Onseya guideNear San Francisco, California · 13 destinations

Hot springs near San Francisco

Every open spring within about a three-hour drive, ordered by how long it actually takes to get there. From a tidal grotto on the Marin coast to the mineral pools and mud baths of Calistoga and the clothing-optional retreats of the North Coast Ranges — real road times, so you can see what fits a day and what’s worth an overnight.

Within reach13

Under 2 hours9

Closest47m

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

The closest hot springs to San Francisco are on the Marin coast, where warm vents on Steep Ravine Beach surface only at very low tides. About an hour north, Sonoma Valley has a historic spa resort and a summer day-use pool, and Calistoga, at the top of Napa Valley, has five resorts with geothermal mineral pools and volcanic mud baths. Two to three hours out are the clothing-optional retreats of the North Coast Ranges — Harbin, Wilbur and Orr — the historic Vichy Springs near Ukiah, and Esalen on the Big Sur coast. Below, every open spring grouped by drive time. Starting from Sacramento instead? See hot springs near Sacramento, which adds the Sierra and the Reno area.

Drive time 01

Under an hour

On the Marin coast, geothermal vents in a rocky grotto on Steep Ravine Beach — reachable by a steep trail and usable only around very low tides.

Stinson Beach

Marin Tidal Hot Springs (Rocky Point Hot Springs)

Stinson Beach47m from San Francisco

Marin Tidal Hot Springs (Rocky Point Hot Springs)

Geothermal vents in a rocky grotto under a large boulder on Steep Ravine Beach, in Mount Tamalpais State Park, surface only at tides of minus one foot or lower, for about two hours. A steep, eroded trail leads down to the beach. Volunteers maintain the site, which runs on no-soap, no-glass, pack-it-out rules.

Drive: 47m from San Francisco
Water: 100 °F
Price: —
Lodging: —
Clothing: —

Views

Drive time 02

One to two hours

North to Sonoma Valley and Calistoga: hotel pools fed by geothermal water, volcanic mud baths and a family day-use resort in Glen Ellen — plus the Harbin retreat in the Lake County hills.

Boyes Hot Springs

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa

Boyes Hot Springs1h 09m from San Francisco

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa

Captain Henry E. Boyes found the hot spring beneath this resort in 1895, and the rebuilt hotel opened in 1927. Its spa, billed as 40,000 square feet, has geothermal mineral pools, a eucalyptus steam room and a halotherapy sauna, with day access sold to non-guests. A separate family-friendly resort pool also uses naturally heated water.

Drive: 1h 09m from San Francisco
Water: —
Price: Spa day access: resort guests $69 per person per day, non-resort guests from $99 to $199 per person; access fee waived for non-resort guests booking qualifying spa services Mon-Thu (excluding holidays), Fri-Sun a $59 access fee applies on top of treatment price
Lodging: Resort hotel
Clothing: Required

PoolsSpaSaunaKids Ok

Official site →

Glen Ellen

Morton's Warm Springs Resort

Glen Ellen1h 23m from San Francisco

Morton's Warm Springs Resort

Three geothermal pools, from a deep diving pool to a toddler wading pool, draw families to this Glen Ellen day-use resort, with water from about 90°F. Grounds along Sonoma Creek have picnic areas with barbecues and Cafe 108. The first bathhouse opened in the 1880s; today day visits are sold on a sliding scale, and swimsuits are required.

Drive: 1h 23m from San Francisco
Water: 90 °F
Price: Day visit sliding scale (online): standard $23, Replenish $30, hardship $18 Tue-Fri / $20 Sat-Sun and holidays; $25 at the gate without reservation; ages 2 and under free (swim diaper required)
Lodging: —
Clothing: Required

PoolsRestaurantRiverKids OkPets Ok

Official site →

Calistoga

Calistoga Spa Hot Springs

Calistoga1h 24m from San Francisco

Calistoga Spa Hot Springs

Four outdoor pools of natural geothermal mineral water, reaching up to 104°F, include a shallow wading pool with a waterfall and a covered adults-only jet pool. The spa offers volcanic ash mud baths and massages. Hotel rooms have kitchenettes, downtown dining is a walk away, and non-guests reach the pools only with a spa treatment.

