looking, but the water has a sulfury taste. Just taste tested both for now, might test the water first before drinking more.
Hey! Did you get test results back from the pipe well? I’ve had the water from the well house, but dislike the sulfur taste to it.
I just went there today, and the water is great! Again, thanks to Mike for the great post! It’s maybe 200-300ft from where the picture above was taken. You go straight from the bridge, up a hill til you find the hole in the pipe. You can definitely carry your 5gl jugs, but you might have to bring them down one at a time, it’s a little steep and the ground is kind of wet/ soft. It’s about 3/4 up the hill. I made it down with two 2.5gl and a backpack with another 2gls in it, so you should be fine. Enjoy!!!
Has anyone gotten water from here recently? Do you go to the little house by the dog park to get the spring water? As I read the older comments they talk of going up a hill to get it. Are both places the same water?
I went to find the pipe at the top of the hill, but it was not there. The park has gone under water mitigation recently for conservation efforts if Pike River. The artesian well is there and very easy to access from parking lot by the dog park.
Runoff water isn’t 40 degrees, so anything that cold is pretty much a natural bubbling spring (so the one on the hill is a natural artesian bubbling spring, which may just be combining with a little runoff, or “running off” of itself from a higher source point — there’s no real reason for that much runoff to be right there, it’s partly to mostly a bubbling spring obviously). But TDS at the hillside spring measured 449 today (that’s really high). Good for drinking in short bouts (not permanently). Probably better for bathing or gardening etc. If you ever go to Madison, make the extra hour drive north to Rock Springs (100 TDS).
My family and I just visited this spring today. We plan on testing the water soon. But I does taste amazing! It was actually fairly easy to find once we read all the comments on it’s location. Go to parking lot 4, take the Indian Springs trail across a bridge then turn to your left and up that hill is the pipe. The hill is very steep and very slick so use caution when you go up it.
Just a tip:
If you’re not in excellent physical condition, I don’t recommend trying to fill up your 5-gallon carboys from this spring – it’s on a steep, muddy hill. Maybe I’m just spoiled from going to Hyegia Spring, which is literally on the side of the road. Either way, it’s not very practical.
That said, the water here is absolutely delicious!
Even better than Hyegia Spring, if you can imagine.
There are a couple of wooden bridges, so make sure you’re at the Indian Springs Trail bridge. If you can’t locate the spring in a minute or two, you used the wrong bridge 🙂
Any updates Molly and Joe P ?
My son and I went up there yesterday and it was truly beautiful. I had a little trouble finding the spring because it does totally look like a runoff pipe. I tried it and it tasted amazing…my son thought I had officially gone crazy, of course. LOL. I am going to get a TDS testing kit and go back up there next week to confirm and will report back my results. The house towards the entrance with the dog park is great as well and I plan on testing both sources. A great day trip with lots of walking trails, playgrounds and open spaces. Should be gorgeous in the coming weeks/month as well!
Kindly requesting your results. Thank you.
Looking forward to the results Joseph. I live more than an hour away and this spring is the only one that looks promising so far.
I just went out here this afternoon. (March 7th. 2016) – I found this old, 3 inch steel pipe running down the slippery, muddy hill right between the Indian Springs Trail wooden bridge and Hwy J in the woods. I’ve been a Kenosha resident for 51 years now. My grandparents and great grandparents used to always fill the old glass gallon jugs from the Artesian well at the entrance of the park in the little brick structure years ago, when everyone did it. The Artesian well is the only source anyone has ever heard of. I never knew about this OTHER supposed underground “spring” until now. I filled up a clear, clean, glass, old, empty, spring water bottle up with this water that was just simply gushing out of this old steel pipe on the muddy hill that everyone is talking about. It looks clean, clear, no mineral smell to it and I put a pH test strip paper to it and it read almost 8. I can see why most people in the Racine/Kenosha area would never know about this thing. it totally looks like some old storm/rainwater run-off kind of pipe. Which is also why the not-too-knowledgeable Kenosha County Parks Dept. employees think it’s just ground “run-off” too. I suspect nobody knows anything about this thing, or much its history. (“Petrifying Springs Park”?)……It’s not easily findable or visible. What I would like to know is the actual history of this thing, how old is it? WHO tapped into it? ……how deep this pipe goes into the ground?….. the possible SOURCE of this spring, if it truly IS a subterranean “spring” (underground river) and I’d like to have the TDS, turbidity, magnesium, phosphates, sulfur, lead, mercury, arsenic, chemical contaminates checked, etc…..to see if there is anything bad in it. From what I can tell, just by looking at it, this truly IS real spring water. I’m not going to drink it however, until I have it independently tested at a legitimate laboratory. If this stuff comes back totally legit, I am going to load-up every empty glass jug I can find with this stuff. FREE SPRING WATER. I will be back, people. To be continued………Joe P.
Have you got the test results?
Please, provide your results.
I too would like to know if the water is runoff or spring water, and if it has been tested recently. I live nearby and would love to use the spring water.
FYI Just called department of public works and what seemed like a very knowledgeable person said he wouldn’t drink the water uphill from the pipe.
As far as he knows it’s just a pipe stuck into the hill for runoff, and they let the water flow for aesthetics.
Water from the pump/well is supposed to be fine.
Has anybody had the water from the pipe up the hill tested?
Has anyone actually taken a sample of the spring water to a lab to have it tested for contamination?