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If you’re road tripping through the Eastern Sierra’s, a stop at some of the hot springs Mammoth Lakes California is a must! There are so many to choose from, some easier to access than others, and all are free!
The Mammoth area is technically a super volcano, and the amount of volcanic activity in the area shows through the steaming waters popping up all around the valley.
There are too many hot springs in Mammoth to actually list, so instead we’re talking about the seven main Mammoth Lakes hot springs, all but one you can actually get in and enjoy!
Read More | There’s more to this area than hot springs! Check out these things to do on a Highway 395 road trip that will knock your socks off!
Making The Most Out Of This Guide
Saving Locations
We include coordinates for all the hot springs in this post. Use those coordinates to pin exact locations on the map so you don’t miss any of them on your trip!
Maps.me is an offline map app we have used for over a decade for saving locations on things we want to see. You download the map of the region you’re visiting, and then you can use the map offline.However, the best part of this app is the pinning capabilities.
Download the free app, and then the Mammoth Lakes region, and you can start pinning away! You’ll actually find that all the hot springs in this post are already labeled on maps.me .. and there’s actual a few more on there that we didn’t visit!
A Deeper Look | We’ve done a post all about maps.me where we show you how to pin and how we use this app.
Internet Safety
We recommend having a VPN when traveling. VPNs protect your privacy and security when using the internet from public spaces. You also get access to your home country’s subscriptions abroad — aka, Amazon, Netflix, and the like.
Grab Special Deal for a 2-Year VPN Plan.
Camping Nearby
Each of the hot springs in this post you can camp at. Rock Tub, Shepard, and Little Creek hot springs have the closest camping to the hot springs themselves, while Wild Willy’s and Hot Creek Overlook have a bathroom and trash at them.
Camping Essentials | Our complete car camping gear list.. trust us, it has it all!
If you’re interesting in camping, but don’t want to tent it we recommend renting an RV through RVShare.
Don’t Have An RV? Don’t Worry, You Can Rent One On RVShare!
7 FREE Hot Springs Mammoth Lakes California
For each of the hot springs in Mammoth, we’re including how accessible they are for low-clearance 2WD cars, and things like what kind of tubs they are and how busy they can get.
It’s worth noting, if you visit the hot springs in the middle of the day, you’ll definitely have more of a crowd. If possible, you should camp at the hot springs to be able to get in for sunrise or star gazing at night… you’ll also find less crowds those times of day!
Wild Willy’s Hot Spring
- Location | 37.661042, -118.768158
- Access | all vehicles can get here, some washboarding
- Size | multiple natural pools varying in sizes and temperatures
Wild Willy’s Hot Spring is the first hot spring in Mammoth we visited over a decade ago. Our second time back in the area, we knew we wanted to go straight to Wild Willy’s to see how much it had changed, but also knew we’d be visiting other hot springs in the area.
We were pleasantly surprised to see we liked Wild Willy’s hot spring just as much this time around.
Sure, it’s busier than the rest, but it’s also the biggest and most natural.
There are multiple different pools to get into, the main one being the heart shaped hot spring, and each of them vary in temperature.
We ended up stayin three nights at Wild Willy’s Hot Spring because it was just too good not to!
There is a porta potty and large dumpster at Wild Willy’s and a long boardwalk you need to stay on to access the hot springs.
Rock Tub Hot Spring
- Location | 37.647503, -118.808072
- Access | easy down short washboard road
- Size | tiny man made pool, 3-4 people max
Rock Tub Hot Spring is one of the prettiest hot springs in Mammoth in our opinion. The only problem here is when we visited the water was just luke warm and the tub needed a bath!
This hot spring is just as the name suggest, a large cement and rock tub. It has a pipe piping the water in from a ways away, and you can camp literally right at the hot spring itself.
It’s super small, only room for one group of people comfortably, and I’d image at other times of the year the water is a great temperature for a dip!
Most of the other tub style hot springs in the area had scrubby brushes to clean out the tub, but this one didn’t, and it was slimy.
With that said, it’s close to the main road, and gorgeous, so definitely worth dropping in to see if the temperature is good and the tub is clean for a soak!
