Onseya guideNear Mammoth Lakes, California · 9 destinations

Hot springs near Mammoth Lakes

Every open spring within about a three-hour drive, ordered by how long it actually takes to get there. From the free soaking tubs of Long Valley, minutes from town, to the private tub sites at Benton, the travertine terraces near Bridgeport and the resort pools of the Carson Valley — real road times, so you can see what fits an afternoon and what’s worth an overnight.

Within reach9

Under 2 hours6

Closest17m

Jump toUnder an hour One to two hours Two to three hours FAQ

The closest hot springs to Mammoth Lakes are a short drive east of town in Long Valley, where several free soaking tubs sit on Bureau of Land Management land, all within half an hour of town. Within about an hour are the private tub sites at The Inn at Benton Hot Springs (54m), rented by the night, and Travertine Hot Springs near Bridgeport (1h 06m). Two to three hours north are Grover Hot Springs State Park and the Carson Valley resorts. Below, every open spring grouped by drive time. Heading to the Sierra from the Bay Area or Sacramento? See hot springs near Sacramento.

Drive time 01

Under an hour

Long Valley, 15 to 30 minutes east of town: free soaking tubs on Bureau of Land Management land off Benton Crossing Road, plus the overnight tub sites at Benton.

Mammoth Lakes

Rock Tub Hot Spring (Whitmore Tubs)

Mammoth Lakes17m from Mammoth Lakes

Rock Tub Hot Spring (Whitmore Tubs)

Often called Whitmore Tubs, but separate from the town's Whitmore Pool, Rock Tub is a rock-and-concrete tub next to the parking area on BLM land. Hot water arrives through a long pipe from a source on the hillside. No fee is charged; access is via unpaved Whitmore Tubs Road, which can be impassable in snow and muddy after storms.

Drive: 17m from Mammoth Lakes
Water: —
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: Optional

PoolsViews

Mammoth Lakes

Hilltop Hot Spring (Pulky's Pool)

Mammoth Lakes18m from Mammoth Lakes

Hilltop Hot Spring (Pulky's Pool)

Hilltop, also known as Pulky's Pool, is a rock-and-cement tub on a rise above the marsh. Gate valves blend cold water with geothermal water piped from a source near 130°F for a soak of roughly 100 to 110°F. There is no fee; a quarter-mile path and boardwalk lead from parking, and the dirt road may close in heavy snow.

Drive: 18m from Mammoth Lakes
Water: 100–110 °F
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: Optional

PoolsViews

Mammoth Lakes

Shepherd Hot Spring

Mammoth Lakes22m from Mammoth Lakes

Shepherd Hot Spring

Parking sits beside Shepherd's concrete-and-rock tub on public land in the Long Valley Caldera, so no walk is needed. A valve on the inlet pipe controls water piped from a natural hot spring about 150 feet away, and the tub runs about 100 to 110°F. Soaking is free, but the dirt roads can be impassable after rain or snow.

Drive: 22m from Mammoth Lakes
Water: 100–110 °F
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: Optional

PoolsViews

Mammoth Lakes

Wild Willy's Hot Spring

Mammoth Lakes26m from Mammoth Lakes

Wild Willy's Hot Spring

Two naturally fed pools with earth floors sit at the end of a quarter-mile boardwalk on BLM land in the Long Valley Caldera. The main pools run about 95 to 105°F, and a smaller heart-shaped pool is hotter. Entry is free; the dirt access road can be impassable after rain or snow, and the lot fills on summer weekends.

Drive: 26m from Mammoth Lakes
Water: 95–105 °F
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: Optional

PoolsViewsPets Ok

Benton

The Inn at Benton Hot Springs

Benton54m from Mammoth Lakes

The Inn at Benton Hot Springs

Soaking is for overnight guests only: 13 tub campsites each have a private spring-fed tub, and two Dark Skies sites allow no children or pets. Paiute people founded Benton and used its springs; the town boomed after an 1864 silver strike, and the Bramlette family has owned the site since 1928. Clothing is optional, and inn rooms include breakfast.

Drive: 54m from Mammoth Lakes
Water: 98–108 °F
Price: Tub sites $95/night (sites 1-3, 11-12, up to 2 people) or $105/night (sites 4-10 and 13, up to 3 people), extra person $10; Dark Skies sites 14-15 $125/night (max 2); inn rooms $169/night for 2, extra guest $15/day
Lodging: Inn rooms (breakfast included), cabins, house rentals, vintage Airstream; 15 tub campsites with private hot tubs (no hookups)
Clothing: Optional

CabinsCampingViewsPets OkKids Ok

Official site →

Drive time 02

One to two hours

North to Bridgeport for Travertine Hot Springs, free pools on public land near town.

