City of Calistoga Unveils Geothermal Mineral-Water Foot-Soak Pavilion and Riparian Deck at Pioneer Park

Public works engineers with the City of Calistoga and parks stewards from the Calistoga Community Resources Commission unveiled a free public Geothermal Mineral-Water Foot-Soak Pavilion and a Napa River riparian observation deck on Saturday evening at Pioneer Park at 1308 Cedar Street in downtown Calistoga. Located one block west of Lincoln Avenue beside the historic sharp bend of the upper Napa River, the shady two-acre park serves as the northern terminus rest area for cyclists arriving along the newly completed St. Helena-to-Calistoga segment of the Napa Valley Vine Trail.

Inspired by the communal ashiyu geothermal footbaths of sister hot-spring towns in Japan and Europe, masons carved a 24-foot-long, 14-inch-deep channel of honed local Napa Valley basalt stone bordered by heated cedar bench seating and a hand-peeled redwood timber pergola. Naturally heated geothermal mineral water drawn from Calistoga's municipal hydrothermal aquifer is tempered through a titanium heat exchanger to a soothing 102 degrees Fahrenheit, sanitized via inline ultraviolet light, and continuously refreshed across smooth river pebbles before discharging into a subsurface mineral-cooling bio-retention bed.

Wheelchair users can roll up to a dedicated side-access basin alcove with transfer grab bars and a handheld warm mineral-water foot-rinse wand, while cyclists and hikers can store packs on integrated brass hooks and dry off at warm-air foot dryers. Adjacent to the pavilion, a new cantilevered cedar deck overlooks restored native willow and elderberry habitat along the Napa River channel.

The $290,000 park pavilion project was funded through City of Calistoga Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) community enhancement funds and a Napa County Measure A park grant. Visitors can check pavilion hours on the City of Calistoga Parks and Recreation Portal.