Buckeye and Travertine Hot Springs, outside of Bridgeport, California, are incredible hot springs right off of Hwy 395. In this easy to navigate guide, I have curated everything you need to create an incredible experience at these hot springs!
By Bekah Whitney
In the summer of 2022, Sawyer and I spent a whole summer in Bridgeport, California, working a seasonal job. I wouldn’t stay there that long again, but I would recommend visiting Bridgeport to anyone! Its “in the middle of nowhere” location leads to little light pollution resulting in amazing views of the milky way, the view into Yosemite’s Sawtooth Ridge gives you that blissful calm only staring at something beautiful brings, and, my personal favorite, there are incredible hot springs right around the corner.
GPS Coordinates: 38.24135, -119.32609
Or type in: Buckeye Hot Spring, California 93517
Amenities: Vault toilet
Reservations / Fees: NA
Number of Pools: One large lower main one, 2 smaller upper ones.
Time of year: Year-Round. In winter, though the spring is warm, the road may be difficult to access.
Buckeye Hot Springs is a simple 20 minute drive from the town of Bridgeport, California. Your GPS might tell you there are 2 ways to get to these hot springs, but unless you want to go the difficult way, make sure you are following the directions that bring you on Twin Lakes Rd.
Follow Twin Lakes Rd for 7.2 miles then take a right on Buckeye Rd, where Doc and Al’s campground is situated on the corner. You will follow this road for about 3 miles. After you cross the river you come to a T where you take a right. You will quickly come to the parking lot on the right side of the road where there is a vault toilet and some informational signs.
Although you may not camp at the actual trailhead to the spring, there is an abundance of primitive dry camping spots in the adjacent area that are suitable for tents, truck campers, vans, and small trailer campers. There is, of course, a 14 day stay limit and all trash is pack-it-in pack-it-out.
The main pool is quite large and is at the bottom of the trail right next to the river. The trail is quite steep and I suggest wearing proper hiking shoes to get down to the lower pool. In recent years, they have made one designated trail and ask that you stay on it to mitigate erosion, so make sure to follow signs and respect ropes. Once at the river you will see the pool blending with the river on your left. The hot spring water comes out of a small hole above the pool and cascades down as a hot waterfall. It’s pretty unique and very interesting.
There are also 2 lesser used, upper pools that you come across on the right very soon after beginning the hike. These are much cooler in temperature, but can be perfect for someone looking for a more mild soak or to enjoy with less people!
GPS Coordinates: 38.24649, -119.20587
Or Type in: Travertine Hot Springs, Bridgeport, CA 93517
Amenities: Vault toilet
Reservations / Fees: NA
Number of Pools: 10+
Time of year: Year-Round. In winter, though the springs are warm, the road may be difficult to access.
Travertine Hot Springs is an amazing 5 minute drive from the town of Bridgeport, California. Travel down US-395 S until you are just out of town and past the HWY 182 intersection then take the first available left, Jack Sawyer Rd. When the road folks, take the leftmost dirt road and follow this about 1 mile until you reach the main parking lot. Remember to take this road slow as there are a lot of pot holes since this is not a well maintained road. Park and explore!
Please, please do not camp in or near the parking area of the Hot Springs. There are signs in each pull-off that indicate no camping once you begin to climb the final hill to the parking area.The office that manages this area is dangerously close to shutting down the parking lot to this area because of campers ignoring signs, leaving trash behind, and ruining the vault toilets. Although you may not camp at the actual trailhead to the spring, there are primitive dry camping spots close by that are suitable for tents, truck campers, vans, and small trailer campers. There is of course a 14 day stay limit and all trash is pack-it-in pack-it-out.
There are 10+ pools that make up Travertine Hot Springs. The hottest is the bathtub pool that is basically in the main parking lot. A quick walk around you will find the 4 main pools that are the main picture spot for Travertine Hot Springs. If you walk further down you will find a few more pools with varying degrees of temperature with the furthest being less than a 10 minute walk. If there’s still a trail, there is probably a pool or two at the end!
The pools consistently vary in temperature. Your favorite pool from your last visit may be cooler or hotter then you last remember, because it is! Whenever I visit Travertine Hot Springs, I like to visit all the pools until I find which one is the perfect temperature that day! The summer Sawyer and I lived in Bridgeport, the main pools were the perfect temperature at the start of the summer and then became too cool for enjoyment as fall crept closer.
There are a few etiquette “rules” when it comes to using natural hot springs that all users should abide by to make sure everyone is happy and comfortable when bathing. This etiquette mostly has to do with the “First Come, First Served” principle we use when enjoying natural places.
If someone is already in a pool it is assumed that you will always ask before joining them. This rule is sometimes moot if the pool is huge and the only other people in it are far away from you, but if they make eye contact with you or you have to slide past someone, you should always ask before entering. Most people are perfectly fine with it but occasionally they will ask you to move on.
Nudity is common, approved, and normal in the hot springs. If you are the first one in the pool, you can choose to wear a suit or not. If there are already people in a pool that are all wearing suits and you are wanting to bathe nude, you should ask if anyone in the pool minds. Once one person is naked in the pool this etiquette rule goes out the window!
On the other hand, if someone is already naked in a pool, you do not have the right to ask them to put on a bathing suit. If you are uncomfortable with the situation, you can find a different pool.
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.
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 pressurized water is forced upwards towards the surface in cracks in the rock where it then pools up (or we build a dam around it) to become the hot springs we know and love!
The office that manages these hot springs is in a constant battle to keep them open. Leave no trace includes pack-it-in pack-it-out, following designated trails or already created trails, and using the vault toilets for human waste. It now also includes NOT geo-tagging locations on social media. Acceptable location tags are Bridgeport, 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.
An extra note on glass: People bringing glass beer bottles has been a reason for many natural hot springs around the U.S. 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 (yes, even if you promise to be careful,) so please respect this rule for the safety of yourself and others.
Getting dehydrated in a hot spring is a very common thing. People will stand up to leave and then almost pass out, which could easily result in hitting your head on a nearby sharp rock!! Take care of yourself and group by bringing plenty of water so that you can stay safe and have a wonderful time.
Buckeye is a bit higher in elevation than Travertine Hot Springs and has less surrounding standing water so there will be less insects bugging you while trying to enjoy the springs. They are most active the few hours before sunset and will be mostly gone at last light. I found the mosquitos to be nonexistent at both hot springs in the spring and fall and very active in the middle of summer.
As someone who lived a whole summer minutes away from these hot springs, these two hot springs are some of my favorites to visit. Please take care of them so that future generations can enjoy them as much as we have had the privilege to.
Leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts on visiting the amazing hot springs in Bridgeport! Remember to save this guide and share with your friends and family who would love visiting these incredible natural hot springs!
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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6 Comments on Buckeye + Travertine Hot Springs: Everything You Need To Know
This is such a cool spot, I'd never heard of these springs before! I'll be adding this to my list of places to go to for the next time I'm in California!! Thanks for sharing!
They are a bit in the middle of no where, but so worth the drive!
What a cool spot! The safety & etiquette rules are so helpful - it can be easy to forget you're getting dehyrdrated while sitting in the pool!
I've stood up and almost fainted plenty of times getting out of hot springs so it's good to remember!
This is such an informative post! I've never done a hot spring but it's way up there on my list. I'm saving these tips for when I have the opportunity to bust them all out. Thank you so much!
Natural hot springs are the best! You'll fall in love once you visit your first.