Conveniently located 20 minutes from Mammoth Lakes, California, Wild Willy’s Hot Springs offers visitors a fun natural hot springs experience!
By Bekah Whitney
Wild Willy’s Hot Springs is a little different from some of the other springs around. This spring is much more nudity-friendly, meaning some of the etiquette rules I talk about for other springs don’t quite apply. If you are interested in enjoying nature in the nude, but haven’t mustered up the confidence, this is a great spring to try it out because you won’t be the only one!
GPS Coordinates: 37.66124, -118.77154
Amenities: Portable Toilet (Through it isn’t always serviced, so don’t count on it)
Reservations / Fees: NA
Number of Pools: One large one + a long creek with approximately five
Time of year: Year-Round. In winter though the spring is warm, the road may be difficult to access.
Once parked, find the trailhead that leads you to the boardwalk. The boardwalk takes you up and around to the hot springs. It’s important to stay on the designated trail to keep the desert vegetation alive and healthy. The walk is an easy 5 minutes to the pools
There are 2 main “pools” at Wild Willy’s. The first is a large hole in the ground that will be on your left. This one is hotter in temperature and much deeper than the creek. The second, which will be on your right, is a long hot creek that has some pools that people created with small rock dams. The only place where hot water comes out is at the very top so the further you go down, the cooler the water is. I love to go around and check the temperature of all the pools before I pick where I want to soak. If you are looking to socialize, the large pool is perfect, whereas if you are there for some relaxing quiet time, the creek is the best option!
As stated before, the etiquette at Wild Willy’s Hot Springs is a little different, especially when it comes to nudity..
At Wild Willy’s Hot Springs there is one big pool and then a small creek. Unless the big pool is crowded you don’t really have to ask to join, but it is considered polite. The creek is similar, unless you want to sit right next to someone else, it is totally reasonable to find your own spot without needing to ask. Basically when at Willy’s, just be respectful and you’ll be fine!
Nudity is common, totally approved, and normal in the hot springs, especially Wild Willy’s! If you are trying to avoid nude bathers, I suggest finding a different spring to visit.
People bringing glass beer bottles has been a reason for many natural hot springs around the US to close. Broken glass at the bottom of a pool or on trails will cut people’s feet and bodies causing the pools to be contaminated with blood. Glass is a big NO in any hot springs and please respect this rule for the safety of you and others.
If you are planning on visiting the hot springs at night, bringing some sort of light to guide your way will be necessary. If you are approaching a pool with people, you must either turn your light to red or if you do not have that option, turn it off. It is against etiquette to shine lights near people bathing as they may be nude and their eyes will have to readjust. (Get my favorite headlamp for hot springs!)
The Eastern Sierra Nevada region is known for its geothermal activity! As groundwater moves beneath the surface of the Earth, it comes in contact with magma-heated rock, forcing the water to rapidly expand and create a drastic rise in pressure. This heated and highly pressured water is forced upwards towards the surface in cracks in the rock where it then pools up to become the hot springs we know and love!
Camping is allowed at the trailhead of the hot springs. There is of course a 14 day stay limit and all trash is pack-it-in pack-it-out. If you are planning on spending the night, try to be respectful of day visitors by parking further away from the trailhead. Less people will walk by your dor anyway. Never park or drive over vegetation. Since the “camping spots” are just in the parking lot, camping is more suitable for truck campers, vans, and small trailer campers, but I have seen experienced drivers take buses all the way down and back them down the small drive.
Leave no trace includes many principles including, stay on trails, do not walk on vegetation, do not litter, pick up any trash you see, and don’t geotag exact locations on social media. Acceptable location tags include Mammoth Lakes, California or Eastern Sierra Nevada. The more you do to respect this area and keep it clean while enjoying the springs the longer we can have these free natural hot springs be part of our lives.
Getting dehydrated in a hot spring is a very common thing. People will stand up to leave and then almost pass out! Take care of yourself by bringing plenty of water so that you can stay safe.
There are certainly insects at Wild Willy’s so walking in something more than a swimsuit is recommended. The insects will be worse the few hours leading up to sunset and in the middle of the summer as the nightly temps are warm enough for them to survive.
Sawyer and I camped outside of Mammoth Lakes, California for about a month and absolutely loved visiting Wild Willy’s! Please take care of the springs so that future generations can enjoy them as much as we have had the privilege to.
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Hi! I’m Bekah, but you can call me Beks, all my friends do! I travel full-time in a tiny home on wheels that my partner, Sawyer, and I built from a cargo trailer shell in 2019. We started out in beautiful Colorado and have been all over the United States over the years. This space is designed to inspire and guide the nature obsessed nomad, weekend warrior, and future roadlifer. I’m so excited you’re here!
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