If you ever visit Mammoth Lakes area, please pay this geologic site a visit!! It's totally worth your time! First of all, it's totally free! No parking fee, no entrance fee! And it's just a short 2.5-mile drive from the Wild Willy Hot Spring. Noted that the road leading to this site is unpaved and may require 4WD vehicles. However, my sister's Toyota Corolla did just fine as long as you drive with care and not speeding like 60mph ;) We arrived around 1pm on a Friday. The parking lot looked full but there were spaces for us. There are a few overflow parkings as well. There were restrooms and a few picnic tables there making the place look very inviting. As soon as you stepped out of your car, you'd be greeted with that familiar sulfur smell of hot springs. Step over to the ledges and you'd be wowed by the majestic beauty of the geologic site! Turquoise hot springs ebbs and flows against the silverfish brown volcanic mountain backdrops! A few greeneries here and there and some yellow wild flowers to complete a gorgeous painting by Mother Nature! If you're a nature lover like me, your eyes will be wide opened and your moth will shape into an "O" LOL. Honestly who needs to go to Yellow Stones while we have this mini version at your backyard ? A quick hike down on pave roads will lead you closer to the hot springs. Dogs are welcomed but they must be on leash and not allowed to come close to the hot springs. Spend as much time here to appreciate the majestic beauty of the site! Some of us even tried to touch the water and it was boiling HOT. So not recommended :)! Please don't miss out on this free, dog-friendly, beautiful geologic site if you're ever in the area! read more

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I got from the Benton side and enjoyed the beautiful views of the mountains on the Benton Crossing Road. There is absolutely no internet service. At the Hot Creek Geologic Site, they have restrooms. Then, we can walk down the path to see the hot creek. Very nice views but it smelled so bad. Not the best idea to check it out when you have a stomachache. read more

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Not too crowded and a short walk from the parking area. You have to be careful to watch your step, especially if you walk upstream as there's hidden steaming puddles you can't really see until you're on top of them. Excellent screen-saver like photos looking upstream towards the mountains. There's no protective fence around the stream and some people were getting way too close just at the foot it, making me nervous. read more

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Recently found myself in Inyo, so I decided to Google "what to do in Inyo" before I left, and this came up. I've never been to Yellowstone, and have only seen the geothermal pools in Lassen once, so this sounded pretty interesting to me. I was especially hoping to see a geyser. Getting there was a little confusing. My GPS took me in a huge circle. If you find yourself going by a smelly old dump, turn around and go the other way, because mine just made me circle the dump for literally no reason. On the drive in, I noticed dozens of fishermen along the creek. I thought this was a little confusing. If the water is so scalding hot that we're not supposed to touch it, then how are fish able to thrive in it? The actual geothermal area was probably about a mile down from where all the fishermen were fishing. There were lots of signs warning not to go within ten feet of the creek shoreline. The creek is very pretty. It's more the size of a very small river than a creek. I wasn't prepared for the entire hike, so I just walked down to the bottom of the viewing area. It would be cool to come back and hike through the entire canyon. I only saw a few geothermal pools, and, unfortunately, did not see any geysers. This was nowhere near as impressive as the geothermal pools in Lassen, but was neat to check out. I think I would come back again next time I'm in Inyo, in hopes that if I hike through the whole canyon, maybe I'll see a geyser. read more

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Not a bad drive from mammoth lake, but there is about 2 miles of unpaved road, need to drive slowly. Once you reach the parking lot, you can walk to the lower side beside the creek to explore more. You can smell the sulfur along the way, and also see steam come out of a smaller pond. There are so many signs to warn visitors not to get closer to the water, so really didn't got chance to test the water to check the temperature. Worth a look if you have time to kill. read more

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Not too far from the 395, this viewpoint is worth a stopover. It may not be an epic experience, but it's definitely an interesting one. - Pit toilets - There's a small trail down to the general viewing area. You won't get very close to any of the hot water. The view at the top is very good. read more

