Mono Hot Springs Resort
By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026
Mono Hot Springs Resort is a resort hot spring listed near Shaver Lake, California. Reported soak temperature: 104°F. See the visit fact sheet.
Current status
Historic High Sierra resort in Sierra National Forest (Edison Lake Rd over Kaiser Pass, between Yosemite and Kings Canyon) — OPEN NOW through Oct 26, 2026 then closed for winter; paid bathhouse with private tiled/clawfoot tubs (100-104F) + outdoor mineral spa ($25/adult day-use, campers $15, cabin guests free), rustic/historic cabins $125-279/night, plus free natural riverside pools on adjacent USFS land. Kaiser Pass Road is a famously narrow paved mountain route — open same dates as resort.
Checked September 2026 · verified on the operator’s site · 5 sources ↓
Before you go
- Status: Reservation or permission required — confirm via Mono Hot Springs Resort — official site (2026 season May 22-Oct 26).
- Cost: Reported $25/adult — confirm current rates before visiting.
- Getting there: Developed resort — confirm operating hours and any reservation requirement.
- Water: Reported soak temperature 104°F — always test the water before entering.
- Rules: Reported clothing required; 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 permit for soaking; USFS campground reservations via recreation.gov; cabins by phone only.
- Booking: Reservation required.
- Best time to go: July-mid-Sept for warmest weather and full services; early season (late May-June) can still have snow/cold river; fall (Sept-Oct) quietest. Weekdays beat weekends.
- Clothing reality: Clothing REQUIRED in the resort spa/bathhouse — operator states 'No nudity in spa'. The free primitive riverside pools on USFS land nearby are unofficially mixed (some nudity customary, public indecency law technically applies).
- Kids: Allowed.
- Cell service: none — download maps and tell someone your plan.
- Accessibility: Remote mountain resort — bathhouse is rustic with steps; terrain uneven. Call 559-325-1710 for specific needs.
- Resort + Kaiser Pass Road close Oct 26, 2026 through ~Memorial Day — NO access Nov-May (road gated/snowbound)
- Kaiser Pass Rd/Edison Lake Rd: paved but extremely narrow one-lane-in-places shelf road with steep dropoffs; ~90 min from Huntington Lake — RVs/trailers strongly discouraged
- Bathhouse day-use: $25 adult / $15 kids 11-under (all-day all-facilities); campers $15/$10; shower-only $10/$8; babies under 2 free
- Bathhouse hours 8am-9pm through Sept 15; fall hours posted in general store
- No dogs allowed around bathhouse facilities (dogs OK in cabins — $18/day, 2-dog limit)
- No alcohol/smoking at spa; no nudity in spa
- 3-night minimum on cabins; 12.75% USDA+FTSC tax; deposit $500/week or full amount
- Check-in after 4pm, out by 10:30am; reservations PHONE ONLY 559-325-1710 (no emails/texts)
- No cell service or WiFi at the resort — genuinely off-grid
- Natural riverside pools on USFS land are free but primitive and seasonal with river flows
- Hazard: Kaiser Pass Road — narrow, cliff-edge, unplowed in winter (closed Nov-May)
- Hazard: Cold river currents near the free riverside pools
- Hazard: High elevation (~6,500 ft) weather swings; afternoon thunderstorms
- Hazard: Bears — food storage required in campgrounds
About this spring
Remote rustic resort at 6,700 ft on the South Fork San Joaquin River in Sierra NF, open roughly Memorial Day to late October — historic cabins, cafe, private mineral bath soaking tubs and nearby natural riverside springs like Little Eden. Fee: Bathhouse day use $25/adult, $10/child; free for cabin guests; private mineral baths bookable; cabins and campground adjacent. Among the most remote drive-to resorts in CA — fuel up at Shaver Lake; road closed winters.
