The 5 Best Hot Springs and Hiking Combo Trails in Mono County, From a Heart-Shaped Soaking Pool to Mineral Terraces at Sunrise
Hot Springs and Hiking Trails in Mono county’s most distinctive draw, geothermal water you can actually get into, sitting on top of one of the largest volcanic calderas on Earth. Here’s the short version: Wild Willy’s is the one everyone means when they say “Mammoth hot springs,” Hot Creek is the one you look at rather than soak in, and Travertine, up near Bridgeport, is worth the drive specifically for sunrise.
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links and at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission. Know that I only recommend hiking gear I personally stand behind; when you use my affiliate links, it helps me run this blog and keep all of this content free of charge for readers (like you).
None of these are real hikes in the traditional sense, every trail in this guide is under a mile, since the actual destination is the soak, not the walk. Five stops anchor this guide: Wild Willy’s Hot Springs, Hot Creek Geological Site, Hilltop Hot Springs, Buckeye Hot Springs, and Travertine Hot Springs. If you’ve hiked any of the more demanding trails covered earlier in this series, this is where you go to recover.
Key takeaways
- The one everyone means: Wild Willy’s Hot Springs, a free, boardwalk-accessed pool with adjustable temperature and classic Sierra views.
- Look, don’t touch: Hot Creek Geological Site, genuinely dangerous, actively boiling water; swimming has been banned here since 2006 after multiple deaths.
- The quieter alternative nearby: Hilltop Hot Springs (Pulky’s Pool), a distinct, separate soaking tub in the same general area as Wild Willy’s, worth knowing about when that one’s crowded.
- Best hot-and-cold contrast: Buckeye Hot Springs, natural pools right beside a cold creek near Bridgeport.
- Best sunrise destination: Travertine Hot Springs, striking mineral terraces with Sawtooth Range views, closing this entire county series on its most photogenic note.
- Every soakable spring in this guide is free, on BLM or National Forest land, with no permit required. My guide to hiking safety in California is worth a read regardless, Hot Creek specifically has a documented history of serious injury.
Quick-glance comparison
| Spot | Distance (RT) | Elevation gain | Fee | Soakable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Willy’s Hot Springs | ~0.4–0.6 mi | Minimal | Free | Yes |
| Hot Creek Geological Site | ~0.5 mi paved | Minimal | Free | No, swimming banned |
| Hilltop Hot Springs (Pulky’s Pool) | ~0.5 mi | Minimal | Free | Yes |
| Buckeye Hot Springs | ~0.3 mi | Minimal | Free | Yes |
| Travertine Hot Springs | ~0.3 mi | Minimal | Free | Yes |
Wild Willy’s Hot Springs Trail: the one everyone means
If someone tells you they soaked in a “Mammoth hot spring,” this is very likely the one they mean.
Trailhead access and parking off Benton Crossing Road, Long Valley
A free BLM pullout reached via Benton Crossing Road (also called Green Church Road) off Highway 395, about 15 miles south of Mammoth Lakes, a bumpy, potholed dirt road for the final stretch, passable in a standard vehicle when dry but rough enough that high clearance helps.
Difficulty, distance, and elevation gain to Wild Willy’s Hot Springs
A 0.4 to 0.6-mile round trip on an elevated wooden boardwalk that protects the surrounding sensitive habitat, with essentially no elevation gain, the easiest kind of trail in this entire project by design.
What you’ll see: a boardwalk-accessed soaking pool in an open sagebrush valley
Two pools sit at the end of the boardwalk: a larger, heart-shaped main pool holding around 95 to 105°F, and a smaller, hotter pool nearby. The source water actually emerges much hotter, over 110°F, sometimes cited as high as 120°F, before mixing with cooler creek water. The setting is genuinely striking: open Long Valley Caldera sagebrush with the Sierra Nevada escarpment on one side and the Glass Mountain Ridge on the other.
Best time to hike Wild Willy’s: sunset or stargazing nights for the best soak
This valley’s open sky and distance from town light pollution make it a genuine dark-sky destination after dark, on top of being a classic sunset soak spot.
Hot Creek Geological Site Trail: look, don’t touch
This is the one trail in this guide where the whole point is that you can’t get in the water, and that’s a safety rule worth taking seriously, not a suggestion.
Trailhead access and parking at the Hot Creek Geological Site, near Mammoth Lakes
A free U.S. Forest Service day-use area off Hot Creek Hatchery Road, a few miles from downtown Mammoth Lakes, the most developed, safety-oriented site in this guide, with fencing, signage, and a paved overlook path.
Difficulty, distance, and elevation gain on the Hot Creek Overlook Trail
An easy paved path descending about 100 ft from the parking rim down to creek level, roughly half a mile round trip, genuinely accessible, though the descent and return climb are real even if short.
What you’ll see: boiling geysers and fumaroles along an active geothermal creek
Turquoise pools, bubbling vents, and travertine-lined banks line Hot Creek, but this is a genuinely hazardous site, not just a scenic one. Swimming has been prohibited since May 2006, following years of unpredictable, sudden scalding-water discharges. Multiple independent accounts put the toll at 14 or more deaths and severe burns since 1998, though that figure comes from repeated secondary reporting rather than an official published count.
Best time to hike Hot Creek: any season, swimming is prohibited here for safety
Unlike every other stop in this guide, timing here isn’t about crowds or temperature, it’s simply a look-don’t-touch destination year-round, valuable for the geology and the trout fishing rather than a soak.
Hilltop Hot Springs (Pulky’s Pool) Trail: the quieter alternative nearby
This is the trail I substituted in for this guide, see the note at the top of this document for why, and it earns its spot on its own merits.