Drive: 1h 24m from San Francisco
Water: 104 °F
Price: No standalone day pass: pool access for non-guests only with a spa treatment (pool pass price not published); Plus One companion of a spa guest $75; Extended Pool Pass for departing hotel guests $50 (ages 2+, until 9pm)
Lodging: Hotel rooms with kitchenettes
Clothing: —

PoolsSpaKids Ok

Official site →

Calistoga

Roman Spa Hot Springs Resort

Calistoga1h 24m from San Francisco

Roman Spa Hot Springs Resort

A block off Calistoga's main street, Roman Spa runs three quiet soaking pools of natural geothermal water, from a seasonal outdoor pool at 92 to 96°F to a 103°F jetted hot tub. The Baths at Roman Spa offer mud and mineral baths for adults, and spa guests with a longer treatment can use the pools Sunday through Friday.

Drive: 1h 24m from San Francisco
Water: 92–103 °F
Price: No standalone day pass: pool access for spa guests with a treatment of 45 min or more, Sunday-Friday, extra charge not published; mud bath $145 Mon-Fri / $150 Sat-Sun, mineral bath $110
Lodging: Hotel rooms and suites (Classico, Superiore, Splendido Suite with Jacuzzi tub)
Clothing: —

PoolsSpaKids Ok

Official site →

Calistoga

Dr. Wilkinson's Backyard Resort & Mineral Springs

Calistoga1h 25m from San Francisco

Dr. Wilkinson's Backyard Resort & Mineral Springs

Operating since 1952 on Lincoln Avenue, a walk from downtown Calistoga, this hotel has three mineral pools up to 104°F: two outdoor and one indoor in the adults-only Spa Gardens. Its signature spa treatment, The Works, combines a mud bath, mineral whirlpool, steam room, blanket wrap and massage. The on-site House of Better serves meals.

Drive: 1h 25m from San Francisco
Water: 104 °F
Price: Daycation Pass from $90 ages 5+, ages 0-4 free (up to 2 per adult) via ResortPass; daybed from $168 for 2, cabanas from $224 for 2
Lodging: Hotel rooms (type and count from third-party pages only)
Clothing: Required

PoolsSpaRestaurantKids Ok

Official site →

Calistoga

Indian Springs Calistoga

Calistoga1h 26m from San Francisco

Indian Springs Calistoga

Steam rises from four thermal geysers at this 17-acre Calistoga resort, where a historic Olympic-size mineral pool and a smaller adults-only pool run about 92 to 102°F by season. The spa specializes in volcanic mud baths. Guests stay in cottages, bungalows or lodge rooms, and day spa guests can add a limited pool pass except on Saturdays.

Drive: 1h 26m from San Francisco
Water: 92–102 °F
Price: No standalone day pass: pool pass $50 for day spa guests who book a 50-minute spa service, limited number, every day except Saturday, reserve in advance
Lodging: Historic cottages, bungalows and lodge rooms on 17 acres
Clothing: Required

PoolsSpaRestaurantKids Ok

Official site →

Calistoga

Golden Haven Hot Springs Spa & Resort

Calistoga1h 26m from San Francisco

Golden Haven Hot Springs Spa & Resort

With 28 hotel rooms, some holding private hot springs spas, Golden Haven even pipes hot mineral water to its showers. Its gated, partly covered pool runs about 85 to 88°F beside two spas up to 104°F, all fed by the geothermal aquifer below. There is no day use, but any spa treatment includes pool access.

