You have been to the California’s hotspots including the deserts, beaches, and the finest restaurants and luxurious hotels, however, you may not have indulged yourself to the hottest of the hotspots – these are the hot springs dotted in various locations within the state.
A mesh of tectonic fault lines spreads through the subterranean and with the pockets of water masses deep below the surface, hot water makes its way to the ground level creating fascinating natural hot springs. The geologically active landscape of California forces mineral-laden springs to escape to the surface of the earth creating nirvanas of steaming pools.
From the stretching arid lands of Palm Springs to the flourishing mountain landscapes covering the northern part of San Francisco, there rests charming hot springs that the Californian state boasts of. While a majority of these springs are located in primitive and jagged locations, some are developed to feature full-fledged resorts offering spa treatments, meditation, mud baths, and yoga.
Whether you’re looking forward to a fulfiling, blissful experience bathed in a natural hot spring or a head-to-toe soak in a spa spot, there are many hot springs in California to explore and enjoy. That being said, here are the best hot springs you can visit when you take a trip to California:
Wild Willy’s Hot Springs
Also named Crowley Hot Springs, Wild Willy’s Hot Springs are located close to the Hot Creek Geothermal within the great Lakes area. The hot springs can be accessed from Benton Crossing Road and Highway 395 by a flat hiking along the raised wooden walkway. It is a 2-mile stretch of hiking. The first pool measures 10-foot wide and dips 3 feet down. It’s warm and relaxing. The second pool takes a heart-shape and appears slightly larger. It’s also hotter than the first pool and has unusual intense bluish color. Surrounding the pools are wide open savannah lands and stretching mountain views.
Likened with the steamy geothermal valleys of Yellowstone National Park, Wild Willy’s Hot Springs give road trippers some beautiful moments as they immerse themselves in the heart-shaped pond. A walk on the wooden boardwalk passed the sage brush countryside leads you to the main pool where you enjoy striking 360-degree view of snow capped mountains.
Steep Ravine Hot Spring
Tourists and locals alike find the Steep Ravine Hot Spring an exceptional attraction. Coupled with the sandy beaches and huddles of hiking paths, the hot spring offers great moments for the visitors. Because the hot springs is exposed when the tide is low, you want to look at the tide chart before you visit the spot. If the crowd is too big, you can invent your own pool at the bottom of the beach cliffs – just head over to the sulfur-scented geothermal vents – and do the digging with a shovel.
West Valley Hot Spring
Tucked within the North-eastern area of California, the West Valley Hot Spring allows visitors to soak in the 108-degree pool. A visitor needs to make a four-wheel drive while adventuring the Northern part of California to find the hot spring. The spring is found over the West Valley Reservoir on the marshy hillside. It’s a great moment for visitors who watch the sun set from the soaking spot.
Buckeye Hot Springs
Set within the Eastern Sierra Mountains in Bridgeport, the charming Buckeye Hot Springs are found along Buckeye Creek. The first spring is situated above the parking area, it’s pretty muddy but offers a magnificent view of the creak as well as the Eastern Sierra Mountains. If you want to catch a greater view of these mountains and the creek, you will need to get to the first spring.
The second spring nestles along the river where rocks separate it from the stream forming a pool. It is a little bit warmer compared to the first pool steaming at 112 degrees Fahrenheit from the source but the water cools down as it reaches the pool. A shallow pond fed by steamy hot waterfalls streaming from thermal springs creates a favorite spot for soakers or bathers. Visitors need to follow the water as it streams down a projecting stone where they find the pools in the Buckeye Creek dam. Since the waterfalls are pretty hot to bathe, when they join with the creek’s cool waters, they make an ideal soaking spot for visitors.
In the nearby are the Travertine Hot Springs where you can still soak yourself but these can be a little crowded giving you some good time when you choose the Buckeye Hot Springs in peak times.
Travertine Hot Springs
Nestling in the southern part of Bridgeport town within California state park land, the hot springs are well-known for the collection of mineral pools. They are easily accessible and offer an opportunity for visitors to have a breathtaking view of Sierra Mountains. Travertine Hot Springs are as a result of naturally heated waters scalding to emerge up on the earth’s surface and flow down the rocks to reach the pool locations. As the steaming water enters the pools, it cools to a comfortable 103 degree Fahrenheit. Following Jack Sawyer Road, a visitor will walk about a mile to the spot. Although there may be limited camping along the road stretch, no camping is allowed in the immediate pools’ area.
Calistoga Spa Hot Springs
Situated in Calistoga within the greater Napa Valley, the hot springs have been developed to feature a geothermal mineral-laden water resort having various springs with different temperatures. Since it set off its operations in the 1900s, the Calistoga Spa Hot Springs resort hosts a spa and wellness facility, a large mineral pool dubbed the Roman Pool, mud and mineral bathing facility, and four little geothermal mineral pools. Among the four pools is a soaking pool steaming at 100 degrees Fahrenheit, a whirlpool steaming at 104 degrees Fahrenheit, a wading pool intended for kids soak, and a multi-lane lap pond that steams at 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sespe Hot Springs
Formed from sulfurous steamy water streaming out the ramparts of Hot Springs Canyon, Sespe Hot Springs are situated deeper in the Sespe Wilderness. There are three hiking trails you can use to access Sespe Hot Springs. These trails are all complex and strenuous, usually requiring multi-day trips. Visitors are recommended to visit the hot springs during late fall, in winter, or early spring because at summertime, the location can be cruelly hot. Be prepared to take the challenge to access the beautiful swimming holes, it takes a lot of sweat to get to Sespe Hot Springs.
