California hot springs, fact-checked — 15 open soaks and the 7 not to drive to

The numbers: California in our directory

• 22 springs, 15 open soaks. Four are temporarily closed and two are closed outright. One of the open listings, Upper Warm Spring in Saline Valley, is open but listed as sightseeing only. Compared with Idaho (67) or Colorado (36), California's mapped list is short, and closures take a bigger bite out of it.
• 9 free to soak. That's 41% of the state's springs, and the fifth-highest free count in our directory behind Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Colorado. The six open paid springs are Harbin, Mono Hot Springs, Franklin, Murrieta, Tecopa and Keough's.
• 9 primitive, 5 resort/spa, 1 community pool among the open soaks. California's developed soaks are a retreat center, a high-Sierra bathhouse, a family-run pool, a big Southern California resort, a county-owned desert bathhouse and a spring-fed resort south of Bishop, and they could hardly be more different from each other.
• Recorded temperatures run 90–140°F across the 14 open soaks with a reading. Buckeye is the hottest at 140°F; Travertine and Steep Ravine are the coolest at 90°F. Seven of the 14 read 110°F or higher. Many of these readings are taken at the source rather than in the pool you'll sit in, so check the water with a thermometer before you get in, and skip any pool you can't check safely. Skin contact with water this hot can scald in seconds. Keough's is one of those source readings: NOAA lists 124°F, and the operator keeps the hot pool at 104°F and the large pool at 88–90°F.
• Our data marks 14 of the 15 open soaks as reachable in a regular car in normal conditions; Travertine is the high-clearance exception. Keough's is in that regular-car count because the nearest mapped road is 0.09 miles away. The operator pages do not state a vehicle type, and the listing leaves that requirement unconfirmed.

Before you go: the four pieces of fine print

1. Closures change faster than guidebooks

Three of California's best-known soaks are closed right now. The Forest Service closed Miracle Hot Springs on the Kern River from January 31, 2026, through February 1, 2028. Death Valley National Park closed the Lower Springs at Saline Valley after a fire on September 15, 2026. California State Parks currently lists Grover's pool complex as closed. Any list of California hot springs that doesn't carry a date is, at best, a list of places that used to be open.

2. Trail miles are not map miles

Our listings show how far each spring sits from the nearest drivable road in a straight line, the same figure the road access report uses. That's a floor, not a hiking distance. In California the gap is enormous:

• Iva Bell: 4.52 miles in a straight line, but the Forest Service puts it eleven miles down the Fish Creek Trail.
• Willett: 3.91 miles in a straight line, but about 9.5 miles one way by trail, according to independent trip reports. The Forest Service lists Willett Camp on the Sespe River Trail but doesn't publish a mileage to it.
• Remington: sits right beside Kern Canyon Road on the map, but it's still a 0.17-mile trail down to the river.
• Saline Valley: older lists, including our own, used to call it a hike-in. It's actually a drive, about 35 miles from the closest paved road by the Park Service's count, or about 40 in its fire update.

3. "Free" rarely means costless

Nine California springs charge nothing to soak, but several charge you to get there:

• Willett: an Adventure Pass (or an America the Beautiful pass) to park at Piedra Blanca Trailhead.
• Iva Bell: a per-person transportation fee for the mandatory Reds Meadow shuttle, plus a wilderness permit if you stay overnight.
• Grover: even when the pool reopens, it's paid twice over. The State Parks infosheet lists $8 per vehicle for day use, plus pool admission of $10 per adult and $5 for ages 16 and younger.
• Saline Valley: its cost is your vehicle. The Park Service tells backcountry drivers to carry two full-size spare tires and extra food and water, because rescue is likely to be extremely delayed.

Our free hot springs guide covers the national picture.

4. Clothing rules come from the operator or agency, not from reviews

Visitor reviews are a weak source for clothing policy, and California proves it. One spring that reviewers describe as clothing-optional sits in a national forest that has since banned public nudity outright (details under Remington below), and a county-owned bathhouse in the desert requires the opposite: no clothing at all (see Tecopa). Where an operator or agency publishes a rule, we quote it. Where none does, we say so. Our clothing-optional etiquette guide covers how to behave at the places where it's genuinely allowed.

Eastern Sierra and US-395: the free corridor

This is the densest cluster in the state and where most of California's free soaking lives. Bridgeport anchors the north end and Long Valley, east of Mammoth Lakes, the south.

