Reds Meadow Hot Springs

Historic hot spring (~115F) at Reds Meadow in the Devils Postpile valley, Inyo NF near Mammoth Lakes — the bathhouse closed after ~2011 and the USFS WELDED THE CISTERN TUB SHUT in 2015, so this is view-only: no legal soaking at all; reaching it in 2026 is itself hard — the Reds Meadow Road reconstruction restricts entry to a Thu-Sun/weekend-only shuttle schedule, and the road closes entirely Nov 2, 2026.

Field notes — checked September 2026

• ⛔Hazard: 115F scalding source water — sealed for a reason; non-potable with reported water-quality (heavy metal) concerns
• ⛔Hazard: Welded cistern — do not tamper (federal offense; fines possible under the closure order)
• ⛔Hazard: Severe 2026 road restrictions — Thu-Sun/weekend-only windows, 2-hr Thursday construction delays, total closure from Nov 2; missing the last bus strands you
• ⛔Hazard: Bears — food storage rules apply valley-wide
• ⛔Hazard: Winter access = long ski route with avalanche terrain; 99 backcountry rescues out of Reds Meadow over 5 seasons per MMSA
• ⚠️NO SOAKING — the concrete/cistern tub was welded shut by USFS in late 2015 after the old bathhouse closed (~2010-11, structural/code problems compounded by the 2011 windstorm); tampering with it invites federal enforcement and the ranger publicly floated filling it in entirely
• ⚠️A water-quality check reportedly found a problem (rumored heavy metals) behind the closure of the big square tub; the spring water is non-potable
• ⚠️2026 ROAD ACCESS IS SEVERELY RESTRICTED (Inyo NF closure order Jun 3-Dec 31, 2026): Reds Meadow Road open ONLY Thu 7am-Sun 11pm during Jul 6-Sep 20 windows (Thursdays carry up to 2-hour one-way construction delays and the ESTA shuttle is mandatory); Sep 21-Nov 1 weekends only (Sat 7am-Sun 11pm); from Nov 2 closed to ALL vehicle AND pedestrian traffic for construction+winter
• ⚠️Mandatory ESTA shuttle during operating season: $15 adult / $7 ages 3-17 / free under 2; reservations strongly encouraged via mammothmountain.com/RedsMeadow or 1-800-MAMMOTH; driver-sold tickets are cash exact-change only; last bus out ~7pm; buses leave valley only every ~2.5 hrs on Thursdays
• ⚠️Drive-in exceptions: before 7am/after 7pm (when road open) or overnight guests of Reds Meadow Resort/valley campgrounds — backpackers must ride the shuttle; $10/vehicle amenity fee at Minaret Vista entrance station outside shuttle hours
• ⚠️Only Reds Meadow Campground opened for 2026 (from Jul 2); Agnew Meadows, Minaret Falls, Pumice Flat and Upper Soda Springs campgrounds are closed all of 2026
• ⚠️To find the sealed spring: ~50 yd south of Reds Creek by the historic Guard Station near Reds Meadow Resort (stop #10); the bathhouse ruin sits on the creek's north bank
• ⚠️Winter historically meant a ~17.6-mi round-trip ski from Minaret Summit and the FS used to open the tub for backcountry travelers — that practice ended with the 2015 welding; snowmobiles/skiers still pass but there is nothing to soak in
• ⚠️2014-era forum rumor of a future pay hot-tub complex at Reds Meadow tapping the same spring — never confirmed; check locally if a commercial option has since opened

Historic hot spring (~115F) at Reds Meadow in the Devils Postpile valley, Inyo NF near Mammoth Lakes — the bathhouse closed after ~2011 and the USFS WELDED THE CISTERN TUB SHUT in 2015, so this is view-only: no legal soaking at all; reaching it in 2026 is itself hard — the Reds Meadow Road reconstruction restricts entry to a Thu-Sun/weekend-only shuttle schedule, and the road closes entirely Nov 2, 2026.

