Cricket Hill Spring, Black Mountain, NC  2.3/5 (3)

25 people follow this spring.
Directions:

Description

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.

Vital Information

  • Fee: No Fee
  • Access: Public
  • Flow: Continuous
  • TDS: 6-13
  • Temp: N/A
  • pH: N/A

Hours Spring is Open:

24/7/365

GPS: N/A

Map Link: Cricket Hill Spring Map

Submitted by: Shawn

Responses

  1. In May 2016, I tested this water for the following: Bacteria, Lead, Pesticide, Nitrate, Nitrite, pH, Hardness, and Chlorine.

    Here are the results:
    Bacteria: negative
    Lead: negative
    Pesticide: negative
    Nitrate/Nitrite: 0
    pH: 6.5
    Hardness: 0
    Chlorine: 0

    I used the First Alert Drinking Water Test Kit and followed the directions precisely. Obviously things change, so future testing is wise, but these test results ease my mind a lot. Hope it helps y’all!

  2. I just tested this water for nitrate, nitrite, lead, pesticides, and coliform bacteria. All of the tests were negative except for the coliform bacteria test. That one is positive. At this time I would NOT drink this water.

  3. 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.

  4. Hi everyone,
    I was thinking about setting up a “fund me” page to get this spring tested in a lab for chemical run off and other bacteria that home kits don’t pick up. Would anyone be interested in this?

    1. I heard someone say she had the water tested 3 yrs ago and it was HIGH in glyphosate..Roundup! Been using it exclusively for years..my zinc levels test low even though I eat lots of seeds/nuts,but roundup blocks minerals. Doctor agrees, but doesn’t test for roundup. Trying to find affordable testing for my blood levels of glyphosate and for this water. I’m still drinking it ! as I tend to believe it is good for some strange reason. Trying to get more info from that person as well.

  5. August 1, 2021 We get water every week from the Cricket Hill Spring. Over the last six months the flow rate has reduced dramatically and on Friday, it had stopped completely. Trying to find the Curtis Creek Spring in Old Fort but no success so far, Plus last, very old, post suggests it hasn’t been operating

  6. I’ve been drinking from this spring without any filtration or boiling for a year now. Regarding some concerns about e.coli and other possible contaminants, I purchased a water test kit from amazon and tested a sample from a new container and another sample from my tap. I did this last Thursday, 5/20/21. Both yielded the same results.

  7. This water is epic! we drink it almost exclusively for 6mo now. Often we run into other wild water drinkers trading fresh harvested rieshi etc.

  8. Was just there the beginning of the week. We weren’t the only one’s there. Water is amazing!! Easily found, easily accessable. No gate…think Nick went to far or didn’t get to the right place.
    Respect the area…this is a true gift we’re allowed to access. 🙂

  9. All of the comments here seem to be several years old. Anyone here who has recently tested the water? Wondering if a simple carbon filter would be sufficient to filter with? I’d like to at least knock out some bacteria before drinking. 🙂 From reading through all the comments, one person says this water comes from holding tanks that have previously had dead animals? Yikes. Any water straight from the source nearby?

  10. Lived in Asheville 4 years ago and used to come to this spring every week all year round to get water for 2 or 3 years. Moving back to the area after 4 years away…..has the water been tested recently.
    Never got sick on this water. My mother in law who was in her mid 80s loved it and never got sick. Just make sure you clean out your bottles/jugs and keep in a dark cool spot so bacteria doesn’t grow in it.

  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.

  12. 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.

  13. 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.

  14. 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.

  15. Finally had a chance to visit this spring. East to find and directions are spot on. Met locals there fulling water jugs and said water is great. Incredible flow from the spring which took no time to fill my 6 galllon jug. Need larger openings to fill properly unless you want to get wet. We will def be revisiting.

  16. I started collecting and drinking water from this spring in October of 2018. A few hundred gallons later it made me extremely sick with dysentery in February of 2019. So, just a heads up. I drank so much of this stuff without any sort of negative effects but when it did make me sick it was really bad and I just can’t risk it anymore. Looking into options to filter the water of bacteria as I hate the idea of consuming fluoride in tap water.

  17. Has anybody done any recent testing of the cricket hill spring water? Has anybody considered any contaminants leached from the PVC pipe itself? Does anyone know how long that pipe has there considering the tree has grown around it? Thanks for posting any information before the public consumes this crisp, cold water on a daily basis! It is a remarkable find! But best to be safe!

  18. Collected water yesterday, it tasted really good!
    A mama bear and two cubs crossed right in front of us on the road very near the spring so took it as good sign. And I suppose you can expect to see bears around.
    A person collecting also said that he has been drinking the water and he feels it was very clean and nice.

    1. I just did a test on the spring water that was coming out of the well. Hardness 0, Chlorine 0.3, Alkalinity 40, Nitrate 0, Nitrite 0, Copper 0.6, Iron 0.1. Negative on Lead, Negative on Pesticide, but Positive on Coliform Bacteria.

  19. hey community, I am a local student at warren wilson college, of swannanoa. As a student of the sciences, we are required to do in depth research work. For my research, I will be testing the water quality of this spring in wet and dry seasons of 2017 looking at metals, bacteria, pesticides, pH, etc. (yet to be decided). My research will be post here when complete, stay tuned, and elsewhere for all those interested. If you have any questions or concerns you would like that I consider in the research, send a message to lfilipe.s16@warren-wilson.edu
    peace be~

    1. Hello, my name is Jose Bello , I’m a resident of Black Mountain . i started drinking this water few months ago . i love the water and at home we all consume it on a daily basis . So far we had no negative reaction to it . Today an run into two guys, at the site , that toll me that they have been warned about the water being contaminated with E.Coli , and asked me, if i knew anything about it. Have you publish your test result yet ? thanks.

    2. Has anyone tested this water recently? I am really curious- as I just went and filled up a few days ago, have been drinking it but want to confirm the necessary. Thanks!

  20. I spoke with the homeowner whose property the spring is on. He recommended getting the water tested. The water that flows out of the pipe comes from the last of three holding tanks. So this water is not direct from the source. He warned me that they have pulled dead animals from the tank before. The water tastes good. But, as always, drink at your own risk

  21. Went there today. It is located about twenty feet on the right once you pass Lakey Gap Heights Street. The spring runs really fast and very cold!! Met a guy who’s been going there for a few years now and he says he’s never had any problems drinking it. There’s mildew on the pipe and I cleaned it with a paper towel before bottling my 4 two liter coke bottles. I’m going to see how I feel drinking this water before purchasing the water dispenser machine. The spring water is very clear and taste so much better than these bottled water.

  22. We moved to Black Mountain in July and pass this spring regularly while driving to and from our residence. We decided to try the water after seeing so many people bottling it. The taste is clearly superior to our well water. We’ve asked around and no one knows of anyone ever suffering any ill effects from the spring water.

    1. We’ve been drinking this water for almost a year. Have never had any ill effects. In fact, when we go to restaurants and drink their water, we can certainly tell the difference and that’s when I feel sick.
      Had a gentleman drive past once who lives up on the mountain. Agreed that the water was amazing and that it was tested recently and was found clean.

  23. 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!

    1. 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.

  24. 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!

  25. 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.

  26. 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!

  27. 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 😀

  28. 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.

  29. 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. =)

How to Collect Spring Water

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.

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