Sespe Hot Springs are a favorite for backpackers and are considered the coup de grace of almost 20-mile trail from Piedra Blanca. The springs are some two hours in the northern area of Los Angeles. Sespe Hot Springs dot along the gorge in a constellation joined by a series of waterfalls and a creek. At their source, Sespe Hot Springs are the hottest in California steaming at about 200 degrees Fahrenheit. As the springs move downstream, they join with more cool waters that reduce their temperature.
Sierra Hot Springs
Found on the rim of the lush forest and spectacular alpine valley, the hot springs have been turned into a non-profit retreat area. There are numerous mineral pools and hot springs that are said to have great therapeutic and healing powers. The hot springs resort nestles two major springs in the Temple Dome Area. There is also a meditation pool and seasonal private pools named the Phoenix Baths that are patched in the newly remodeled spa space. Sierra Hot Springs are surrounded by woodlands and pristine forests covering 700 acres that are great for mountain biking and hiking. The Temple Dome Area has a central heated pond steaming at about 105 degrees Fahrenheit to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, a warm pool having dry sauna and a large sundeck, as well as two cold plunge ponds.
Hot Creek
In the Mono County’s Inyo National Forest nestles Hot Creek, a geothermal stream that starts from the Mammoth Creek in the east part of Sierra Nevada. The stream comes from an outflow in the Twin Lakes on the southern part of Mammoth Mountain as a result of melted snow water. Running from some 8,500 feet above sea level, the stream leaves Sierra to flow east and reach the Long Valley Caldera during which it’s heated by the steaming water from the geothermal springs located at the Hot Creek State Fish Hatchery. After it is heated by the geothermal springs’ water, the stream is given the name Hot Creek and continues to get warmer as more hot springs line up to join the creek within the Hot Creek Gorge. The U.S. Inyo National Forest manages the Hot Creek Gorge within the Hot Creek area in addition to the mineral pools. There are many activities hosted in this area including fishing, photography, birding, and swimming.
Deep Creek Hot Springs
Patched on the Deep Creek Fork within the Mojave River on the foothills along the San Bernardino Mountains, northern Mojave Desert, the hot springs are under the management of the San Bernardino National Forest. There are both hot and cold pools encased in breathtaking landscapes of montane chaparral, zeric shrub lands, woodlands, conifer forests, and desert chaparral. Visitors can reach Deep Creek Hot Springs by the Pacific Crest Trail and the Freedom Trail – both of these cross the area. There are half a dozen major pools visitors can soak in and many others down Mojave River on the Deep Creek Fork.
Beverly Hot Springs
Situated in Los Angeles, the Beverly Hot Springs is considered the only natural mineral-laden spring spa in the city. The springs steam at 105 degrees Fahrenheit with artesian water discovered accidentally back in the 1920s when drillers were at work under the ground looking for oil. The drillers found water that was rich in sodium-bicarbonate and it was ideal for bathing and drinking. Visitors can immerse themselves in the large steaming pool before they move to have a cold plunge then to a steam bath or sauna. A bamboo fusion massage spruces up the soaking experience of the bathers as the therapists knead away stress using heated bamboo sticks. Just a point to note – you’ve got to leave the phone in the car – no talking.
Wilbur Hot Springs
In the eastern part of Clearlake, there nestles the Wilbur Hot Springs; a naturally formed hot mineral springs in a 1,800-acre nature preserve. The Native tribes of American have used the mineral springs for centuries. The steaming water emerges at temperatures of about 145 degrees Fahrenheit before being channeled into a flumarium of a Japanese style. This kind of flumarium has three long flumes and bears temperatures of about 98 degrees Fahrenheit to 109 degrees Fahrenheit. Since water continually flows into the flumes, there isn’t need to use chemicals to treat it. A bubble Fountain of Life geyser erupts every 45 minutes.
Tecopa Hot Springs
Nestled on the edges of the Death Valley Wilderness Park, the hot springs have been developed to a comfortable resort. Tecopa is a minute town found on the south end of Death Valley National Park . The park is home to numerous mud baths, hot springs, and mineral pools. The mineral baths and thermal springs are hosted in a resort surrounding by arid landscapes. The springs are located 50 miles in the northern part of Baker. There are two private soaking ponds in a skylight-lit bathhouse. Surrounded by grasses and green reeds, the major hot spring in the desert environment of the park, Tecopa Hot Springs creates an oasis in desert dunes and mud flats. Visitors talk of the restorative properties of Tecopa Hot Springs with its mineral-rich, silty mud settling on the bottom of the springs. Despite the healing properties of the springs, some visitors have reported mud mite bites particularly in the months of April and March.
Glen Ivy Hot Springs
Situated below the Santa Ana Range within the lips of Cold Water Canyon, these springs are a formation of natural sanctuary having geothermal mineral-laden pools. Glen Ivy Hot Springs have drawn many visitors seeking therapeutic and healing powers of the steaming waters in a period of more than 150 years. There are about 19 pools containing sulfurous water steaming at 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Visitors have so much to enjoy from the saline heavy ponds to a lap pool, to a hot and cold plunge pool, and a vista pool.
These are some of the geothermally and naturally heated waters and pools that you can explore when you are in California. The soak-worthy springs are an addition to the many attractions and touring spots you can visit to relieve stress, unwind, and even heal your body and skin.
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