Sources: NPS Devils Postpile — Operating Hours & Seasons (2026 Reds Meadow Road access schedule: Thu-Sun windows, Thu delays, Sep 21-Nov 1 weekends only, full closure Nov 2; shuttle rules; $10/vehicle fee) (official · 2026-09) · USFS Inyo National Forest — Reds Meadow Road Reconstruction Project closure order (effective Jun 3-Dec 31, 2026) (official · 2026-06) · Eastern Sierra Transit Authority — 2026 Reds Meadow Shuttle service (summer Jul 2-Sep 20, fall Sep 20-Oct 11; fares; cash exact-change for driver tickets; mandatory) (official · 2026) · Mammoth Mountain — Devils Postpile & Rainbow Falls Shuttle (2026 season Jun 13-Sep 20 Thu-Sun; campground closures; shuttle exceptions) (operator · 2026) · The Sheet — 'Forest Service closes Reds Meadow hot tub ... again' (Dec 2015: cistern welded shut; bathhouse closed since 2010/11; structural/code problems) (news · 2015-12) · Snowlands Network — Reds Meadow via Minaret Summit ski tour (historic winter tub practice; spring location ~50 yd south of Reds Creek by bathhouse) (community · 2020) · High Sierra Topix forum — 'Hot springs at Reds Meadow' (closure history; water-quality/heavy-metals rationale; pay-tub rumor) (community · 2014) · USFS Inyo NF — Reds Meadow Road reconstruction update (Jan 2025 season plan; early-Oct construction closure) (official · 2025-01)

Fact Sheet & Geothermal Specifications

Detailed Description

Hot spring at Reds Meadow in the Devils Postpile valley, Inyo National Forest — water (~115°F source) surfaces into a concrete tub near the historic Guard Station; VIEW-ONLY in practice — the historic Reds Meadow Bathhouse closed after the 2011 windstorm and USFS welded the cistern tub shut in 2015, so soaking is effectively unavailable; the spring remains a historic feature. Winter access by ski/snowshoe only. Fee: Mandatory Reds Meadow shuttle in summer (~$15/adult); spring itself free. Water hot enough to scald. Seasonal access — shuttle required in summer; road closes in winter.

About Reds Meadow Hot Springs

The spring at Reds Meadow anchored the valley's ranger operations for decades: the Forest Service established a summer guard station here in 1910, and ranger Malcolm McLeod's 1927 log cabin — still standing — was built beside the hot spring and served as the ranger station for the entire Middle Fork Valley until the late 1960s. In 1935 a Civilian Conservation Corps crew stationed on the Sierra National Forest built the public bathhouse downhill from the cabin, the only CCC structure in the Devils Postpile area.

The bathhouse has been closed since roughly 2010-2011 and was further damaged in the 2011 windstorm. Locals long soaked in the cistern built to feed it — particularly in winter — but a 2014 USFS water sample found fecal coliform above 200 MPN/100 mL, and after repeated lock-cutting the agency welded the cistern shut in fall 2015. Soaking is now effectively impossible; the ~115°F source and shuttered bathhouse remain as a historic site along the Reds Meadow shuttle corridor.

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 developed site means here

A developed site sits between primitive and resort: improved soaking infrastructure — built tubs, decks, stairs, sometimes changing rooms or vault toilets — often run by a land trust, nonprofit, or small operator. Expect modest fees or donation requests, posted etiquette rules, and more predictable conditions than a wild pool.

Directions & Trailhead Access

Access is restricted; do not use historical directions to plan a visit.

Sources & References

• NPS Devils Postpile — Operating Hours & Seasons (2026 Reds Meadow Road access schedule: Thu-Sun windows, Thu delays, Sep 21-Nov 1 weekends only, full closure Nov 2; shuttle rules; $10/vehicle fee) — official · 2026-09
• USFS Inyo National Forest — Reds Meadow Road Reconstruction Project closure order (effective Jun 3-Dec 31, 2026) — official · 2026-06
• Eastern Sierra Transit Authority — 2026 Reds Meadow Shuttle service (summer Jul 2-Sep 20, fall Sep 20-Oct 11; fares; cash exact-change for driver tickets; mandatory) — official · 2026
• Mammoth Mountain — Devils Postpile & Rainbow Falls Shuttle (2026 season Jun 13-Sep 20 Thu-Sun; campground closures; shuttle exceptions) — operator · 2026
• The Sheet — 'Forest Service closes Reds Meadow hot tub ... again' (Dec 2015: cistern welded shut; bathhouse closed since 2010/11; structural/code problems) — news · 2015-12
• Snowlands Network — Reds Meadow via Minaret Summit ski tour (historic winter tub practice; spring location ~50 yd south of Reds Creek by bathhouse) — community · 2020
• High Sierra Topix forum — 'Hot springs at Reds Meadow' (closure history; water-quality/heavy-metals rationale; pay-tub rumor) — community · 2014
• USFS Inyo NF — Reds Meadow Road reconstruction update (Jan 2025 season plan; early-Oct construction closure) — official · 2025-01

Additional references for this record; a source link does not guarantee current conditions.

• nps.gov/depo/learn/historyculture/historic-places.htm

Current access has not been independently confirmed for this visit. Check the linked sources before traveling. · How we verify our data · Report a correction