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Stumbled upon here doing some exploration after ending a day of snowboarding and glad we found it! super cool site with beautiful views. You can't get too close to the hot water, but definitely got some great views from up top. read more

Hot Creek Geologic Site - Lakes Near Me - Mammoth Lakes, California

This is an underrated place to visit:) 3 miles from 395 on the paved road and 2 miles on a grovel road. Road condition is very good, no need for high clearance vehicle but make sure your tire pressures are good! The parking lot is on the left hand side with restroom and picnic tables. The interpretive trail (paved) is short but steep, it goes down first and coming back. I had seen a lady with slipper and she walked faster than me:xD After the interpretive trial, you can continue your leisure walk along the creek, it's mostly flat, good for kids. It was a beautiful chill afternoon at 50 degrees, everything along the creek looked lively. I encountered a deer crossing the trail and few birds. From the trail map the trail extended along the creek, I stopped at some point because it looked like it required some border climbing. Look closer the trail map, the trail will lead to another parking lot. Most people only know Mammoth Lake but there are so many beautiful places in Eastern Sierra to be enjoyed:) read more

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You ever have those places where you come back knowing the scenery never changes and the way it makes you feel also never changes? This is the place. It's breathtaking. The boiling water that runs through is piping hot so be careful. There are random geysers that pipe up, fish that swim, and just endless serene. If you want a taste of what Ireland is like - this is it. read more

Hot Creek Geologic Site - Lakes Near Me - Mammoth Lakes, California

We took a sunset walk here and it was absolutely enchanting. The purple and red hues cascading across the elegant mountains in the distance - lit our way. You're not allowed to go in these natural hot springs due to the dangerous temperatures and unstable grounds around the area, but you can walk right up to them thanks to the helpful trail which traces the vast expanse of these bubbling sulfur filled waters. During our time here we witnessed about 8 deer grazing on the grassy hills surrounding the steam-laced water. They didn't run. They just gazed up at us and continued grazing. It felt special -seeing nature so peaceful and at ease. Trust. read more

Such a beautiful and fun experience. Hot creek was an easy hike even after the snow it wasn't too icy, we got to explore and see steam vents and find little fishes in the water. It was fun and relaxing, it wasn't crowded at all. We really enjoyed this adventure and hope to visit again and maybe do some fly fishing. read more

Hot Creek Geologic Site - Lakes Near Me - Mammoth Lakes, California

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19/07/22-14:15-Smaller than I anticipated. Still worth the drive. Very dangerous area. Stay on the paths. Many hidden dangers. Geologic wonder. read more

Hot Creek Geologic Site - Nice tree - Lakes Near Me - Mammoth Lakes, California

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Beautiful scenery! The drive up is unpaved so that was fun, it felt like a little off roading moment. There's clearly marked paths and warning signs all over. There were still people going off the path though, but we decided to stay safe within the signs. Some people said the smell is bad but tbh I didn't smell anything. It's nice to just take all the beauty in. You can drive right up to the viewing point so there's really no hiking involved. Definitely go see it if you're in the area. read more

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Hot Creek Geological site is a little way down from the Hatchery. The road is gravel/dirt and I'd say a little rough but standard vehicles should be able to make the drive here. And I'm telling ya, it is worth it! If we can take our Sprinter Van on this road..then you can drive that small hatchback here too. Just take it easy and drive slow. Once you reach the Hot Springs...get ready to set your eyes on a beautiful site! There are 2 parking lots, upper and lower with available public bathrooms. A very short easy trail/walk will lead you to the Hot Springs. There are signs posted that you cannot go in to the Hot Springs but those signs did not stop tourists from taking a dip and they seemed just fine as they were walking back up to their car. We decided to enjoy the site from a distance and not venture in to the water at all. I enjoyed this spot so much. We came a little before sunset and had the place to ourselves. Talk about a Diamond in the ruff! Very happy to have made it out here. Hubby suggested this stop and I'm so grateful he did. read more

