Wizard Pool (Saline Valley)

Q: Is Wizard Pool (Saline Valley) free?

Wizard 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 Wizard Pool (Saline Valley)?

Wizard Pool (Saline Valley) has a reported soak temperature of 110°F. Historical data may not reflect current conditions — always test water before entering.

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

Wizard 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 Wizard Pool (Saline Valley)?

Wizard 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

Wizard Pool (Saline Valley) is a primitive hot spring listed near Big Pine, California. Reported soak temperature: 110°F. See the visit fact sheet.

110°F reportedFees reportedSafety warning — read access notes

Get directions

Current status

Open — last verified below

Signature tub (with the 'Bat Pole' sign nearby) in the Lower Warm Springs cluster, Saline Valley (Death Valley NP) — clothing-optional by NPS recognition, free camping, long rough dirt-road approach.

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 · 6 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 110°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; holiday weekends busy
Clothing reality: NPS-recognized clothing-optional area; nudity customary.
Kids: Allowed.
Cell service: none — download maps and tell someone your plan.
Accessibility: Primitive; not accessible
Park entrance fee required; campground free first-come
Pets prohibited within 50 ft of pools; swim diapers for <4/not potty-trained
Source pools closed to bathing; no glass; pack out all trash
No services — water, food, fuel, spare tires all BYO
Two ~40-mi dirt approaches (North Pass, South Pass); winter snow possible
Hazard: Remoteness/no services
Hazard: Tire-damaging washboard roads
Hazard: Winter pass snow
Hazard: Summer heat
Hazard: Military low-flyovers

About this spring

Hexagonal rock-and-concrete soaking pool built in the 1980s at Palm Spring, Saline Valley — ~3.5 ft deep with built-in seating; the HOTTEST soakable pool in the valley (~105-112°F). Fee: Death Valley NP entrance fee. Very hot water (up to ~112°F) — limit soak time. Extreme remoteness.

Wizard Pool is the hottest soakable tub in Saline Valley — roughly 105-112°F — a hexagonal, 3.5-foot-deep pool of rock and concrete built in the 1980s at Palm Spring, with built-in seating around its edges. Where the neighboring 15-foot Volcano Pool sits above ground, Wizard is dug into the earth; both are fed by pipe from Palm Spring's warm source. It anchors the middle spring area about a mile from the Lower Warm Springs camp, in one of the most remote corners of Death Valley National Park — land transferred from BLM to the Park Service in 1994 and significant to the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe. The 2019 management plan preserves the existing tubs. Limit soak time at these temperatures; no pets within 50 feet of the water; reaching the valley requires ~50 miles of dirt road and real desert preparation.

Directions & trailhead access

Warm Springs Road to Palm Spring, adjacent to the road — ~50 mi of dirt road from pavement.

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 110°F

Reported source temperature — actual pool conditions vary.

Live NOAA sync...Directory Data

Fact sheet

Reported soak temp	110°F
Source temp (historical)	Not reported
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