Children's Play Tub (Saline Valley)
By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026
Children's Play Tub (Saline Valley) is a primitive hot spring listed near Big Pine, California. Reported soak temperature: 108°F. See the visit fact sheet.
Current status
One of the volunteer-maintained tubs at Saline Valley Warm Springs (Death Valley NP) — officially clothing-optional, free camping, but ~35 mi of rough dirt road (high-clearance, passes can snow in) from the nearest pavement.
Checked January 2026 · verified against an official source · 8 sources ↓
Before you go
- Status: Open — last verified below — confirm via NPS Death Valley — Rules and Regulations (Saline Valley pool rules).
- Cost: Fees reported — confirm current rates before visiting.
- Getting there: No verified hike distance on record — confirm the route and road conditions.
- Water: Reported soak temperature 108°F — always test the water before entering.
- Rules: Reported clothing-optional; pets reported not allowed — confirm current rules.
- Conditions: check weather, fire closures, and land-manager alerts the week you go — mountain access changes seasonally.
- Reservations/permits: No soaking permit; park entrance pass only. Voluntary free backcountry permit recommended for dispersed camping outside the campground
- Best time to go: Oct-Apr weekdays; Thanksgiving/spring weekends get busy; summer empty but dangerously hot
- Clothing reality: Officially recognized: NPS lists Saline Valley as a 'clothing-optional hot spring area' — nudity customary and tolerated by superintendent's compendium; legal within this site.
- Kids: Allowed.
- Cell service: none — download maps and tell someone your plan.
- Accessibility: Primitive tubs on uneven desert ground; not wheelchair accessible
- Death Valley entrance fee required ($30/vehicle/7 days); campground itself free, first-come
- Children under 4 or not potty-trained must wear waterproof swim diapers in the pools
- Dogs/pets prohibited within 50 ft of pools and springs (leashed elsewhere in camp)
- No water, food, fuel, or cell service — bring everything; nearest pavement ~35 mi
- Source pools (Palm Spring, lower source pool) closed to bathing; no glass in pool areas
- People with infectious disease/sores must not use pools; birthing in pools prohibited
- Hazard: Extreme remoteness — no services within ~50 mi of dirt road
- Hazard: Washboard roads shred tires; carry spares, air down
- Hazard: Passes (North 7,300 ft / South 5,997 ft) can be snowbound Nov-Mar
- Hazard: Summer heat >110°F
- Hazard: Low-flying military jets
- Hazard: Burros/wildlife; food storage needed
About this spring
Small user-built soaking tub at Lower Warm Springs in Saline Valley, Death Valley National Park — designed as a shallow play/soak tub for children, fed by pipe from the warm source spring (~107-110°F). One of several named features at this remote desert oasis. Fee: Death Valley NP entrance fee. Extreme remoteness and heat — bring water/fuel/spares. No pets within 50 ft of pools; no soap. 30-day/yr camping limit.
The Children's Play Tub is a small, shallow user-built soaking pool at Lower Warm Springs — the most developed of Saline Valley's three spring areas — designed as a kid-friendly tub and fed by pipe from the ~107-110°F source. Lower Spring's complex of rock, concrete, and tile tubs was constructed and is maintained by a self-organizing visitor community whose roots go back to the 1950s; the site also includes a communal fire pit, a small library, a shower, and a camp host site. The springs sit inside Death Valley National Park — BLM-managed until the 1994 California Desert Protection Act — and have been important to the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe since time immemorial. Under the 2019 NPS management plan, the existing tubs remain in use and the clothing-optional tradition continues; overnight stays are capped at 30 days per year. Reaching the site requires ~50 miles of rough dirt road and full desert self-sufficiency.
Directions & trailhead access
~50 mi of rough unpaved road from Big Pine via CA-168/Saline Valley Rd over North Pass (or South Pass from CA-190 near Olancha). High-clearance/4WD required.
California geothermal context
California spans several geothermal provinces: the volcanic Cascades and Modoc Plateau in the northeast, Sierra Nevada granite seeps along the eastern front, Mojave and Colorado Desert springs in the south, and the famously mineral-rich Big Sur coast. Fire season (roughly June–November) closes access to many backcountry springs without warning — always check for current fire restrictions.
What a primitive site means here
Primitive springs have no facilities: no changing rooms, no trash service, often no maintained road to the pool. Expect natural rock or gravel bottoms, water temperature that varies by spot and season, and other visitors who may treat the site informally. Pack out everything you bring, test the water before entering, and leave the pool cleaner than you found it.
Best time to visit
Year-Round (Best: May – October)Pool temperatures and access can change with weather and season. Outdoor ambient temperatures fluctuate significantly across California. Late spring through autumn offers the most comfortable road access.
Fact sheet
| Reported soak temp | 108°F |
|---|---|
| Source temp (historical) | 110°F |
| Trail access | Recorded coordinates — access unverified |
| Access fee | Fees reported |
| Clothing policy | Reported clothing-optional |
| Pet policy | Reported no pets |
| Geothermal data reference | NOAA Thermal Springs List (1980 archive) |
| Check land status | NPS Death Valley — Rules and Regulations (Saline Valley pool rules) |
Children's Play Tub (Saline Valley) FAQ
Is Children's Play Tub (Saline Valley) open right now?
One of the volunteer-maintained tubs at Saline Valley Warm Springs (Death Valley NP) — officially clothing-optional, free camping, but ~35 mi of rough dirt road (high-clearance, passes can snow in) from the nearest pavement. (Status verified against an official source, last checked January 2026.)
Is Children's Play Tub (Saline Valley) free?
Children's Play Tub (Saline Valley) is listed with reported fees near Big Pine. Fees are reported; confirm admission, parking and permit costs with the site manager.
What temperature is Children's Play Tub (Saline Valley)?
Children's Play Tub (Saline Valley) has a reported soak temperature of 108°F and a historical source temperature of 110°F in survey records. Historical data may not reflect current conditions — always test water before entering.
Is Children's Play Tub (Saline Valley) clothing optional?
Children's Play Tub (Saline Valley) is listed as traditionally clothing-optional in directory records. Confirm current rules before visiting, as policies change.
How do you access Children's Play Tub (Saline Valley)?
Children's Play Tub (Saline Valley) is on public land — verify current road access, fees and rules with the land manager before visiting.
Sources & references
- NPS Death Valley — Rules and Regulations (Saline Valley pool rules) — official · 2024
- NPS Death Valley — Primitive Campgrounds (Saline Valley) — official · 2024
- Inyo County road update listing Saline Valley roads open — official · 2025-10
- Eastside Sports — Death Valley unpaved road conditions (incl. Saline Valley) — community · 2026-01
- Saline Preservation Association forum — road reports — community · 2025-04
Additional references for this record; a source link does not guarantee current conditions.
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saline_Valley_Hot_Springs
- www.nps.gov/deva/learn/news/record-of-decision-for-the-saline-valley-warm-springs-plan.htm
- www.hotspringsguides.com/hot-springs/lower-warm-springs-california
Details above were verified against the named sources on their listed dates — conditions change, so recheck before traveling. · How we verify our data · Report a correction
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