[Travertine Hot Springs](/california/bridgeport/travertine-hot-springs) (free, 90°F recorded, rated 4.5 across 383 reviews) sits on BLM land just outside Bridgeport. It's part of the Travertine Area of Critical Environmental Concern, and that status comes with a catch most visitors miss: the BLM closes the site to all public access, on foot or by car, for ceremonial use by a local Tribe. The 2025 order set closures of June 17–23, September 19–25 and December 18–24, with the access gate locked. We couldn't find a 2026 order posted, so call the BLM Bishop Field Office (760-872-5000) before you go, especially near a solstice or equinox. The BLM's closure map marks some approach segments 2WD and others 4WD high-clearance, so the parking area you can reach depends on your vehicle.

[Buckeye Hot Spring](/california/buckeye-hot-springs/buckeye-hot-spring) (free, 140°F recorded, 4.2 across 188 reviews) is the one the Forest Service itself describes: "just east of the campground… over a rock overhang, which creates a cave-like area in the pool," and "a very popular spring year round." To get there, take Twin Lakes Road about seven miles from US-395 in Bridgeport, then go right on Buckeye Road at Doc and Al's Resort for about three miles, then left at the fork for another mile. If you camp, Buckeye Campground costs $24 a night and runs late May to late September; the Forest Service doesn't list a fee for the spring.

Farther south in Long Valley, the BLM says several natural hot springs on BLM-managed land are reached by dirt road north or south of Benton Crossing Road. [Wild Willy's Hot Springs](/california/north-landing/wild-willys-hot-springs) (free, 120°F recorded) is the crowd favorite, with the highest rating of any California spring that has 100+ reviews: 4.6 across 330. It's a short walk, about 0.23 miles from the nearest road in a straight line. [Crab Cooker Hot Springs](/california/whitmore-hot-springs/crab-cooker-hot-springs) (free, 108°F recorded) is nearby. It's rougher, and its 3.4 rating across 115 reviews is honest about that. Visitors describe it as clothing-optional, but no agency or operator publishes a rule for either spring.

Bishop: Keough's is spring-fed

[Keough's Hot Springs](/california/bishop/keoughs-hot-springs) is the paid soak south of Bishop, and it is not a heated municipal pool. The operator says the pools were built in 1919 and are still the same pools, that the spring leaves the ground at 123°F and about 600 gallons a minute, and that both pools are free-flowing mineral water emptied, cleaned, and refilled each week. The large pool is kept at 88–90°F. The hot pool is kept at 104°F. NOAA's survey lists the source at 124°F, which is why our recorded number is 124°F and not the pool you sit in. An adult day pass is $14, ages 3–12 are $10, and age 2 and under is $5. The posted hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Wednesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed Tuesday, and the operator says hours are subject to change. The homepage labels that schedule Winter Hours. Camping and rustic tent cabins are on site; swimming is not included in the camping rate. This listing is those resort pools only.

The skip list: don't drive to these to soak

Seven California springs in our directory aren't open for soaking right now. Each one has a different reason.

• [Casa Diablo Hot Springs](/california/mono-county/casa-diablo-hot-springs-california) (Mono County): not a soak at all. The USGS describes it as the site of the Mammoth geothermal power plant, whose production wells supply 170°C water. Our data records 199°F. Look, don't touch.
• [Grover Hot Springs State Park](/california/markleeville/grover-hot-springs-state-park) (Markleeville): the park is open, but the State Parks page currently says "Pool Complex is currently closed." The same page still carries an older line about the pool opening Friday through Monday, and we found no reopening date. Call (530) 694-2248 before planning a soak around it. Day use, including the meadow boardwalk and the trails, is still open sunrise to sunset.
• [Miracle Hot Springs](/california/bodfish/miracle-hot-springs) (Kern River): closed by Forest Order 0513-26-01 from January 31, 2026, through February 1, 2028. The order covers the day-use area "including the hot springs within the Kern River" and bans parking along about 1.25 miles of Kern Canyon Road. Violations carry fines of up to $5,000 for an individual.
• [Lower Warm Springs](/california/lower-warm-springs/lower-warm-springs) (Saline Valley): the burned area at Lower Springs is closed to public entry by order of the park superintendent after the September 15 fire. As of the park's September 28 conditions update, the camping area around Palm Spring and between Lower and Palm is open.
• [Tassajara Hot Springs](/california/tassajara-hot-springs/tassajara-hot-springs) (Los Padres National Forest): a San Francisco Zen Center monastery that takes guests only during a summer season. That season starts with a Gate Opening Ceremony at the end of April and runs for four months, and reservations for 2027 open in January 2027. In other words, it's closed to visitors until spring 2027, and even then it's paid and by reservation only.
• [Scovern Hot Springs](/california/lake-isabella/scovern-hot-springs) (Lake Isabella): our listing records it as closed, and we found no official public access.
• [Upper Warm Spring](/california/upper-warm-spring/upper-warm-spring) (Saline Valley): open, but listed as sightseeing only, because there's no tub. The Park Service's environmental impact statement describes Upper Spring as undeveloped and fenced to keep feral burros out, with no soaking tub, shower or toilet, and its management plan keeps it that way. The same EIS notes that visitors occasionally soak in the natural spring, but it isn't a reason to drive 35–40 miles of dirt.