Drive: 1h 26m from San Francisco
Water: 85–104 °F
Price: No day use of the pool; complimentary pool access with any spa treatment: couples and friends mud bath $128 per person Mon-Thu / $138 Fri-Sun and holidays, single mud bath $169
Lodging: 28 hotel rooms, some with private hot springs spas, plus two-bedroom units
Clothing: Required

PoolsSpa

Official site →

Middletown

Harbin Hot Springs

Middletown1h 54m from San Francisco

Harbin Hot Springs

Up a narrow, winding mountain road near Middletown, this clothing-optional retreat has eight spring-fed pools cleaned with hydrogen peroxide, ozone and UV instead of chlorine. Watsu bodywork was first developed in its Warm Pool, and there is a cedar sauna and steam room. Adult visitors need a membership for day visits or stays in cottages, domes, caravans or campsites.

Drive: 1h 54m from San Francisco
Water: 98–115 °F
Price: Membership required for all guests 18+: one month $15, one year $35, lifetime $300 (members may bring up to 3 children 0-17). 6-hour day visit: adults $45/$55, children $25 (weekdays/Fri-Sun); 3-hour Harmony Pass adults and children $25/$30; 3-hour Lake County Local Pass $20/$25 (proof of residence); 24-hour visit with camping adults $60/$75, children $40/$55; $5 walk-in fee without online reservation
Lodging: Grove Cottages, Harbin Domes, Creekside Caravans + camping (meadow and car camping)
Clothing: Optional

PoolsSaunaCabinsCampingKids Ok

Official site →

Drive time 03

Two to three hours

Longer drives: Vichy Springs and Orr near Ukiah, Wilbur in the Colusa County hills, and Esalen’s cliffside baths on the Big Sur coast.

Ukiah

Vichy Springs Resort

Ukiah2h 12m from San Francisco

Vichy Springs Resort

Established in 1854 near Ukiah, Vichy Springs is California Historical Landmark No. 980 and is billed as having North America's only naturally carbonated Vichy mineral baths. Alongside the warm baths are a hot soaking pool and a seasonal Olympic-size pool. Day use is sold for set hours or all day, and guests can walk a 700-acre private reserve with a waterfall.

Drive: 2h 12m from San Francisco
Water: —
Price: Day use per person (2026): up to 2 hours $45, up to 3 hours $65, all day $110, all day with a spa service $55; towel rental $3, swimsuit rental $3, bathrobe rental $13; holiday periods two-hour day use only
Lodging: Rooms, suite and cottages (26 rooms and cottages; three cottages built in 1852 still in use)
Clothing: Required

PoolsCabinsSpa

Official site →

Williams

Wilbur Hot Springs

Williams2h 20m from San Francisco

Wilbur Hot Springs

About an hour and a half from Sacramento on narrow, winding roads, Wilbur's soaking flumes hold hot mineral water the operator describes as undiluted, untreated and unheated, averaging about 100 to 109°F. Bathing is clothing-optional and device-free. Overnight guests choose cabins, hotel rooms or seasonal camping and cook in a shared kitchen; day use is also sold.

Drive: 2h 20m from San Francisco
Water: 100–109 °F
Price: Day use $68.82 weekdays, $76.59 weekends and holidays (10am-5pm, includes 11% land management fee); no children or senior rates listed
Lodging: Cabins, cabin suite, Solar Lodge rooms, historic hotel rooms, bunk room + seasonal camping (April-October)
Clothing: Optional

PoolsSaunaCabinsCamping

Official site →

Ukiah

Orr Hot Springs Resort

Ukiah2h 24m from San Francisco

Orr Hot Springs Resort

Thirty minutes from Ukiah up a narrow, winding mountain road, Orr sits at the headwaters of the Big River and was once a stagecoach rest stop. Communal and private mineral tubs, clothing optional, sit beside a cold spring-fed pool, sauna and steam room. Guests come for day use or stay in rooms, yurts, cottages or campsites.

