If you are looking for the Hot Tubs, you have come to the right place! Throughout the Eastern Sierra, you will find pockets of warm spring waters bubbling to the surface. One of the more famous locations is at Hot Creek near Mammoth Lakes. The Mammoth area is home to a large amount of geothermal activity and Hot Creek is actaully a cold creek that is warmed as it flows through some miniature geysers.

Sprinkled throughout the regions are a variety of tubs handcrafted by locals out of rock and/or cement and these tubs offer a clean and relaxing soak. Usually there are pipes which feed the hot water in from the mud and algae choked feeder pond and sometimes there is cold water pipes as well. There are a couple rules that are not official and a couple rules which are. The official rules are no nudity or indecent exposure and no drunk in public and these actually can be enforced by the local sheriff.

Camping at the tubs is also illegal since they are all on DWP land. You may camp nearby but not right on the tub and nearby does not mean within spitting distance, instead give others their space at the tub and camp out of sight of the tub or at least out of earshot. Some of the unofficial rules would include no peeing in the tub, no glass left broken in a tub, when approaching a tub to join others, ask to join the tub instead of just jumping in, and be sure to leave the tub clean or drain it and start it filling for the next people.

All in all, the tubs are a great place to relax and enjoy the Eastern Sierra. A few of the tubs worth checking out are in the Whitmore/Hot Creek area out the Green Church road known as the Benton Crossing Road. At the third cattle crossing you can make a right out to the Big Alkalai lake and out there you will find the Willy's tub. From the third cattle crossing you can continue straight for another tub on the left just down the hill from the crossing. There are a bunch of other tubs out the dirt road that is before the second cattle crossing just past the Whitmore Pool. This dirt road veers left out to the backside of Hot Creek Road and the Owens River Road eventually wrapping back around to the dump and the Benton Crossing Road near the river. Follow this road a mile or so to the top of a small rise after a big sweeping right turn. The tub is to the right at the little hill. There are a couple more tubs out by the Little Alkalai Lake which are best accessed from the dirt road on the right at a lone pinyon pine. Way further out on the Owens River Road there is Little Hot Creek and it's large and plush tub. There are a couple tubs up near Bridgeport and down near Bishop and Lone Pine but these Mammoth area tubs are by far the best.

Related Sites

• Tecopa Hot Springs--Mens and womens bathhouses are available along with a private invalid pool. These baths are free to park users and the general public. The baths are open seven days a Week throughout the year. The average temperature of the baths is 108 F.