Trailhead access and parking near Benton Crossing Road, Long Valley
A separate BLM pullout in the same general Long Valley area as Wild Willy’s, reached via its own turn off Benton Crossing Road, a genuinely distinct trailhead, not the same parking area.
Difficulty, distance, and elevation gain to Hilltop Hot Springs
A short quarter-mile boardwalk each way (about 0.5 miles round trip), crossing an alkali flat with essentially no elevation change.
What you’ll see: a man-made soaking tub with 360-degree caldera views
Unlike Wild Willy’s natural rock pools, Hilltop is a rock-and-cement tub, about 2 ft deep, holding four to six people, fed by piped geothermal water reaching up to 130°F at the source. A gate valve lets you blend hot and cold water to adjust the temperature yourself, a genuinely practical feature the other springs in this guide don’t offer. Its elevated plateau position delivers a full 360-degree view of the Long Valley Caldera and the Sierra Nevada beyond.
Best time to hike Hilltop Hot Springs: a good backup when Wild Willy’s is crowded
Sunset and sunrise both work well here for the same open-view reasons as Wild Willy’s; weekday visits meaningfully improve your odds of having the tub to yourself.
Buckeye Hot Springs Trail: hot-and-cold contrast near Bridgeport
This is the northernmost hot springs destination in this guide, well outside the Long Valley cluster, worth the separate drive specifically for the contrast it offers.
Trailhead access and parking near Buckeye Campground, Bridgeport
A Forest Service trailhead near Buckeye Campground, north of the Long Valley cluster near Bridgeport, a vault toilet is available, but no fee and no reservation system.
Difficulty, distance, and elevation gain to Buckeye Hot Springs
A very short 0.3-mile round trip, dropping down to the creek with minimal elevation change.
What you’ll see: streamside soaking pools beside Buckeye Creek
One large lower pool and two smaller upper pools sit directly beside the cold flow of Buckeye Creek, letting you alternate between a hot soak and a cold plunge just steps apart, a genuinely different experience from the valley-floor pools further south.
Best time to hike Buckeye Hot Springs: fall for cool air and warm water contrast
Cooler ambient air makes the temperature contrast between the hot pools and cold creek feel more dramatic, a different rationale for timing than the stargazing or crowd-avoidance logic that applies elsewhere in this guide.
Travertine Hot Springs Trail: mineral terraces at sunrise
This closes out both this guide and the entire Mono County series on its single most photogenic stop.
Trailhead access and parking south of Bridgeport
A free BLM access road about 1.5 to 2 miles southeast of Bridgeport, off Jack Sawyer Road, the final stretch is unpaved but manageable for standard vehicles when dry, becoming genuinely muddy after rain.
Difficulty, distance, and elevation gain to Travertine Hot Springs
A short walk of well under half a mile round trip, with one pool essentially at the parking area itself and the rest reached within a few minutes on foot, minimal elevation change throughout.
What you’ll see: mineral terraces and multiple soaking pools with Sierra views
Distinctive orange-and-white banded travertine terraces surround three to seven pools of varying temperatures (accounts vary on the exact count, since informal pools shift with use and maintenance), with genuinely sweeping views of the Sawtooth Range, the most visually striking mineral-formation destination in this entire guide.
Best time to hike Travertine Hot Springs: sunrise for views of the Sawtooth Range
Morning light illuminates the Sawtooth Range directly from this vantage, a fitting, scenic, golden-hour note to end not just this guide, but this entire county series on.
The trail I’d actually start with
If you’ve only got time for one soak, make it Wild Willy’s, it’s the most iconic, most photographed, and most representative of what makes Mono County’s hot springs worth the detour. Hilltop is the natural backup when Wild Willy’s is crowded, and Travertine is worth its own dedicated trip up near Bridgeport, ideally timed to sunrise. Treat Hot Creek as a look-only stop, not a soak, the safety history there is real, not exaggerated.
That closes this five-guide Mono County series, and with it, the entire 50-guide project. From Mammoth Lakes’ alpine lakes to the Eastern Sierra’s highest peaks, the otherworldly shoreline of Mono Lake, and the granite basins of the Ansel Adams Wilderness, this guide’s hot springs are the natural place to end a demanding day in any of those, a soak, a sunset, and a reason to come back.
Frequently asked questions
Are Mono County hot springs free to visit?
Yes, every soakable spring in this guide, Wild Willy’s, Hilltop, Buckeye, and Travertine, is free, on BLM or National Forest land with no entrance fee or permit required.
Is it safe to swim at Hot Creek?
No. Swimming has been prohibited since May 2006 due to unpredictable, scalding geothermal activity. Multiple sources report 14 or more deaths and severe burns at the site since 1998, though this figure comes from repeated secondary reporting rather than an official published tally. Stay on marked paths and behind the fencing.
Is nudity common at Mono County hot springs?
Yes, at most of the soakable springs in this guide, clothing is generally optional, and nudity is common enough that it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Swimwear is welcome and commonly worn too; it’s a mixed, casual norm rather than a strict rule either way.
Which Mono County hot spring is easiest to reach?
Travertine Hot Springs, with one pool essentially right at the parking area, the shortest walk of any spring in this guide, though the unpaved access road still requires some care.
Are Mono County hot springs open year-round?
Generally yes, though access roads to several of them, especially Wild Willy’s and Hilltop, can become difficult or impassable after snow or heavy rain. Travertine and Buckeye tend to stay accessible slightly longer into shoulder seasons.
Is Travertine Hot Springs clothing-optional?
Yes, particularly in the evening, though daytime visitors commonly wear swimwear as well. Expect a casual, mixed norm rather than an enforced rule in either direction.