The High Sierra: one bathhouse, one long walk

[Mono Hot Springs](/california/mono-hot-springs/mono-hot-springs) (109°F recorded) is a resort bathhouse, not a free primitive pool. Day use is $25 per adult and $15 for children 11 or under, $15 and $10 for campers, and free for resort cabin guests. The posted rules say "No nudity in spa," no dogs around the bathhouse, and no alcohol or smoking. The season is short: the resort and the Kaiser Pass Road area run May 22 to October 26 in 2026, so there are only a few weeks left this year. The last 12 miles from Huntington Lake are a narrow, curvy, mostly one-lane paved road at about 20 mph, and no gas is sold anywhere past Huntington Lake.

[Iva Bell Hot Springs](/california/fish-creek-hot-springs/iva-bell-hot-springs) (free, 110°F recorded) is the opposite: a backpacking trip with a hot soak at the end. The Fish Creek Trail starts near Reds Meadow Resort (shuttle stop #10) or at the Rainbow Falls trailhead (stop #8), and Iva Bell is eleven miles down it. Day use needs no permit, but overnight trips need a wilderness permit year-round. From May 1 to November 1, overnight visitors are limited to 15 people a day, and groups can't be larger than 15. Food must go in bear-proof storage, and the Forest Service warns the trail "may be difficult to navigate due to overgrown vegetation." Its 1.9 rating across 35 reviews is the lowest of any California spring in our data; we can't tell what those reviewers were rating, so judge it on the trail facts instead.

Death Valley country: Tecopa and Saline Valley

[Tecopa Hot Springs Park & Campground](/california/tecopa/tecopa-hot-springs-park-campground) (102°F recorded) is the open soak in this corner. It's an Inyo County park off State Highway 127, 7 miles south of Shoshone and then 3 miles southeast on Tecopa Hot Springs Road; the county puts it about an hour and a half west of Las Vegas. It has two bathhouses with separate enclosed men's and women's mineral pools, a small invalid pool, and more than 200 camping spaces, some with electrical hookups. A concessionaire, Flippin-Hamrick, runs it under a 10-year county agreement. The county's 2025/26 rate sheet lists soaking passes at $15 a day, $75 a week or $250 a month per person, and tent camping at $40 a night including two soaking wristbands. The clothing rule is the reverse of everywhere else in this guide. The operator says "No bathing suits or clothing of any kind are to be worn in the baths," citing Inyo County Code § 12.16.350(D). The county page still carries a "Closure Notice" heading above the concessionaire announcement, while the operator says the springs are open daily to guests and day visitors, so call (442) 453-1987 before you drive. Our data has no reviews for it yet.

Saline Valley is the other Death Valley soak, and it's harder. Under the Park Service's management plan, the soaking tubs stay at Lower Spring and Palm Spring, and Upper Spring stays undeveloped. With Lower closed and Upper on the skip list, Palm Spring is the developed spot to ask about. It isn't a separate listing in our directory, and the Park Service says the camping area around it is open, but it hasn't said whether the Palm tubs are usable after the fire, so confirm with the park (760-786-3200) before the drive. The whole area is a drive-in backcountry campground at the end of 35–40 miles of dirt. The plan is also the clearest official clothing statement in this guide: "Public nudity is common at the site… Public nudity is not against Federal regulations, but lewd behavior is."

Treat the whole valley as a destination for experienced desert drivers, not a sure soak. Inyo County was grading the North Pass route in mid-September, according to the fire update. Check the park's road status the day you leave, and carry the two spares.

The Kern River and the southern backcountry

[Remington Hot Springs](/california/bodfish/remington-hot-springs) (free, 4.5 across 444 reviews) is the Kern River soak that's still open now that Miracle is closed. It's reached by Forest Service Trail #32E66, a 0.17-mile hiking trail from Kern Canyon Road down to the river. The Forest Service lists no fees, a season of use of "June – November Weather Depending," and a pack-it-in, pack-it-out rule. It also warns that recent fires and flooding may leave washouts, downed trees and gaps where the trail disappears.

The clothing note matters here. Remington is clothing required: the Sequoia National Forest put a public nudity prohibition (Forest Order 0513-26-06) in effect forest-wide from July 18, 2026, through July 17, 2028, with fines of up to $5,000 for an individual. Some reviews still describe it as clothing-optional; ignore them and wear a suit.

