Description
Steamboat Spring is located at the SE base of Steamboat Hill and adjacent to the Oregon Trail Golf Course. The spring flows into the Alexander Reservoir, 4 km (2.5 mi) W of the community of Soda Springs.
History
The "renaming" of this spring in 1834 is attributed to explorer John C. Fremont; it is reported that another individual had previously named the spring by its present name. The name Steamboat Spring is derived from the combination of escaping carbonic acid gas which appears to "boil" the waters, along with another subterranean noise, which together resembled the sound of a steamboat in motion. Today, the spring is less vigorous and is mostly absorbed by the waters of the Alexander Reservoir.