Drive: 2h 24m from San Francisco
Water: 104–108 °F
Price: Day use $50 per person; rooms and yurts $260 + tax per night for 1-2 adults; cottages and Creekhouse $325 + tax per night for 1-2 adults; additional adult $80; camping $80 + tax per adult, $35 per child (no children under 9)
Lodging: Rooms, yurts, cottages and a creekhouse + camping; shared communal kitchen, no food sold on site
Clothing: Optional

PoolsSaunaCabinsCampingKids Ok

Official site →

Big Sur

Esalen Institute Hot Springs

Big Sur3h 00m from San Francisco

Esalen Institute Hot Springs

Esalen's cliffside baths in Big Sur occupy the site of the historic Slates Hot Springs; the bathhouse, destroyed by El Niño storms in 1999, was rebuilt to a design by Mickey Muennig. Communal stone tubs and claw-foot tubs are clothing-optional and camera-free. Day visitors must book a massage or bodywork service, while workshop and retreat stays include meals and round-the-clock soaking.

Drive: 3h 00m from San Francisco
Water: —
Price: Healing Arts day pass from $380 (includes one massage or bodywork service, three meals and hot springs access 8:30am-8:30pm), extended hours +$110; stays from $560 for 2 nights (sleeping bag space) to $3,160-$5,300 for 2 nights (suites), meals included
Lodging: Workshop and retreat stays: shared and private rooms, bunk rooms, sleeping bag spaces, yurts and suites; three meals daily included
Clothing: Optional

PoolsSpaViews

Official site →

Reference

Frequently asked

Quick answers on getting from San Francisco to a soak — the closest options, day-trip rules in Calistoga, mud baths, lodging and clothing policies.

What is the closest hot spring to San Francisco?

Marin Tidal Hot Springs (Rocky Point Hot Springs) is the closest, about 47m by car in Mount Tamalpais State Park, but its vents in a rocky grotto on Steep Ravine Beach surface only at very low tides, for about two hours. The closest resort pools are in Sonoma Valley, starting with the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn at about 1h 09m.

Can you visit the Calistoga hot springs as a day trip from San Francisco?

Yes — 9 of the springs on this page are within a two-hour drive, including the five resorts in Calistoga. Most of them open their mineral pools to non-guests only with a spa treatment, such as a mud bath or massage, so book a treatment rather than expecting a walk-in pool pass. Rules differ by resort; each listing notes them.

Where can you take a mud bath near San Francisco?

Calistoga, at the top of Napa Valley, is the place for volcanic mud baths. Calistoga Spa Hot Springs, Indian Springs, Roman Spa and Golden Haven all offer them, and Dr. Wilkinson’s pairs a mud bath with a mineral whirlpool, steam room, blanket wrap and massage in its signature treatment. Roman Spa and Golden Haven offer mud baths only to guests 18 and older.

Which hot springs near San Francisco sell a day pass?

The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn sells spa day access to its geothermal pools, and Morton’s Warm Springs in Glen Ellen sells day visits during its summer season. Farther out, Harbin, Wilbur, Vichy Springs and Orr all sell day use, usually with a reservation; Harbin also requires a membership for adults. Esalen admits day visitors only with a booked massage or bodywork service.

Which hot springs near San Francisco have lodging?

All the Calistoga resorts and the Fairmont in Sonoma are hotels with their own pools. The retreats offer more rustic stays: cottages, domes, caravans and campsites at Harbin; cabins, hotel rooms and seasonal camping at Wilbur; rooms and cottages at Vichy Springs, three of them built in 1852; rooms, yurts, cottages and campsites at Orr. Esalen hosts overnight guests for workshops and retreats, with meals included.

Are there clothing-optional hot springs near San Francisco?

Yes. Harbin, Wilbur, Orr and the Esalen baths are clothing-optional in their soaking areas. Indian Springs, the Fairmont spa, Vichy Springs and Morton’s require swimsuits. Rules at the tidal spring on Steep Ravine Beach are disputed. Each listing notes the clothing policy where we have it.