Hot springs in California (13)
Checked October 2026 · Sources
California has 13 hot springs you can soak in: 1 free, 7 paid and 5 whose fee is not posted; 7 wild and 6 developed.
| Springs we list | 13 |
|---|---|
| Free | 1 |
| Paid | 7 |
| Fee not posted | 5 |
| Wild | 7 |
| Developed | 6 |
| Dogs allowed (posted) | 0 |
| Clothing optional (posted) | 4 |
Map of hot springs in California
Numbers match the list below; gray squares are towns with a drive-time page. Too close together to name here: 8 Buckeye, 9 Keough, 11 Vichy, 13 Little Hot Creek. Outline: US Census, public domain. Spring and town locations: OpenStreetMap contributors (7 of 13 springs and the towns) and NOAA.
Numbers match the list below; gray squares are towns with a drive-time page. Outline: US Census, public domain. Spring and town locations: OpenStreetMap contributors (7 of 13 springs and the towns) and NOAA.
Drive times computed with GraphHopper; map data OpenStreetMap contributors.
All 13 hot springs in California
Springs (13). Each number is how many you would see.
Type
Walk, one way
1 spring has no walk on file; it is hidden while Walk is chosen.
Water
Month you're going
Hides springs where snow is likely that month.
Walk, drive and snow figures are computed; the Method page names each method.
Photos, each free to reuse with credit: Travertine: noelwaters (Wikimedia Commons); Grover: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA (Wikimedia Commons); Saline Valley: Peretz Partensky from San Francisco, USA (Wikimedia Commons); Little Hot Creek: Eeekster (Wikimedia Commons). All credits
.jpg){kind=link}
Natural and free hot springs in California (7)
Resorts and developed pools in California (6)
Hot springs by region
Hot springs near California's cities
Springs within a 3-hour drive of each town's center, no traffic (computed).
| Town | In 3 h | Closest |
|---|---|---|
| Near Mammoth Lakes | 6 | Little Hot Creek, 29 min |
| Near Los Angeles | 3 | Montecito, 1 h 45 min |
| Near Lake Tahoe | 5 | Walleys, 29 min |
| Near Sacramento | 5 | Harbin, 2 h 14 min |
| Near Yosemite | 3 | Travertine, 2 h 35 min |
| Near San Francisco | 3 | Harbin, 2 h 2 min |
| Near Bishop | 5 | Keough, 12 min |
| Near Bakersfield | 3 | Remington, 58 min |
Open in winter
3 of the 7 wild springs we list in California have snow likely at least 4 months a year. Check each pool's hours before you go.