Hot Springs in California

1. Calistoga Spa Hot Springs

Located in Calistoga in the upper Napa Valley, Calistoga Spa Hot Springs is a geothermal mineral water resort with several hot springs of varying temperatures. The resort has been operating since the early 1900s and features a spa and wellness center, a mud and mineral bath facility, a large mineral pool known as the Roman Pool, and four smaller geothermal mineral pools.

The four pools include a covered whirlpool at 104°F, a soaking pool at 100°F, a multi-lane lap pool at 80°F, and a wading pool for children. The pools are surrounded by patios with sun loungers and day beds as well as barbecue areas where guests can relax.

1006 Washington St, Calistoga, CA 94515, Phone: 707-942-6269, Map

2. The Esalen Institute

The Esalen Institute is one of America's most high-profile retreat centers, located in Big Sur. The institute, which was originally founded in 1962 by Dick Price and Michael Murphy, has been at the forefront of the New Age movement in the United States throughout its existence, focusing on exploration of Aldous Huxley's "human potentialities" and alternative means of exploring human consciousness. Guests speakers at the institute throughout the years have included international luminaries such as Buckminster Fuller, Alan Watts, Joseph Campbell, and Linus Pauling.

Today, the institute continues to offer a variety of workshops related to psychological, physical, and spiritual wellness, including workshops related to permaculture, ecological sustainability, philosophy, religious studies, martial arts and yoga, meditation, and the arts.

55000 CA-1, Big Sur, CA 93920, Phone: 888-837-2536, Map

3. Azure Palm Hot Springs Resort, Desert Hot Springs

An underground aquifer nestled beneath the city of Desert Hot Springs is responsible for this city’s wonder hot and cold mineral water springs which beckon those in need of relaxation and rejuvenation.

The Azure Palm Hot Springs Resort is a wonderful place to come and experience the healing qualities of the springs and to surrender yourself to total relaxation.

The resort boasts a selection of luxurious guestrooms and suites, many of which have private in-room mineral water soaking tubs.

Guests have access to all the spa facilities including the sauna, salt chamber, ice chamber and several mineral pools at varying temperatures. To complete the pampering you can select your choice of relaxing face and body treatments and/or massages.

Azure Palm Hot Springs Resort, 67589 Hacienda Avenue, Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240, 760-251-2000, Map

4. Deep Creek Hot Springs

Deep Creek Hot Springs is set on the Deep Creek fork of the Mojave River in the desert foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains in the northern Mojave Desert.

Managed by the San Bernardino National Forest, the springs feature both hot and cold-water pools surrounded by spectacular landscapes of xeric shrublands, montane chaparral and woodlands, desert chaparral, and conifer forests. Deep Creek Hot Springs can be reached by the Freedom Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail, which crosses the area.

Pacific Crest Trail, Apple Valley, CA 92308, Phone: 909-382-2600, Map

5. Dr. Wilkinson's Hot Springs Resort

Dr. Wilkinson's Hot Springs Resort in Calistoga is a high-end day spa named after chiropractor Dr. Wilkinson, offering geothermal mineral pools and a variety of spa treatments.

The famous mineral baths are the centerpiece of the Calistoga resort, which features separate sections for men and women, with mineral steam rooms, mineral water whirlpool tubs, and mud baths made up of volcanic ash, peat moss, and hot spring water. The resort also offers deluxe accommodations, exceptional dining, and other pampering services.

1507 Lincoln Ave, Calistoga, CA 94515, Phone: 707-942-4102, Map

6. El Morocco Inn & Spa

El Morocco Inn & Spa is a Moroccan-inspired luxury inn and spa in Desert Hot Springs with a natural hot mineral water swimming pool and spa. Overlooking the Palm Springs desert area in Riverside County, the El Morocco Inn & Spa features deluxe bed and breakfast accommodations, delicious cuisine, and an exclusive spa with an array of pampering treatments.

A large hot mineral water swimming pool and spa are set within a tranquil Moroccan courtyard setting and can be enjoyed as part of several spa treatments or on their own.

El Morocco Inn & Spa, 66810 4th St, Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240, Phone: 760-288-2527

7. Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa

Nestled in the heart of the magnificent Sonoma Valley, the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa in Sonoma is a luxury resort that features stylish accommodations, a Michelin-rated restaurant, an award-winning spa with four geothermal swimming pools, and access to a championship golf course at the nearby Sonoma Golf Club. The elegant Spanish mission–style inn is set atop an ancient thermal mineral spring that flows from 1,100 feet below the surface and was historically revered by Native Americans for its healing powers.

Today, the inn’s luxurious 40,000-square-foot spa features mineral baths and a Watsu® pool using this revitalizing and energy-giving water. Located just an hour north of San Francisco, the resort offers discerning guests a range of exceptional spa and body treatments, along with numerous complimentary fitness and wellness offerings, such as yoga and fitness classes and daily docent-led hikes. If you are looking to relax in natural hot springs in California, this is a great weekend getaway idea.

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa, 100 Boyes Blvd, Sonoma, CA 95476, Phone: 707-938-9000, Video

8. Glen Ivy Hot Springs, California

Located beneath the towering Santa Ana Range at the mouth of Cold Water Canyon, Glen Ivy Hot Springs is a natural sanctuary with geothermal mineral pools that have been drawing visitors seeking the healing powers of the waters for more than 150 years. The Glen Ivy Hot Springs Resort boasts 19 pools filled with the sulfur-rich 104°F geothermal water that guests can enjoy, from the lounge and saline-heavy pools to hot and cold plunge pools, a lap pool, and a vista pool.

The resort also features Roman-style pools in the Bath House changing rooms, which echo those of ancient Roman times, bordered by stone colonnades and featuring classical arches and mosaics.

Glen Ivy Hot Springs, 25000 Glen Ivy Rd, Corona, CA 92883, Phone: 888-453-6489

9. Hot Creek

Hot Creek is a geothermal stream in the Inyo National Forest in Mono County that begins its course as Mammoth Creek in the eastern Sierra Nevada. Originating an outflow from the Twin Lakes south of Mammoth Mountain, the stream arises from melted snow water at 8,500 feet above sea level and as it leaves the Sierra and flows east into the Long Valley Caldera, it is warmed by water from geothermal springs at the Hot Creek State Fish Hatchery.

From here, the stream becomes Hot Creek and becomes warmer as numerous hot springs join the creek in the Hot Creek Gorge. The Hot Creek Gorge area of Hot Creek and its mineral pools is managed by the U.S. Inyo National Forest and offers an array of activities such as swimming, fishing, birdwatching, and photography.

Hot Creek, Inyo National Forest in Mono County, CA 93514