Photo: Don DeBold from San Jose, CA, USA · CC BY 2.0Travertine Hot Springs
If you're passing
Is it plungeworthy?
A natural thermal spring.
The details
- Soak
- Temperature unrecorded
- Area
- Walker Lake
- Coordinates
- 38.245, -119.205
About Travertine Hot Springs
Travertine Hot Springs is a natural hot spring in California.
At that temperature it's temperature unrecorded — check current conditions and always test the water before getting in.
Plungeworthy rates Travertine Hot Springs 5.4/10 — if you're passing. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.
What you'll find
Rock pools set into cream-colored travertine terraces two miles from Bridgeport, with the Sawtooth ridge of the Sierra stacked on the horizon — the best view-to-effort ratio of any soak in California. A 180°F source feeds pools that settle around 100–110°F.
The site carries active Native American ceremonial significance, and the BLM closes it entirely for ceremony periods (recent years: late October into November). Treat the ground accordingly.
Getting there
- Parking
- Free dirt pullout, five minutes' walk from the pools
- Road
- Jack Sawyer Road off US-395 — washboard dirt, fine for cars when dry, greasy after storms
- Hike
- 0.2 mi round trip (easy)
- Heads up
- Primitive: no toilets beyond the lot, no water, no shade.
When to go
Year-round when the dirt road cooperates; winter mud and snow are the limiters. Sunrise is the move — Sierra alpenglow, steam, and nobody else. Weekends run busy; clothing-optional is the norm.
Rules & fees
- Fee / pass
- None — BLM land
- Hours
- Open access, subject to posted BLM ceremonial closures
- Camping
- Dispersed BLM camping nearby; developed camps in Bridgeport
- Warnings
- Keep your head above water — warm still water carries a rare but real amoeba risk. Check BLM Bishop alerts for closure periods.
Researched from Wikipedia — Travertine Hot Springs · BLM — ceremonial closure order. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Travertine Hot Springs recently? Post a conditions report below.
Where it is
Before you go
The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.
Common questions
Where is Travertine Hot Springs?
Travertine Hot Springs is a hot spring in California, at 38.245, -119.205.
Is Travertine Hot Springs worth visiting?
If you're passing — Plungeworthy rates it 5.4/10.
Gear for the trip
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