Hot Springs Camping: Sleep Beside the Soak
Updated September 2026 · 22 springs with real camping options
Yes — camping at hot springs is a real thing, in three flavors: camp AT the spring (Benton's fenced tub-sites, Soldier Meadows' free BLM sites, Saline Valley's dispersed camping beside the tubs), a campground next door (Kirkham, Pine Flats, Buckeye — USFS sites within walking distance), or backcountry permit camping (Conundrum's competitive recreation.gov permits). All 22 below are verified open as of September 2026.
On-site camping
The tub IS the campsite: ~15 fenced sites each with a private clothing-optional geothermal tub, picnic table and grill (~$95/night). Overnight guests only — no day use.
Seven primitive first-come campsites right beside the terraced pools (~90–112°F), plus a vault toilet — free BLM, ~5 hrs north of Gerlach on dirt.
Free stone-walled pools beside the Hot Springs Campground inside the antelope refuge — the campground is literally the trailhead.
On-site campground at the base of Steens Mountain — rustic campsites and the covered soaking pools a short walk away. Small fee for both.
Crane Hot Springs campground — tent and RV sites beside the big warm mineral pond (99–102°F) on Hwy 78.
Saline Valley’s Lower Warm Springs camp cluster is free NPS dispersed camping — the clothing-optional tubs are steps from your site. Remote desert; bring everything.
Overnight camping and vintage-bus cabins booked separately from day soaking — soaking + camping package is the move.
Rustic campground plus lodge rooms at the historic retreat — camp cheap, soak in the flumes.
Sierra Hot Springs (Sierra County) — campground and lodge on-site at the historic Campbell springs property.
Tent and RV camping at the historic Marsing bathhouse — a campsite includes swim access to the pool.
The state-park pools sit on an RV park property — campsites adjacent to the soaking pools.
RV and tent sites at the Snake River resort — camp and use the pool and rentable private tubs.
Campground adjacent
Kirkham Campground (Boise NF) sits literally beside the springs on Hwy 21 — walk to the pools in the morning before the day-use crowds arrive.
The access trail starts at Bonneville Campground — camp at the campground, soak at dawn.
Pine Flats Campground is the access point — a ~0.25-mi walk from your site to the riverside pools.
Buckeye Campground and dispersed sites along Buckeye Rd put you ~10 min from the creekside pools.
Bridgeport has USFS campgrounds (Buckeye, Twin Lakes) plus dispersed camping nearby — Travertine itself is a 2-mi drive from town.
Paradise Campground and other McKenzie River USFS sites sit minutes from the Rider Creek trailhead.
Backcountry / permit
The famous one: overnight camping in the Conundrum zone requires a recreation.gov permit ($10/person/night, May–Oct) that sells out in minutes when it drops Feb 15 / Jun 15 / Oct 1. ~18-mi round-trip hike.
Riverside pools reached by a ~10-mi round-trip walk — backcountry camping along the trail (Toiyabe NF wilderness rules; check fire restrictions).
Overnight camping in the preserve includes spring access — $40/person/night plus lodging, phone reservation, strict daily cap.
Backcountry / rules
Camping is banned within 500 ft of the springs by Forest Order (through March 2028) — camp at the trailhead area or downstream instead. The ~4-mi hike makes it a camp-adjacent overnight.
Hot springs camping FAQ
Can you camp at hot springs?+
At many — the best setups fall into three buckets: (1) camp AT the spring — Benton’s fenced tub-sites, Soldier Meadows’ 7 sites, the free dispersed camping at Saline Valley, Hart Mountain’s adjacent campground; (2) a campground next door — Kirkham, Pine Flats, Bonneville and Buckeye all have USFS sites within walking distance; (3) backcountry permit camping — Conundrum’s famous recreation.gov permits, East Fork Carson’s wilderness trail.
Which hot springs have free camping nearby?+
Saline Valley (Death Valley NP) is free NPS dispersed camping beside the tubs. Soldier Meadows has 7 free primitive sites at the springs. Spencer and Fish Lake Valley sit on BLM land with free dispersed camping nearby. Hart Mountain’s campground is inside a free refuge. Goldbug’s trailhead area has BLM dispersed sites (just not within 500 ft of the pools).
Do I need a permit to camp at hot springs?+
Only at a few — Conundrum requires a competitive recreation.gov campsite permit ($10/person/night, releases sell out in minutes). Most USFS/BLM campgrounds are first-come or recreation.gov-reservable without a special soak permit. Benton, Mystic, Wilbur and the resort sites are paid stays you book directly.
What’s the best hot springs camping trip?+
For the classic soak-and-camp: Idaho’s Hwy 21 corridor — camp at Kirkham Campground and walk to the pools at dawn. For primitive solitude: Soldier Meadows or Saline Valley (remote, free, bring everything). For the bucket-list overnight: Conundrum’s permit camping. For comfort: Benton’s private tub-sites or Sol Duc’s resort campground.
Can you camp at Goldbug or Kirkham?+
Kirkham — yes, the USFS campground is beside the springs. Goldbug — not within 500 ft of the pools (Forest Order through March 2028), but dispersed camping is available near the trailhead and along the approach.
Is hot springs camping safe?+
Same rules as soaking: test every pool (sources run 130–160°F), never submerge your head in warm runoff, and watch for wildlife. Add camping sense — secure food, check fire restrictions (many of these areas are in burn-season closures in summer/fall), and treat remote dirt-road campsites as no-services zones.
Sources & verification
- USFS / BLM campground listings & closure orders (official)
- Recreation.gov — Conundrum permit & campground booking (official)
- Operator sites — Benton, Mystic, Wilbur, Sol Duc, Breitenbush (operator)
- NPS — Saline Valley dispersed camping rules (Death Valley) (official)