Just outside of Black Mountain, up Hwy #9 on the way to Lake Lure.
Nearest Address
21 Lakey Gap Heights
Directions from Nearest Address
The spring is 2.5 miles up the mountain from where Hwy #9 intersects Blue Ridge Road. right outside of Black Mountain. Follow Hwy #9 until you see some mailboxes with the name Cricket Hill under them and the street sign for Lakey Gap Heights. The spring is just behind the mailboxes on the right going up the mountain. There is room to pull over and park.
Grateful to have found this spring, but I believe it is dangerous to continuously consume this water without having the content of the water measured thoroughly. TDS is not sufficient alone. Has anyone out there had it tested. We need to do this and post the results!
We too found this spring about a month ago, boiled it at first as I was not sure of contaminants. Bought a water testing kit on Amazon… pH is 7.5 free of pesticides GREAT stick test for lead was faulty. The most unexpected test… the bacteria continent AFTER 48 hours…. to be negative should have been purple…. this one was NOT purple … the kit said if the water was yellow, there was a high chance it was contaminated with bacteria…. ours was a hazy cloudy beige. To have a REAL lab test it…. the cost is $180. So because my test results showed…. it was NOT purple, I am staying away from it. Like it says…. enter at your own risk.
I’ve been gathering water there since last summer. Always perfect. Went yesterday, introduced a friend to the spring. It is easy to find if you just get off of hwy 40, head east on 9 about 3 miles, look for white tube on your right. Don’t turn off of hwy 9, ignore all signs saying Lakey Gap, there is no sign near mail boxes.
I wish I knew the pH level as that is important to good health. Whatever the pH, it’s clean, delicious water!
Grateful!
Has anyone tested this water for anything besides TDS? For example, E. coli?
I’ve been drinking this water for over 10 years now and have been truly grateful for it. I love the taste and vitality. However, after the extremely heavy rains of last July, I’ve had some concerns. I’ve had intestinal cramping after drinking it (others have too), which makes me wonder about microbial contamination. I stopped drinking it for the last several months for this reason. I know there’s a place in AVL to test it (ETS), but I haven’t had the extra $ to do it? I’d be interested to know if anyone else has or might be willing to.
I am wondering if anyone can clarify something for me. I drove up rt 9 twice and cannot locate the Springs. I hit a gate as well when following up along where I thought the Spring is. I found the long white tube that empties out near the street but was under the impression that I would be collecting from the spring itself. Any help would be truly appreciated!! =) Thanks!
I wanted to share some more specifics because I had a hard time finding this place. The reason was because going up the mountain on highway 9, there are 3 different Lakey Gap roads, and you should pass all 3, the second and third are both on the right. You’ll be going uphill through some switchbacks and the spring is directly on the side of the road on the right. The pipe is shooting out beautiful, delicious water, you can’t miss it. You can park directly at the spring, off the side of the road. There is additional parking further up the road on the left side of there are others there gathering water. It was great doing offerings to the mountain and then receiving this high-energy water! Please be respectful of the space 😀
I just visited this spring! Yummy. The TDS was 8 and it was nice and cold. It comes gushing out of the pipe and was very easy to find.
The original direction says that it’s right behind mail boxes. The spring is actually about 100 ft past the mailboxes if you are going east. There was also no sign for Cricket Hill under the mailboxes that was mentioned in the original directions.
I highly recommend this yummy water.
A little more specific…the spring is about 15-20 yards uphill from the mailboxes, along the road. There is a pull-off across the street from the mailboxes with plenty of room to park…from there, follow your ears, it’s loud!
It flows out cold and strong. Tastes wonderful! Today’s TDS was lucky number 11. =)
this water was very cold and had a strong flow but i did not like the taste compared to other springs i’ve visited. it had a harsher, irony (i guess that’s what it was) taste and i prefer sweeter water.
Hello! was here just today, and water tastes great- was very cold. I did not have a TDS meter on me, but it seems like a great spring. If I plan on using this spring more in the future, I will get the water tested.
had a hard time finding it, did not see the sign or the spring behind the mailboxes – dangerous place to hang out at the top of the hill due to traffic so i abandoned.
Stopped here June 21, 2010, since we were visiting family in Swannanoa. Incredible tasting water; used my TDS meter and TDS measured 6.0…wow! Wish we could find a spring in TX close to our home.
Popular spring but Asheville’s filthiest comes to collect here and does occult rituals to the spring water, always leaving behind remnants of their witchcraft. i prayed to cleanse the space and water the few times i came but since avoid it. Physically clean and like all wild water healing but otherwise polluted and better to find somewhere else tbh.
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
Do you have info you'd like to add to the main spring description or perhaps a more accurate gps coordinate?
Please start by making a comment on this spring's page with any additional info, or something that you feel should be changed to reflect more accurate data. After your comment is liked by enough community members, this will validate the improved information.
Please notify us if an update with enough likes hasn't been updated in the description yet.