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beautiful place with excellent view we were able to walk the area bathrooms were clean you can walk with your friends and dogs are accepted read more

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AKA: Hot Creek Geological Site This was also on our bucket list for our 395 road trip. We should've gone there earlier, since it's located near Wild Willy's Hot Springs but we didn't go until a day later, we did so much driving in circles lol. Directions: you can type into Google Maps, Hot Creek Geological Site, and it will lead you there. You take Benton Crossing and go right when the road forks, I think it's called Whitmore something. 6 miles of the road is graded dirt road. My Mazda 6 made it. There are vault toilets here. The site is amazing! When we went, we saw one other car. We went when it was slightly snowing though, so it made it 10x more beautiful! Great picture ops. read more

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Such a great place to visit. To add, it's free to park! You can go anywhere along the trail and into the parking lots. There are many options to start and stop from. The trails for actual walking are mostly paved. Do not touch the water as there are some HOT HOT springs coming out of them. I did see people fishing. You can fish, but it's not advised to be in the water, which I did see one lady in the water. The reason behind that is that random pressures can build up and hot water will shoot out of the ground. It's nice to see the different colors and to see nature doing it's thing. If you do plan on hot springs, just the next street over there are plenty! And they are safe. read more

Beautiful place, we had a great time waking the trail and watching the hot springs. Easy to excesses. read more

This is a small site but very interesting. It is close to the highway so it's a nice little break from driving. A picnic area and bathrooms are provided. This is a good stop to let the kids take a break and stretch their legs and see the amazing blue of the hot pools. read more

Eastern Sierra's geothermal hot spring, once a swinging 60's hang out but now more low key and family-like. There are multiple pools/locations here and a creek that connects the water. Cows, vast opens fields and a scenic, snowy topped mountain scape. Hot Creek is located in a remote area, a few miles outside of the town of Mammoth Lakes. From US 395, go east on Hot Creek Hatchery Rd/ Airport. After less than a mile, you will see a sign to "Hot Creek Geothermal Area". The last mile or so, before the parking lot, is unpaved. The park provides changing rooms and primitive toilets only. read more

We visited Mammoth Lakes in late April and weren't sure what attractions were open at this time.. We ended up going to the visitors center and to our surprise they told us that we could walk around the Hot Creek Geological Site. Directions: (From Mammoth Lakes) Drive down 395N (towards Bishop) and turn left onto Hot Creek Hatchery Road. Follow the signs to Hot Creek Geological Site. The road will eventually turn into a dirt path for ~1 mile then you'll reach a parking lot with toilets. From there you can walk down a paved path to see get closer. Even though there's a ton of signs saying to stay on the paved path and that it's dangerous - I don't think anyone there listened to them. There's so many holes and paths in the fence that most people ended up wandering though and getting a closer look at the river. When we went we even saw people swimming in it. Honestly I wouldn't take the chance since people have died here.. but the people swimming said it was about the temperature of a hot Jacuzzi (90F?). Either way I loved this area, it's like a mini yellowstone and way less crowded. It's so beautiful. read more

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Visiting the Hot Creek Geologic Site is like sitting atop a ticking time bomb. I wanted to get closer to the bubbling blue hot springs and steaming fumaroles, but obeyed the warning signs and respected the area's deadly history. Since the 1960s, 14 people have been killed or seriously scalded here by pulses of super-heated groundwater. In the summer of 2006, renewed geologic activity and intensified geothermal conditions resulted in the closure of the site to bathing. Usually, the duration of the human lifespan is out-of-sync with geologic time. At Hot Creek; however, the hot magma beneath the 760,000 year old Long Valley Caldera continues to shake, rattle, and boil our world. read more

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This is definitely a beautiful site, and perfect for exploring for an hour or two. The 1 star is for the road. Honestly, wtf? It's not a dirt road, it's rocks. Big rocks. Sharp rocks. For about 2 miles. I drove at about 10mph and still ended up shredding two tires. Beautiful site but unless you have an offroad monster truck, I'd avoid it. I mean honestly, how much can it cost just to properly surface a road? read more

