Mammoth Area Hot Springs

Long Valley Hot Springs (closest to mammoth)

Photo: Wild Willy’s Hot Springs (see below)

Conveniently for all you soakers out there, Mammoth Mountain sits directly on top of a 20 mile-wide geothermal hot zone called the Long Valley Caldera. It lies in the bowl-shaped depression directly east of Mammoth and was formed by a super volcano that covered the western half of the U.S. in a blanket of ash about 750,000 years ago.

Fast forward to present day, and you'll find a collection of hot springs just 10 min. from town near the Mammoth airport. Most of them (six that I know of) are located along Benton Crossing Road—links and directions below. I've featured Wild Willy's because it's large enough to fit your whole crew, very social and extremely beautiful.

Long Valley Caldera Hot Springs

Wild Willy's aka Crowley Hot Springs - 100+ degrees, 20+ people
Little Hot Creek - 100+ degrees, 6-8 people
Hilltop Hot Springs aka Pulky's Pool - 100 degrees, 4-6 people
Shepherd Hot Springs - 100+ degrees, 4-6 people
The Rock Tub Hot Springs - 100 degrees, 6-8 people
Crab Cooker Hot Springs - 100+ degrees (hot), 4-6 people

Resources

CaliforniaThroughMyLens - Bishop / Mammoth Creek Hot Springs Off Benton Creek Crossing Road
Outdoor Project - 17 Soak-Worthy California Hot Springs
HotelsClick.com Blog - Whitmore Hot Springs, Mammoth Lakes: The Ultimate Guide
YouTube - Videos of Long Valley (Mammoth) and Bridgeport Hot Springs
Wikipedia - Long Valley Caldera - nerdy geology facts for the curious traveler :)

Featured: Wild Willy's (aka Crowley) Hot Springs

Directions to Wild Willy's Hot Spring - From Hwy 395, turn right onto Benton Crossing Rd., which is recognizable by a green church that sits on the corner (see photo below). From there, you'll travel roughly 3 miles and cross exactly three cattle grates. Immediately after the third cattle guard, turn right onto an unmarked dirt path, which wanders around for about a mile and eventually leads you directly to the hot springs parking lot. From the parking lot, take the wooden footbridge down a quarter mile long path to the hot springs itself.

Maximizing the Wild Willy's Experience

Dress Warm - This quarter mile walk to the spring seems a lot longer on a cold night. Bring plenty of clothing and towels--you'll be glad you did.
The water gets warmer closer to the source of the spring, located upstream from the large main pool itself. Naturally people tend to gravitate toward the warm area of the pool, making it one of the best places in Mammoth to meet people and learn about other great adventures in the area.
Go at night when there's little or no moon. Because the Eastern Sierras are remote and dark at night, you can get some of the best night skies in California here--perfect after a long day of snowboarding.
It's beautiful in the snow if you're brave enough to fight the long cold walk back to the car.
Bring growlers of beer from Mammoth Brewery. My suggestion is Lair of the Bear if it’s in season. It's a dark winter beer that tastes better as it warms up, and it's extra high in alcohol content for an ideal hot tub buzz. Don't forget to pack out what you bring in.

Camping at Wild Willy’s Hot Spring

Yes, dispersed camping is allowed in and around the Wild Willy’s parking lot area. It’s my favorite place to camp at Mammoth if I’m flying solo. Reason being: 1) It’s remote without being too overcrowded…usually 2) You’ve got great views of the surrounding mountain range and the stars at night, and 3) It’s a great place to meet people and pick up knowledge on your next adventure.

Please be respectful of the land, and clean up your trash! Even in the bottom-left picture below, I moved my tent after I noticed the grass was new to avoid damaging a recent vegetation preservation program.

Up to Hot Springs Page Index ^

Bridgeport Area Hot Springs

Featured: Travertine Hot Springs

If you make it up to Bridgeport (about an hour north of Mammoth), you can find several more beautiful hot spring sites, most notably Buckeye Hot Springs and Travertine Hot Springs.