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MINERAL SPRINGS - History - Healing Stories
To Email Click Here: info@wilburhotsprings.com
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Wilbur Hot Springs - An eco-friendly hotel
World-renowned natural hot mineral
springs
Wilbur Hot Springs offers massage treatments, yoga
classes, guest-chef
weekends, and world-
renowned natural hot mineral springs.
The 20-room historic hotel, built in 1915, is surrounded by
an 1800-acre private nature preserve in an area considered a top destination
for viewing
California wildflowers, as well as numerous species of birds and dragonflies.
The original hotel and springs, purchased by Doctor
Richard Miller in
the 1970s, was
approximately 240 acres. In 1999, Dr. Miller purchased the surrounding
1560 acres and
designated the area as a nature preserve.
In 2006, Wilbur began working with range ecologist Craig Thomsen from
UC Davis to restore
native plants to the area, and combat invasive species. Thomsen’s work
continues currently, with
Wilbur participating in raising grant money, and providing lodging in trade
to guests who work
with Craig.
Eco hotel powered entirely by solar panels and propane
Wilbur is 100% off the grid, powered entirely by solar panels and propane.
Renovations and
improvements are performed using eco-conscious building materials and practices.
The solar panel array was installed in the early 1990s. Up to that time,
the Wilbur hotel had been
lit with kerosene lamps. The transition to solar-powered lighting was completed
in 1991.
The stoves in the kitchen, and the fireplaces, which heat the hotel in
winter, are powered by
propane.
The refrigerators are all electric and are specifically designed to run
on solar power. They are more
efficient and colder than the propane predecessors,
and produce less waste. The refrigerators use
approximately one-third the
power of consumer refrigerators, which make them optimal for running
on
solar power.
Wilbur has been in the process of exploring hydroelectric power as an
additional energy option. Plans to
install such a system are still in the
elementary stages.
Wilbur uses compact fluorescent light bulbs and low-flow toilets. And
the cleaning products we use
are all eco-friendly.
Wilbur’s hot springs flumes are non-impact. In other words, the water
is simply diverted from the geothermal
source, held temporarily in the
flumes and then returned to the creek. No chemicals are added to the flumes,
and as a result no chemicals are being added to the water table.