Mono Hot Springs is a cluster of six thermal vents on the South Fork San Joaquin River at 6,562 feet in Sierra National Forest — the hottest measured at 112°F. The free public pools sit across the river from the resort and Forest Service campground and are reached by fording the river, while the resort's own bathhouse offers private mineral tubs. Until the 1920s the springs were reachable only by horseback on Indigenous trails, with Mono guides bringing visitors up from foothill towns like Auberry — a four- or five-day trip.
Vehicle access arrived with Southern California Edison's Big Creek Hydroelectric Project: the final six miles of Kaiser Pass Road, blasted through granite and nicknamed the 'Cheap and Nasty,' opened in 1927. The CCC built a bathhouse and concrete-walled spring enclosures in 1934 — the walls are still in use — and Walter Hill's family opened the resort in 1937, adding river-cobblestone cabins at roughly one per summer. The Winslow family has run it since 1963, and the property was evaluated as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.
Directions & trailhead access
70000 Edison Lake Rd — Hwy 168 past Huntington Lake, then Kaiser Pass Rd (narrow, steep).
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 resort site means here
A resort spring is a commercial operation: developed pools or tubs with controlled temperatures, changing facilities, and usually day-use fees or lodging packages. Expect posted rules (swimsuits, quiet hours, age limits), staff on site, and in many cases required reservations — especially on weekends and holidays.
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 | 104°F |
|---|---|
| Source temp (historical) | 104°F |
| Trail access | Recorded coordinates — access unverified |
| Access fee | Reported $25/adult — verify |
| Clothing policy | Reported clothing required |
| Pet policy | Reported no pets |
| Geothermal data reference | NOAA Thermal Springs List (1980 archive) |
| Check land status | Mono Hot Springs Resort — official site (2026 season May 22-Oct 26) |
Mono Hot Springs Resort FAQ
Is Mono Hot Springs Resort open right now?
Historic High Sierra resort in Sierra National Forest (Edison Lake Rd over Kaiser Pass, between Yosemite and Kings Canyon) — OPEN NOW through Oct 26, 2026 then closed for winter; paid bathhouse with private tiled/clawfoot tubs (100-104F) + outdoor mineral spa ($25/adult day-use, campers $15, cabin guests free), rustic/historic cabins $125-279/night, plus free natural riverside pools on adjacent USFS land. Kaiser Pass Road is a famously narrow paved mountain route — open same dates as resort. (Status verified on the operator’s site, last checked September 2026.)
Is Mono Hot Springs Resort free?
Mono Hot Springs Resort is listed with reported fees near Shaver Lake. Fees are reported; confirm admission, parking and permit costs with the site manager.
What temperature is Mono Hot Springs Resort?
Mono Hot Springs Resort has a reported soak temperature of 104°F and a historical source temperature of 104°F in survey records. Historical data may not reflect current conditions — always test water before entering.
Is Mono Hot Springs Resort clothing optional?
Mono Hot Springs Resort is listed as swimsuit-required in directory records. Confirm current rules before visiting, as policies change.
How do you access Mono Hot Springs Resort?
Mono Hot Springs Resort is a private venue with paid public admission. Confirm current hours, fees and booking requirements with the operator before visiting.
Where to stay in Shaver Lake
Shaver Lake is a pre- or post-drive base on the approach to Mono Hot Springs. Mono remains beyond Huntington Lake over narrow, steep Kaiser Pass Road; check seasonal access and book the resort separately.
Check overnight options with the operator
Check the road and access notes above before you book.
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Sources & references
- Mono Hot Springs Resort — official site (2026 season May 22-Oct 26) — operator · 2026-09
- Mono Hot Springs Resort — Resort Pricing (bathhouse day-use rates, cabin rates, policies) — operator · 2026-09
- Mono Hot Springs Resort — Mineral Baths & Spa page — operator · 2026-09
Additional references for this record; a source link does not guarantee current conditions.
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mono_Hot_Springs
- www.monohotsprings.com/history-mono-hot-springs-resort-historic-cabins-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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