Hot Creek Geologic Site - Thanks Hot Creek! - Lakes Near Me - Mammoth Lakes, California

All the websites advise against swimming here, due to the danger of getting burned in the water. The water coming off the mountains is cold, while the hot gases coming up through the sand heats columns of water. So you have to move around as the bubbles come up to get the warm water that's not too hot. A bit like coccoon with all the old people, mixed with a few drunken frat boys. read more

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Beautiful little detour. A mini Yellowstone indeed. Road is a little rough to get to (in a mini van) but the parking lot is paved and has toilets. There is a paved short road to go down to see the pools closer. We took my mom who doesn't do well with hills. This was a little difficult but she was able to but very slowly. In the summer it is hot. Bring hats. read more

Hot Creek Geologic Site - Lakes Near Me - Mammoth Lakes, California

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This site is a lot of fun, and it's totally worth the drive down a well-maintained dirt road. I always enjoy looking at various geological sites, particularly hot springs, and this one was particularly colorful. You could see the intense colors in the area, something that other sites around here don't tend to have. It's not a particularly extensive site, but the view and the walk were very nice. I'd come back here! read more

This place is so beautiful and wonderfrul for swimming, which is why it gets 5 stars. It is also incredibly expensive - mainly because we got 2 huge tickets for swimming. They have recently outlawed swimming here but being the outlaws we are, we decided to go in anyways. When we got out, 2 rangers were waiting for us with 2 fat tickets for $175 each. Wah-wah! read more

What a stunning Geological Site! It is snowing as I type this, with a view of the creek, steam rising from the pool and snow capped mountains in the back. 4 stars because you can't camp here overnight anymore. read more

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Amazing place. We went with the intention of taking a dip in the river but abandoned that idea after waking up and down the river and testing the water temp. It is most definitely not safe. At one time it apparently was cool enough to get into but those days are over. If you hope the fence and walk the river banks be ultra careful not to slip. If you fall in this water you're pretty much toast. It's that hot. All that being said, the entire gorge is gorgeous. It's well worth a walk from the first parking lot coming from the highway down to the hot portion and back. Amazing place. read more

Amazing site! Great photos, we even saw a deer on the way in. If you get into canyon the ground is unsteady. Hike back up can be strenuous for some. read more

Hot Creek Geologic Site - Lakes Near Me - Mammoth Lakes, California

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Such a cool place! Another place that you have to add to your highway 395 list :) I recommend this place for people of all ages. read more

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I had no idea people *actually* went swimming here-Hubby and I came here because it's a Geological site. Drove around and enjoyed the scenery as well. If you're into geological sites, come on down! Or, if you're into getting burned and tickets from Rangers, you can do that, too. read more

Nice place to explore, but the signs clearly state to keep out of the hot springs. Scalding water. Unstable ground. Sure, that's understandable. Of course, I come across a group of nude bathers. Before I can turn away, I get a full moon of some dude toweling himself off. C'mon, man. It kinda ruined the experience for me, but overall, still an interesting place to check out. read more

It's been many many years since I have been here, however the stream/river and hot springs haven't changed in hundreds of years. There are springs that are too hot for bathing. You should be careful before jumping into any natural hot springs. Hello common sense. It is a fun place. Not your usual swimming pool. The scenery of Convict Lake upstream is indescribable. Super picturesque. read more

I'm a fan of natural wonders, which this may be simple, but is cool. A simple drive off the freeway and a walk down a hill and bam, you have natural hot springs which would burn you alive if you jumped in. Plenty of signs warn you to stay out of the fenced area, but there people are walking right in through the fence. This is one of those places where if you are in town and have 1 hour to blow, stop by and enjoy. Recommend you sneak in a cold one to help enjoy the view. I would be cautious if you bring children, because you can literally be scalded to death if you go into the restricted area. Guardians, keep a leash on any innocent life forms you bring in to this area. read more