Saline Valley Warm Springs
- Free
- Roadside
A clothing-optional warm springs area with a primitive campground in a remote valley of Death Valley National Park, about 35 miles from the nearest paved road. Reaching it takes a high-clearance vehicle with all-terrain tires over North Pass (7,300 ft) or South Pass (5,997 ft). The Lower Springs have been closed since a September 2026 wildfire, while camping between Lower and Palm Springs stays open.
Lower Springs closed after a 9/15/2026 wildfire left hazards, including possible hazardous chemicals. Camping between Lower and Palm Springs open.
- Price
- Free
- Nearest town
- Big Pine
- Hike (one way)
- Roadside
Plan your visit
Hours & season
| Season |
|
|---|
Tickets & booking
| Price |
|
|---|---|
| Access | Free public access |
| Booking |
|
Rules
| Swimwear |
|
|---|
On site
| Lodging | No |
|---|---|
| Camping nearby | Yes |
| Land manager | NPS |
Not stated by the land manager: ages, dogs.
Soak responsibly
- Pack out everything, including food scraps and toilet paper. Use WAG bags where required.
- No soap, shampoo or sunscreen in the pools; rinse away from the water.
- Check permits and closures with NPS before you go.
- Keep groups small and give others space. Respect posted dog and camping rules.
Water temperature
This venue doesn't publish pool temperatures.
Mineral profile
Total dissolved minerals
1,170 mg/L
Moderately mineralized · Sodium–chloride (salty, brine-like water)
- pH
- 8.4
- Temp at source
- 113°F
- Fluoride
- 3,294 mg/L
Lab analysis of the source water at a USGS sampling site (0.1 mi from Saline Valley Warm Springs), sampled 1979 by the USGS and partners (data). Pool water may be cooled, mixed or treated, and spring chemistry is generally stable over decades. We report measurements only; we don't make health claims.
What's here
- clothing-optional hot spring area
- Lower Warm Springs and Palm Spring
- primitive campground, first come first served
- vault toilets, no running water
- about 35 miles from pavement
- high-clearance 4WD roads over North or South Pass
Getting there
| Elevation | 1,432 ft |
|---|---|
| Road |
|
Things to do near Big Pine
The Racetrack
Remote playa known for its moving rocks, over the mountains east of Saline Valley.
Campgrounds
Straight-line distances. Campground and trailhead data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby springs
Kern Hot Spring
A cement soaking tub a few feet from the Kern River, 36.8 miles from Crescent Meadow on the High Sierra Trail in Sequoia National Park. The spring water is 115F, and the tub's runoff mixes with river water to form a cooler pool. Campers must use the designated sites here, and the park asks for no soap in the tub or river.
Keough's Hot Springs
A pool resort south of Bishop, open since 1919, where spring water is cooled by a waterfall into a large swimming pool alongside a smaller hot soaking pool. Day entry is $14 for adults. The property also has RV and tent sites and furnished canvas tent cabins, and Inyo County's visitor site notes that swimsuits are required.
Jordan Hot Springs
Backcountry hot springs in the Golden Trout Wilderness, reached on the Forest Service's Jordan Hot Springs Trail from the Blackrock Trailhead. The trail is used from May to November and is open to hikers and horse riders. Overnight visitors need a Golden Trout Wilderness permit.
Kern Hot Spring: 42 mi · Keough's Hot Springs: 45 mi · Jordan Hot Springs: 50 mi
Sources (6)
· checked November 2026
Prices, hours and rules are checked against the official site and land-agency pages. Spot something out of date? Let us know.