Hilltop Hot Spring
- Location | 37.663944, -118.789377
- Access | short dirt road, easy access for all vehicles
- Size | small man made cement pool, we fit in 10 people super snug.. not recommended, but fun!
When I was researching places to camp in Mammoth, Hilltop Hot Spring came up as a good places to stay and then go to the hot spring for sunrise. And then our friend who’s a local to Mammoth suggested we visit Hilltop for sunrise as well, so we were pretty stoked to do so.
We got to Hilltop Hot Spring just before sunset the night before, and there was a crowd of people leaving it. The couple inside had said there was a literal line of people waiting to get into this hot spring before we got there.
With plans of getting in for sunrise, we let the couple in there have the pool to themselves (that was until another large group showed up), and planned to just get in the next morning early.
Seeing how busy this hot spring was, we didn’t think we’d have the pool to ourselves in the morning either. And we were right.
We shared the small pool with eight other people, and left as there were five new vehicles showing up and more people on the boardwalk to the tub.
Hilltop is a busy tub, and it’s small.. so don’t put all your eggs in one basket here. And shoot, if you can — get up really early for sunrise here so you can at least soak for a little!
Did You Know? There’s an unspoked hot spring etiquette to follow. After visiting probably close to 100 hot springs around the world, we picked up on a thing or 11 things you should know about hot spring etiquette.
Shepard Hot Spring
- Location | 37.66656, -118.80415
- Access | slow going for low clearance 2WD
- Size | small man made pool, cozy for four people
Shepard Hot Spring is a bit rough to get to, but totally managable in a 2WD campervan. I defintely would not recommend trying to access this hot spring in Mammoth after rain or in the snow though.
Shepard is another cement style tub with a tube piping the water to the pool. As you can see in the image above, the pool is pretty small, room enough for a handful of people if you’re comfortable in close proximity to others. It’s larger than the other tubs in the area.
When we were at this hot spring, we didn’t get any good photos as we don’t want to take photos of other people in the water, so it was a bit tricky.
This tub sits right at the parking lot, and is easy to climb into, so it’s a good for those looking for a super easy access tub.
From Shepard, you can walk to the next hot spring, Crab Cooker which is just down the old road to the right of the hot spring.
Crab Cooker
- Location | 37.662711, -118.800238
- Access | high clearance only, can hike from Shepard Hot Spring with low clearance
- Size | small man made pool for 5-6 people
As the name suggest here, Crab Cooker Hot Spring in Mammoth California is piping hot! It’s believe to be over 120 degrees straight from the source!
When we got to this hot spring there was a note on the trail saying someone had just scrubbed it clean and drained it, asking for the next people to turn the water off, so we knew the water would be way too hot to get into.
And holy smokes, it was! But it was beautiful.
The tub is really small, and can be extremely hot like it was when we visited, but with time and patience, the water will cool down. Shutting the valve stops the fresh hot water from coming in, and then the water temperature of the pooled up water can cool to a managable degree.
Due to the water temperature, it’s certainly hit or miss with being able to soak here, but it’s well worth checking out for the gorgeous views!
Hot Creek Geological Site
- Location | 37.661496, -118.828613
- Access | short washboard road from main highway
- Size | cannot get in
Hot Creek Geological Site is a geological wonder on Highway 395 not to miss. The hot springs at Hot Creek are too hot to get into, and swimming in the creek is not allowed due to quick fluxuating temperatures than can literally kill.
However, it’s gorgeous and an absolute must visit stop on Highway 395.
With the fluxuating temperature of the creek water, it’s hit or miss with getting views of the steam coming off the creek. If it’s a particularly cold day, you’ll have a better chance at seeing the steam coming off the creek.
There’s some epic free camping near Hot Creek Overlook, as well as bathrooms, large dumpsters, and an interpretive trail down to the creek.
Little Creek Hot Spring
- Location | 37.689939, -118.84245
- Access | long road out of the way with big bumps, better for high clearance
- Size | man made rock pool for 8-10 people
Little Hot Creek Hot Spring is also known as Syphon Hot Spring and it’s the most difficult hot spring in Mammoth to reach on this list. In fact, we couldn’t drive all the way there in our van.
Instead, we had to park about a ten minute walk away and walk the road to the hot spring. High clearance is definitely needed to drive all the way to Little Hot Creek Hot Spring.
