The Eastern Sierra is chockfull of bubbling hot springs waiting to be soaked in. I mean, really, you can’t beat the soothing hot temperatures and mountain views and the price (free). I stopped by a few of the Mammoth hot springs on the way home from my 25th birthday Eastern Sierra roadtrip extravaganza so I could share with you.
There’s a dirt road that will take you to the majority of them. You’ll just need a bit of clearance. I won’t publicly post directions, but get in touch if you’re unable to find them. These are fairly well known, and tons of beta is available on the internet.
Hilltop Hot Spring
This was my favorite, and the favorite of many others. This manmade tub has amazing views of the Eastern Sierra and the White Mountains. Temperature is controlled by a valve on the side. It’s pretty large and can fit up to six people comfortably. Don’t expect any privacy here.
Wild Willy’s AKA Crowley’s Hot Spring
I didn’t actually head to this one, but the parking lot was pretty packed. This one is also pretty popular. Hot spring goers at Hilltop said this one wasn’t very warm.
Shepherd’s Hot Spring
This was my second favorite, and also more private than Hilltop. Water temperature is controlled by a valve. Views are pretty amazing of the White Mountains and of the Eastern Sierra, though not as wonderful as Hilltop. I encountered nobody here, but the tub can fit up to four people.
Crab Cooker Hot Spring
I didn’t go in this one. This is supposed to be the hottest hot spring of all, hence the name Crab Cooker. The water was cold. There is a valve to control the temperature, but I couldn’t find it. I also didn’t look very hard. This one was empty as well. The tub can hold up to around four people.
Travertine Hot Springs
As a bonus, there’s Travertine Hot Springs! It’s not near Mammoth, but if you’re on your way north on 395, it’s worth a stop.
As a note, please remember to leave no trace and respect the springs and the people using them. These are really cool and open to the public, and it’d be nice to keep them that way for years of discovery to come.
Have you been to the any of the Mammoth hot springs? Am I missing any awesome ones? Which one is your favorite?
This is awesome Paulina! We go up to Mammoth all the time but haven’t gone to any of the hot springs out there yet! Maybe we will try one of these out our next Bishop trip!