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    Hot Creek Ranch

    4.9 (10 reviews)

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    Bryan W.

    A year ago my girlfriend and I made a horrible mistake by visiting Old Faithful Geyser in Calistoga. Yep, California has its own version of Yellowstone's iconic geyser. Only, this one completely sucked (https://yelp.to/qTKq/ml7wez1CdN). Long story short, it was more like an intermittent stream of water than an impressive spectacle of nature. So now, more often than not I'm usually triggered whenever someone brings up the word "geyser." But recently, I think I've finally begun to overcome my trauma. Thanks to a quick trip to Hot Creek Ranch in the Sierra Nevada, my faith in natural geysers has been restored! For those of ya'll who have never heard of this place before, Hot Creek Ranch is home to the Hot Creek Geological Site. Though the name isn't that spectacular, this unique gem is an awe-inspiring physical phenomenon. Hot Creek is essentially a beautiful blue geyser that bubbles up scorching, boiling water. This happens only because there's hot magma deep underneath the geyser (https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/inyo/recarea/?recid=20414). Words can only do so much to describe how marvelous Hot Creek was. Although we could only peer through a fence that was about 100 yards away, it was definitely something I had never laid eyes on before in my life. The geyser was literally the color of the sky, which was so cool considering the fact that the stream running out of it looked more like normal water. Plus, the smoke coming out of the geyser was kind of mesmerizing too. Besides the geological site, Hot Creek Ranch had so much else to offer. For example, we only walked past the geyser for about 5-10 minutes, but you could technically continue along the entire part of the creek. This will take you through beautiful landscapes and gorgeous backdrops. Furthermore, many people even come to Hot Creek Ranch to fish since it's also a hatchery! It can get cold, but we saw a bunch of people try to catch some trout. This might sound counter-intuitive because of the geyser, but the river itself was cool and fresh (though smelly). Getting to Hot Creek Ranch isn't as difficult as one would imagine. It's about 40 minutes south of Lee Vining and Mono Lake. You literally just drive down U.S. Highway 395 until you see the sign for Hot Creek Hatchery Road. You know you've gone too far if you pass the Yosemite Airport; conversely, you've got few more miles to go if you haven't passed Mammoth Lakes yet. Once you turn onto Hot Creek Hatchery Road, you just follow it for about 3 miles until you get to the parking lot. Although I will say that part of this final stretch will include unpaved roads. Just drive about 10-20 miles/hour and you'll be safe. All in all, if you find yourself passing through the Sierra Nevada, I highly recommend a trip to Hot Creek Ranch. It's quite a beautiful place and you can either spend a few minutes or an entire day here. I give it an "Omg, I'd travel 2 hours for this" rating. Have fun and prosper,

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

    Hot creek Ranch IS NOT the geological site. Its a PRIVATE fly fishing ranch 2-3 miles upstream of the geological site.

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    7 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    15 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    Review Highlights - Hot Creek Ranch

    The fish are wild and very finicky eaters in this dry-fly, no wading, catch and release creek.

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    June Lake - Trees

    June Lake

    4.4(87 reviews)
    16.0 mi

    First time experience coming up to June Lake for the weekend and it was such a lovely getaway…read more Shoutout to my friend for taking me and showing me around. I know for a lot of people this is a nostalgic place that they grew up coming to as kids and have kept the tradition alive coming every year and so on. June lake is absolutely beautiful and breathtaking during the winter when there is snow. My friend has come here all year round and definitely agreed coming in the winter is like a wonderland. It was well worth the 5 hour drive to see snow and be in a cold and beautiful environment. While I'm sure it's lovely in the spring and summer, I'm looking for something I don't have close to home (which would be snow) so I'd definitely consider coming back again in those winter months. June lake is such a sleepy and quiet little area, it's very relaxing and calm. I felt safe being there and navigating the downtown. It's super small as far as the downtown goes, only a handful of restaurants and motels. Great for a solo traveler or someone wanting to wander around by foot. The lakes and mountains surrounding this town are picturesque and stunning. Having been to mammoth and now June lake id say if you want something more relaxing and small town vibes I'd prefer June lake over mammoth. It's got less action but if you are looking to just get away, snowboard/ski, and recharge - this is the perfect vacation destination to check out.

    Great lake. The one star is for the gate lady. She said lake was full and come back in 4 hours or…read moretomorrow. We asked another nice man if we could park somewhere else and walk to the lake and he said yes. We parked about half mile away and walked to the lake. When we got down there we found plenty of open parking spots. Nobody monitors how many come in and how many come out so how do they know if there is no parking. We didn't mind the walk but what was disappointing is the gate lady did not even suggest that. She just said its full and that we could not come in. She even tried to compair June lake to tahoe and say it fills up and gets busy quick. LOL sorry to tell you lady but tahoe could drop one tear and over fill june lake and tahoe don't tell people beach is full come back. That just doesn't happen at tahoe.

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    June Lake - June Lake

    June Lake

    June Lake
    June Lake

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    Horseshoe Lake

    Horseshoe Lake

    4.3(34 reviews)
    9.8 mi

    The first time I visited HorseShoe Lake, the lot was packed, and the hike was no joke! I was out of…read moreshape, and there was still a lot of snow on the trail in July! It was tough. My cousin even had a close call when he accidentally slid off the trail, ran down 100 feet, and narrowly missed hitting trees. (Slipper snow) Despite the challenges, the reward at the top was well worth it. It was a beautiful, secluded lake. Some of us tried a little fishing, while the girls jumped into the freezing cold water for a swim. The water was so "pristine" that my hair felt conditioned afterward. It was magnificent, the water felt untouched and almost holy! This past summer, we hiked it again for the 4th of July, and it was so much easier because I had lost 20 pounds, haha! I'd say the hike is about 13 minutes up, around 2 miles round trip, and great for all ages. Just make sure you're in decent shape and don't have any serious health concerns. When I was 20 pounds heavier, the hike felt like a 10/10 in difficulty. Now, it's more like a 3/10, a total breeze!

    When you arrive, you see a bunch of dead tree and the waterline really low. Your first impression…read moreis "huh. But as you walk around the lake, you're surrounded by beautiful lush green pines. Small quaint bridges over stream beds. The wind in the trees with a beautiful view of the lake and its surroundings. It's a very easy straight walk. Highly recommend

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    Horseshoe Lake
    Horseshoe Lake - Have yet to research - remains of old dwelling

    Have yet to research - remains of old dwelling

    Horseshoe Lake - Charming creeks along the way

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    Charming creeks along the way

    Hot Creek Ranch - fishing - Updated August 2026

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