[Willett Hot Springs](/california/willett-hot-springs/willett-hot-springs) (free, 108°F recorded, 4.8 across 14 reviews) is the Los Padres backcountry soak. Start at Piedra Blanca Trailhead, about 15 miles north of Ojai on Highway 33 and another 5 miles on a road the Forest Service says is paved all the way to the parking lot. The Sespe River Trail crosses the river ten times, so the Forest Service warns of flash floods in the wet season. Los Padres doesn't issue wilderness permits, but you do need a California Campfire Permit even to run a camp stove. Budget a long day each way, or plan an overnight at the trail camps.

The coast and the cities

[Montecito Hot Springs](/california/santa-barbara/montecito-hot-springs) (free, 118°F recorded, 4.5 across 122 reviews) is the Santa Barbara foothills soak, about 0.23 miles from the road in a straight line. The Forest Service's current storm-damage closure for the Santa Barbara Ranger District, Forest Order 05-07-54-26-09 (September 16, 2026, through September 15, 2027), doesn't list the hot springs trail among its closed trails. Still, check the Los Padres alerts page before you go, because conditions after a storm change fast.

[Steep Ravine Hot Springs](/california/stinson-beach/steep-ravine-hot-springs) near Stinson Beach is the expectation-management entry. It reads 90°F, rates 2.0 across 64 reviews, and the reviews describe a steep trail and no roadside parking along a busy stretch of Shoreline Highway (Highway 1). It's in our open, free count, but it isn't a reason to drive to Marin.

[Franklin Hot Springs](/california/paso-robles/franklin-hot-springs) in Paso Robles is the cheapest developed soak in California. The operator lists an all-day pass at $10 for adults and $8 for children under 14, military and seniors, opening hours of 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, and water at 100.1°F. Tent or RV camping is $30 plus admission. It has 910 reviews averaging 4.2.

[Murrieta Hot Springs](/california/murrieta/murrieta-hot-springs) (132°F recorded) is the most-reviewed spring in California in our data, at 4.4 across 2,407 reviews. It's also the priciest open soak in the state: day passes from $109, with local residents from $59. Its code of conduct is explicit: "Family-friendly, appropriate swimwear is required in all soaking and pool areas." Outside food and drink aren't allowed, and once you leave the property you can't come back in that day.

Lake County's retreat: Harbin

[Harbin Hot Springs](/california/harbin-springs/harbin-hot-springs) in Middletown (120°F recorded) is often listed as a free, rustic soak. It isn't free. Every guest over 18 has to buy a membership: $15 for a one-month trial, $35 for a year or $300 for life. You also need a reservation, and guests without an online day-use or camping reservation pay a $5 walk-in fee. The operator is direct about the rules: "Harbin's soaking pools and pool areas are clothing-optional." Electronics aren't allowed anywhere clothing is optional, the property is alcohol- and drug-free, and only ADA service dogs are permitted. Harbin is the one open California spring where an operator posts a clothing-optional policy.

How to use this guide

• Recheck the dated items. Grover's pool, Saline Valley's Lower Springs, Tecopa's operating status, Travertine's ceremonial closures and Mono's October 26 season end are the things most likely to change. Each one links to the page that will change first.
• Plan routes, not lists. The US-395 springs (Travertine, Buckeye, Wild Willy's, Crab Cooker) pair naturally with a Nevada trip; see the Nevada road trip. The far north connects to the Oregon road trip. Our road trip planner maps every spring along an actual driving route.
• Choose by effort. The hike-in collection and the hike-in guide cover the trail soaks. The free collection lists every open, free spring nationally, and the clothing-optional collection lists springs with a sourced policy.
• Pack for the gap between "free" and easy. Our packing guide and etiquette guide apply everywhere, and at backcountry pools above all. Winter soakers should read the winter guide too.

How we checked

Every count in this guide comes from our dataset, using the same rules as the site's state pages. "Open" means the listing's operating status is open, and an "open soak" is an open listing that isn't marked sightseeing only or no soaking. "Free to soak" means no admission or soaking fee, open, and soaking permitted. Distances are straight-line miles to the nearest drivable road. Ratings and review counts are as recorded in our listings. Agency and operator facts (fees, seasons, closures, permits, clothing rules) come only from official pages, all checked on October 1, 2026 and linked inline, except Keough's Hot Springs, whose operator pages were checked on October 5, 2026. Where the only source was a third party, as with Willett's trail mileage, we say so. Where we found no official source at all, we left the claim out. The full list, with maps, lives on our California hot springs page.