Bridgeport

Travertine Hot Springs

Bridgeport1h 06m from Mammoth Lakes

Travertine Hot Springs

Hot water flows from fissures across travertine terraces at about 6,700 feet, two miles southeast of Bridgeport, where volunteers built primitive rock pools and a concrete tub. Soaking is free, with a pit toilet at the parking area and no camping. The dirt access road is not maintained in winter, and BLM has closed the site at times for tribal ceremonies.

Drive: 1h 06m from Mammoth Lakes
Water: —
Price: Free
Lodging: —
Clothing: Optional

Pools

Drive time 03

Two to three hours

Longer drives north: the state park pool at Grover Hot Springs near Markleeville and the resorts of the Carson Valley in Nevada.

Markleeville

Grover Hot Springs State Park

Markleeville2h 35m from Mammoth Lakes

Grover Hot Springs State Park

Four miles west of Markleeville, this state park pairs a hot soaking pool fed by natural hot springs with a cooler swimming pool. Bromine reacting with the mineral salts tints the water yellow-green. The park has a 76-site campground with fire pits and bear lockers, plus a winter campground.

Drive: 2h 35m from Mammoth Lakes
Water: 102–104 °F
Price: Pool: adults $10, children $5; day-use parking $8 per vehicle ($7 seniors)
Lodging: Campground only (state park campground, 76 sites; winter campground)
Clothing: Required

PoolsCampingKids Ok

Genoa

David Walley's Hot Springs Resort

Genoa2h 40m from Mammoth Lakes

David Walley's Hot Springs Resort

In Genoa, in the Carson Valley, this Holiday Inn Club Vacations resort has outdoor mineral tubs heated with geothermal water, along with a separate heated swimming pool, eucalyptus steam rooms and dry saunas. Non-guests can buy an all-day hot springs pass. Overnight guests stay in condo-style studios, villas and cottages, and the 1862 Restaurant and Saloon is on site.

Drive: 2h 40m from Mammoth Lakes
Water: 98–104 °F
Price: Hot springs access $55 per person per day
Lodging: Condo-style studios, 1- and 2-bedroom villas, 2- and 3-bedroom cottages (timeshare resort, Holiday Inn Club Vacations)
Clothing: Required

PoolsSaunaSpaRestaurantKids Ok

Official site →

Carson City

Carson Hot Springs Resort

Carson City2h 52m from Mammoth Lakes

Carson Hot Springs Resort

Natural mineral water flows out of the ground at 121°F into four outdoor pools (98 to 104°F) and nine private indoor rooms in Carson City, first opened as a bathhouse resort in 1880. The pools are flow-through, drained and refilled daily with no chemicals added. Two-hour soaks are sold to walk-ins, and a restaurant and brewery operate on site.

Drive: 2h 52m from Mammoth Lakes
Water: 98–104 °F
Price: 2-hour soak, outdoor pools: adults (12-54) $18, seniors 55+ and kids 2-11 $16, under 2 $8.50; private indoor + outdoor pools: adults $32, seniors $30, kids $24, infants $12; 10-visit card adults $150, seniors/kids $130
Lodging: —
Clothing: Required

PoolsSaunaRestaurantKids Ok

Official site →

Reference

Frequently asked

Quick answers on getting from Mammoth Lakes to a soak — the closest tubs, what is free, overnight-only Benton, winter roads and Saline Valley.

What is the closest hot spring to Mammoth Lakes?

Rock Tub Hot Spring (Whitmore Tubs) is the closest, about 17m by car from town. It is one of several soaking tubs on Bureau of Land Management land in Long Valley, east of town off Benton Crossing Road; all of them are free and within half an hour of Mammoth Lakes.

Are the hot springs near Mammoth Lakes free?

The Long Valley tubs and Travertine Hot Springs near Bridgeport sit on public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and charge no fee. The developed places charge: The Inn at Benton Hot Springs rents private tub sites by the night, and Grover Hot Springs State Park, David Walley’s and Carson Hot Springs sell admission to their pools.

Can you visit Benton Hot Springs for the day?

No. The Inn at Benton Hot Springs rents its hot tub sites only by the night and says it does not offer hourly or day use. Each site has a private tub fed by the hot spring; there are also inn rooms and rental houses.

Can you soak near Mammoth Lakes in winter?

Often, but check the roads. The Long Valley tubs are reached on dirt roads that can become impassable after rain or snow, and the road to Travertine is not plowed. Travertine also closes for several days some years for tribal ceremonial use. The resorts in the Carson Valley are open year-round.

What about the hot springs of Saline Valley?

The Saline Valley springs are in Death Valley National Park, at the end of a long dirt road that needs a high-clearance vehicle, so they are not listed here by drive time. After a wildfire on September 15, 2026, the park closed the Lower Springs area; Palm Spring and the campground between the two reopened in October 2026.