Hot Springs, Waterfalls and Swimming Holes in California

California has 22 hot springs, 14 waterfalls, and 9 swimming holes on record. 6 are free to visit. 6 are closed to swimming or soaking, listed below; each place page has any warning on file.

Every place, on the map

• No closure on file
• Closed, or no soaking or swimming

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Showing 44 of 44 places

Name	Kind	Access	Fee	Status
Alamere Falls Marin County		Development Waterfall	Access 13.2 mi hike (round trip), gravel road	Fee No entrance or day-use parking fee	Status Closure or warning on file
Avila Hot Springs San Luis Obispo County		Development Hot spring	Access –	Fee Adult all-day pass $29; child (15 and under) and senior (55+) $26; morning or after-5 p.m. $18	Status Closure or warning on file
Aztec Falls San Bernardino County		Development Swimming hole	Access –	Fee Adventure Pass ($5/day or $30/year) or Interagency pass was required when parked at Splinters Cabin (when open).	Status Closure or warning on file
Bass Lake Marin County		Development Swimming hole	Access 6 mi hike (round trip), gravel road	Fee No entrance or day-use parking fee	Status Closure or warning on file
Bridalveil Fall Mariposa County		Development Waterfall	Access 0.5 mi hike (round trip)	Fee Private vehicle entrance $35 for 7 days (motorcycle $30; walk/bike $20 per person 16+). Cash not accepted.	Status Closure or warning on file
Bridgeport Nevada County		Development Swimming hole	Access paved road	Fee $10 at Bridgeport north/south lots; cemetery lot and legal roadside free	Status Closure or warning on file
Buckeye Hot Springs Mono County		Development Hot spring	Access gravel road	Fee Free day use at the spring; Buckeye Campground nearby is $24/night plus $6 extra vehicle	Status Closure or warning on file
Burney Falls Shasta County		Development Waterfall	Access paved road	Fee $10 per vehicle day-use	Status No closure on file
Chilnualna Falls Mariposa County		Development Waterfall	Access 8.2 mi hike (round trip), paved road	Fee Private vehicle entrance $35 for 7 days (motorcycle $30; walk/bike $20 per person 16+). Cash not accepted.	Status No closure on file
Deep Creek Hot Springs San Bernardino County		Development Hot spring	Access 2.5 mi hike, gravel road	Fee Bowen Ranch private crossing fee (landowner-set); BLM alternates have no FS day-use fee listed	Status Closure or warning on file
Edwards Crossing Nevada County		Development Swimming hole	Access –	Fee No parking fee at Edwards Crossing	Status Closure or warning on file
Emerald Bay El Dorado County		Development Swimming hole	Access 2 mi hike (round trip), paved road	Fee $10/day or $3/hour; CA State Park day-use pass OK; federal passes not	Status Closure or warning on file
Esalen Hot Springs Monterey County		Development Hot spring	Access –	Fee Healing Arts Day Pass starts at $380 (includes service, meals, and hot springs access); workshop guests book separately	Status Closure or warning on file
Feather Falls Butte County		Development Waterfall	Access 9 mi hike (round trip)	Fee No day-use fee listed on Plumas NF Feather Falls recreation pages; confirm at the trailhead.	Status Closure or warning on file
Gaviota Hot Springs Santa Barbara County		Development Hot spring	Access 1 mi hike (round trip), paved road	Fee Gaviota State Park vehicle day use $10	Status No closure on file
Glen Ivy Hot Springs Riverside County		Development Hot spring	Access –	Fee Day pass (Taking the Waters) starting at $95; reservations required	Status Closure or warning on file
Grover Hot Springs Alpine County		Development Hot spring	Access paved road	Fee Vehicle day use $8 ($7 seniors 62+); pool $10 adult / $5 child 16 and under	Status Closure or warning on file
Harbin Hot Springs Lake County		Development Hot spring	Access –	Fee Membership and reservation required; about $15/month or $35/year for guests 18+	Status No closure on file
Hatchet Creek Falls Shasta County		Development Waterfall	Access –	Fee –	Status Closure or warning on file
Hot Creek Mono County		Development Hot spring	Access gravel road	Fee No fees required for this site	Status Closure or warning on file
Indian Springs Napa County		Development Hot spring	Access –	Fee Hotel guests; limited day pool passes $50 with booked 50-min spa service (not Saturdays)	Status No closure on file
Jordan Hot Springs Tulare County		Development Hot spring	Access 12 mi hike (round trip)	Fee Free day use; free overnight wilderness permit required for overnight stays in Golden Trout Wilderness	Status Closure or warning on file
Keough's Hot Springs Inyo County		Development Hot spring	Access paved road	Fee Adult day $14; child (3-12) $10; age 2 and under $5	Status No closure on file
Kings Beach Placer County		Development Swimming hole	Access paved road	Fee $10/day or $3/hour year-round; CA State Park day-use pass accepted	Status No closure on file
McCloud Falls Siskiyou County		Development Waterfall	Access 3.5 mi hike (round trip), paved road	Fee No fee	Status No closure on file
McWay Falls Monterey County		Development Waterfall	Access paved road	Fee –	Status Closure or warning on file
Meeks Bay El Dorado County		Development Swimming hole	Access paved road	Fee Entry / day-use fee required at the gate (confirm current amount with the resort before arrival).	Status Closure or warning on file
Mono Hot Springs Fresno County		Development Hot spring	Access gravel road	Fee Public riverside pools free; resort bathhouse day use from about $25 adult all-day (cabin guests included)	Status Closure or warning on file
Nevada Fall Mariposa County		Development Waterfall	Access 5.4 mi hike (round trip)	Fee Private vehicle entrance $35 for 7 days (motorcycle $30; walk/bike $20 per person 16+). Cash not accepted.	Status Closure or warning on file
Orr Hot Springs Mendocino County		Development Hot spring	Access –	Fee Day use $50 per person; reservation and full prepayment required	Status Closure or warning on file
Potem Falls Shasta County		Development Waterfall	Access 0.4 mi hike (round trip), high clearance road	Fee No fee stated for this undeveloped trailhead	Status Closure or warning on file
Purdon Crossing Nevada County		Development Swimming hole	Access –	Fee No parking fee at Purdon Crossing	Status Closure or warning on file
Rainbow Falls Madera County		Development Waterfall	Access 2.5 mi hike	Fee Shuttle $15 adult / $7 child (3-15); or $10/vehicle amenity when driving	Status No closure on file
Saline Valley Hot Springs Inyo County		Development Hot spring	Access high clearance road	Fee Death Valley NP entrance: $30 per private vehicle for 7 days (passes $15-$30 by entry type)	Status Closure or warning on file
Salmon Creek Falls Monterey County		Development Waterfall	Access 0.3 mi hike (round trip), paved road	Fee –	Status Closure or warning on file
Sespe Hot Springs Ventura County		Development Hot spring	Access 16.8 mi hike, paved road	Fee Adventure Pass $5/day or $30/year (or Interagency pass) at Piedra Blanca; springs themselves free	Status Closure or warning on file
Sykes Hot Springs Monterey County		Development Hot spring	Access 9.5 mi hike	Fee VWA lists Big Sur Station parking at $10 per calendar day when access is legal	Status Closure or warning on file
Tassajara Hot Springs Monterey County		Development Hot spring	Access gravel road	Fee Summer guest season by reservation only; day-visit pricing published seasonally on SFZC day-visit pages	Status Closure or warning on file
Travertine Hot Springs Mono County		Development Hot spring	Access gravel road	Fee Free; no entry or parking fee; no permit required for general day use	Status Closure or warning on file
Vernal Fall Mariposa County		Development Waterfall	Access 2.4 mi hike (round trip)	Fee Private vehicle entrance $35 for 7 days (motorcycle $30; walk/bike $20 per person 16+). Cash not accepted.	Status Closure or warning on file
Wilbur Hot Springs Colusa County		Development Hot spring	Access –	Fee Day use weekdays $65.49; weekends and holidays $72.15 (includes hot springs, preserve trails, kitchen, sauna, pool)	Status No closure on file
Wild Willy's Hot Springs Mono County		Development Hot spring	Access 0.3 mi hike, gravel road	Fee Free; no reservation required	Status Closure or warning on file
Willett Hot Springs Ventura County		Development Hot spring	Access 9.5 mi hike, paved road	Fee Adventure Pass $5/day or $30/year (or Interagency pass) required to park at Piedra Blanca Trailhead	Status Closure or warning on file
Yosemite Falls Mariposa County		Development Waterfall	Access 1 mi hike (round trip)	Fee Private vehicle entrance $35 for 7 days (motorcycle $30; walk/bike $20 per person 16+). Cash not accepted.	Status Closure or warning on file