This hot spring we found while searching for hot springs Mammoth CA, but is wasn’t one that had many reviews. In fact, the reviews online said it wasn’t a nice hot spring, while one review in particular said it was and the locals were reviewing it poorly to keep people away.
I have a bit of an issue with that. If it’s on public land in nature, and people are respectful, practicing leave no trace principles and basic hot spring etiquette, then it should be open for all to enjoy.
Anyways, when we went there was a group of people having a birthday party there, and they weren’t the friendliest of the bunch. So we jumped in and jumped out without any photos or really enjoying the tub which was honestly such a bummer.
The hot spring is the largest of the man made hot spring tubs in Mammoth, and it was the cleanest and hottest one too. Like the other man made tubs, there’s a valve for the water pipe, and views down a valley — though no views of the big Mammoth mountains.
Unfortunately, with a storm in the forecast, we knew we need to get closer to main roads, so we couldn’t stay there for the night to get in and really enjoy this hot spring.
Hot Springs Near Mammoth Lakes CA
Buckeye Hot Springs (North)
- Location | 38.239806, -119.32577
- Access | long super washboard dirt road
- Size | multiple pools can accommodate large numbers of people
If heading north on a Highway 395 road trip, stopping at hot springs in Bridgeport is well worth your time. The more popular one in the area is Travertine Hot Spring, details below, but we visited Buckeye instead.
Buckeye Hot Spring is about 15 minutes driving on some washboardy roads, but it’s worth the drive. This waterfall hot spring has a couple pools at the top near the parking lot, and then a handful of pools right along the creek.
We love hot springs like this because when you get too hot in the tub, you can take a true polar plunge in the creek next it it.
Buckeye Hot Spring has great camping nearby, picnic tables and bathrooms in the parking area, and is free to use.
We would not recommend the drive to Buckeye Hot Springs in the snow, as you’re on a mountain with no guard rail and in some spots no service.
Travertine Hot Spring (North)
- Location | 38.245845, -119.205367
- Access | dirt road
- Size | small bath tub style
Travertine Hot Spring is a gorgeous looking hot spring in Bridgeport that’s easier to access than Buckeye Hot Spring. However, it’s often closed.
When we traveled through the road to Travertine Hot Spring was closed. We heard it was closed for private use by the local Tribe, and as such, we didn’t want to walk the road to disturb anything going on or fly the drone to get a picture here.
If the road to Travertine Hot Spring is closed, be respectful and do not visit it. In fact, when the road is closed, if it’s from Tribal use, it’s closed to not just vehicle traffic, but pedestrian traffic as well.
Keough Hot Spring (South)
- Location | 37.25465, -118.377052
- Access | paid for access down easy driving road
- Size | man made swimming pools
Keough Hot Spring is a paid for hot spring south of Mammoth right on Highway 395. It’s a hot spring pool that’s seasonally opened, and has a charge to get into.
There are a few free hot springs in the area, but after reading about and hearing about a brain eating amoeba potentially being in these pools — be sure to take care if you choose to get into the untreated pools here. Keep your head above water at all times.
The paid for Keough Hot Springs are treated and safe to get into.
Hot Spring Etiquette
We have an entire post on hot spring etiquette, but here are some main things to keep in mind.
- Be mindful of others. This includes not having music and respecting people’s space.
- Everyone can soak. If you’re in a public hot spring, remember it’s public, and everyone can enjoy it. If you’re in a small pool, limit your time if others are waiting.
- Not everyone likes dogs. Dogs don’t belong in and around hot springs if they are roaming freely, walking and shaking near people, or walking on other people’s belongings.
- It’s okay to be nude. Soak nude if you want, but don’t be putting your wild willy in people’s faces.
Our Favorite Hot Springs Mammoth Lakes California
After visiting all these hot springs, we can honestly say that while Wild Willy’s hot spring is super busy, it’s still our favorite.
It’s the most natural hot spring of the bunch and the largest as well. We were always able to find our own space at Wild Willy’s even when there were loads of other people there too.
If you head out to hot springs Mammoth Lakes California be sure to be respectful of nature, and if you want, tag us @arboursabroad so we can see your adventure unfold!
Read Next
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