Please note:
This action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to the site admin.
Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete.
Grateful to have found this spring, but I believe it is dangerous to continuously consume this water without having the content of the water measured thoroughly. TDS is not sufficient alone. Has anyone out there had it tested. We need to do this and post the results!
We too found this spring about a month ago, boiled it at first as I was not sure of contaminants. Bought a water testing kit on Amazon… pH is 7.5 free of pesticides GREAT stick test for lead was faulty. The most unexpected test… the bacteria continent AFTER 48 hours…. to be negative should have been purple…. this one was NOT purple … the kit said if the water was yellow, there was a high chance it was contaminated with bacteria…. ours was a hazy cloudy beige. To have a REAL lab test it…. the cost is $180. So because my test results showed…. it was NOT purple, I am staying away from it. Like it says…. enter at your own risk.
1/2 rounded tspn baking soda raised it to 7.2
Using a Hanna pH tester freshly calibrated, I put the pH at 5.3.
I’ve been gathering water there since last summer. Always perfect. Went yesterday, introduced a friend to the spring. It is easy to find if you just get off of hwy 40, head east on 9 about 3 miles, look for white tube on your right. Don’t turn off of hwy 9, ignore all signs saying Lakey Gap, there is no sign near mail boxes.
I wish I knew the pH level as that is important to good health. Whatever the pH, it’s clean, delicious water!
Grateful!
More specifically, has anyone tested for coliform bacteria, nitrate, or sulfate?
Has anyone tested this water for anything besides TDS? For example, E. coli?
I’ve been drinking this water for over 10 years now and have been truly grateful for it. I love the taste and vitality. However, after the extremely heavy rains of last July, I’ve had some concerns. I’ve had intestinal cramping after drinking it (others have too), which makes me wonder about microbial contamination. I stopped drinking it for the last several months for this reason. I know there’s a place in AVL to test it (ETS), but I haven’t had the extra $ to do it? I’d be interested to know if anyone else has or might be willing to.
I am wondering if anyone can clarify something for me. I drove up rt 9 twice and cannot locate the Springs. I hit a gate as well when following up along where I thought the Spring is. I found the long white tube that empties out near the street but was under the impression that I would be collecting from the spring itself. Any help would be truly appreciated!! =) Thanks!
I wanted to share some more specifics because I had a hard time finding this place. The reason was because going up the mountain on highway 9, there are 3 different Lakey Gap roads, and you should pass all 3, the second and third are both on the right. You’ll be going uphill through some switchbacks and the spring is directly on the side of the road on the right. The pipe is shooting out beautiful, delicious water, you can’t miss it. You can park directly at the spring, off the side of the road. There is additional parking further up the road on the left side of there are others there gathering water. It was great doing offerings to the mountain and then receiving this high-energy water! Please be respectful of the space 😀
just tested this water and got a TDS reading of 10! this is legit water!
If you don’t find it at first, please make a U-turn and take the pull-off nearest the address. This is some mighty fine water!
I just visited this spring! Yummy. The TDS was 8 and it was nice and cold. It comes gushing out of the pipe and was very easy to find.
The original direction says that it’s right behind mail boxes. The spring is actually about 100 ft past the mailboxes if you are going east. There was also no sign for Cricket Hill under the mailboxes that was mentioned in the original directions.
I highly recommend this yummy water.
A little more specific…the spring is about 15-20 yards uphill from the mailboxes, along the road. There is a pull-off across the street from the mailboxes with plenty of room to park…from there, follow your ears, it’s loud!
It flows out cold and strong. Tastes wonderful! Today’s TDS was lucky number 11. =)
this water was very cold and had a strong flow but i did not like the taste compared to other springs i’ve visited. it had a harsher, irony (i guess that’s what it was) taste and i prefer sweeter water.
Hello! was here just today, and water tastes great- was very cold. I did not have a TDS meter on me, but it seems like a great spring. If I plan on using this spring more in the future, I will get the water tested.
had a hard time finding it, did not see the sign or the spring behind the mailboxes – dangerous place to hang out at the top of the hill due to traffic so i abandoned.
never mind found it – it was too easy. better tasting than hot springs nc.
Stopped here June 21, 2010, since we were visiting family in Swannanoa. Incredible tasting water; used my TDS meter and TDS measured 6.0…wow! Wish we could find a spring in TX close to our home.
Whats the warning sign about?
It says that the water is untreated so drink at your own risk.
I visited this spring today and it is great. The TDS is really low, between 12-13, and the water tastes wonderful.
There was a gate up preventing me from getting to the spring. And hard to turn around. I don’t think it is publicly accessible anymore.
Popular spring but Asheville’s filthiest comes to collect here and does occult rituals to the spring water, always leaving behind remnants of their witchcraft. i prayed to cleanse the space and water the few times i came but since avoid it. Physically clean and like all wild water healing but otherwise polluted and better to find somewhere else tbh.
This review honestly made my whole day. Thank you for your “wisdom”.