Photo credits (38)

• Alamere Falls: Renedrivers, CC BY 3.0
• Avila Hot Springs: CA Dept of Mines, Public domain
• Bass Lake: Thewellman, CC0
• Bridalveil Fall: Nancyswikiaccount, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Bridgeport: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Burney Falls: Dvortygirl, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Chilnualna Falls: Bmdavll, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Deep Creek Hot Springs: Richard Ellis (Eeekster), CC BY 3.0
• Emerald Bay: Eric Philbin, CC0
• Esalen Hot Springs: John Wiley, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Feather Falls: Podruznik at English Wikipedia, Public domain
• Gaviota Hot Springs: Don Barrett, CC BY-SA 2.0
• Grover Hot Springs: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0
• Harbin Hot Springs: U.S. Government Printing Office, Public domain
• Hot Creek: TravelingOtter, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Indian Springs: Sarah Stierch, CC BY 4.0
• Jordan Hot Springs: David Bakken, CC BY-SA 2.0
• Keough's Hot Springs: LADWP, Public domain
• Kings Beach: U.S. Department of the Interior, CC BY-SA 2.0
• McCloud Falls: Sergey Yarmolyuk, CC BY-SA 4.0
• McWay Falls: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Meeks Bay: Sdkb, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Mono Hot Springs: Duanerh, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Nevada Fall: Steffen Schmitz (more photos), CC BY-SA 4.0
• Orr Hot Springs: Sarah Stierch, CC BY 4.0
• Potem Falls: pinecar ( talk ) ( Uploads ), Public domain
• Purdon Crossing: blmcalifornia, Public domain
• Rainbow Falls: Ashlynds, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Saline Valley Hot Springs: Bureau of Land Management, CC BY-SA 2.0
• Salmon Creek Falls: Sancho McCann from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY 2.0
• Sespe Hot Springs: Chris M Morris, CC BY 2.0
• Sykes Hot Springs: Andy Mai, CC0
• Travertine Hot Springs: noelwaters, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Vernal Fall: God of War, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Wilbur Hot Springs: Sanfranman59, Public domain
• Wild Willy's Hot Springs: blmcalifornia, Public domain
• Willett Hot Springs: Nudeturtle, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Yosemite Falls: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0