Sunrise Pool (Saline Valley)

Q: Is Sunrise Pool (Saline Valley) free?

Sunrise Pool (Saline Valley) is listed with reported fees near Big Pine. Fees are reported; confirm admission, parking and permit costs with the site manager.

Q: What temperature is Sunrise Pool (Saline Valley)?

Sunrise Pool (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.

Q: Is Sunrise Pool (Saline Valley) clothing optional?

Sunrise Pool (Saline Valley) is listed as traditionally clothing-optional in directory records. Confirm current rules before visiting, as policies change.

Q: How do you access Sunrise Pool (Saline Valley)?

Sunrise Pool (Saline Valley) is on public land — verify current road access, fees and rules with the land manager before visiting.

Big Pine, California (Inyo County)

By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026

Sunrise Pool (Saline Valley) is a primitive hot spring listed near Big Pine, California. Reported soak temperature: 108°F. See the visit fact sheet.

108°F reportedFees reportedSafety warning — read access notes

Get directions

Current status

Open — last verified below

Named sunrise-facing tub in the Lower Warm Springs camp cluster, Saline Valley (Death Valley NP) — clothing-optional by NPS recognition, free first-come camping, high-clearance dirt-road access only.

NPS Death Valley — Rules and Regulations

Spring

Open

Road

Rough — high-clearance advised

Access

Public land

Soaking

Soaking allowed

Water

Normal

Crowds

Seasonal

Checked January 2026 · verified against an official source · 7 sources ↓

Before you go

Status: Open — last verified below — confirm via NPS Death Valley — Rules and Regulations.
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: Park entrance pass only
Best time to go: Oct-Apr midweek; sunrise soaks are the signature experience here
Clothing reality: NPS-designated clothing-optional hot spring area; nudity customary and officially tolerated.
Kids: Allowed.
Cell service: none — download maps and tell someone your plan.
Accessibility: Primitive; not wheelchair accessible
Park entrance fee required; campground free first-come
Pets within 50 ft of pools prohibited; swim diapers required for <4/not potty-trained
Source pools (Palm Spring, lower source) closed to bathing
Carry all water/food/fuel — nothing on site
North Pass via Waucoba-Saline Rd (~40 mi dirt) or South Pass via Hwy 190/Saline Valley Rd — both slow washboard; Lippincott/Steele Pass are 4WD-only alternates
Hazard: Remoteness/no services
Hazard: Tire-shredding washboard and rocky wash crossings
Hazard: Winter pass closures possible
Hazard: Summer heat
Hazard: Military low-flyovers

About this spring

Named concrete soaking pool at Lower Warm Springs, Saline Valley — dug in the 1960s and improved with cement; fed directly from the warm source spring (~107-110°F). Among the warmer pools at Lower Spring. Fee: Death Valley NP entrance fee. Extreme heat/remoteness; clothing-optional; pets 50-ft buffer.

Sunrise Pool is a circular, flagstone-ringed concrete tub at Lower Warm Springs in Saline Valley — the most developed of the valley's three spring areas — dug by recreational users in the 1960s and fed by pipe directly from the ~107-110°F source, making it among the warmer soaks at the lower springs. The Park Service's 2019 Record of Decision for the Saline Valley Warm Springs Management Plan singles it out by name: 'The Sunrise Pool will remain unchanged.' The user-built tubs here date to the 1950s on land managed by the BLM until the 1994 California Desert Protection Act folded it into Death Valley National Park; the springs have been important to the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe since time immemorial. Clothing-optional, with vault toilets and a camp host nearby; a 30-day annual stay limit applies. Access is ~50 miles of dirt road — bring water, fuel, and spares.

Directions & trailhead access

~50 mi dirt road via Saline Valley Road to Lower Warm Springs campground.

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.

Recommended soaking windowEarly Morning & Sunset

Packing & trail adviceBring quick-dry towels, slip-resistant footwear, and thermal layers for stepping out into brisk mountain air.

Live Outdoor Soaking Weather

Reported Directory Data

California Geothermal Area • Reported 108°F

Reported source temperature — actual pool conditions vary.

Live NOAA sync...Directory Data

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