Calistoga Spa Hot Springs

What to expect

Calistoga Spa Hot Springs is an unfussy hot springs hotel on Washington Street in Calistoga, about one block from Lincoln Avenue, the town’s main street. It is built around four outdoor pools filled with geothermal mineral water from below the town, plus a spa that still offers the classic Calistoga full-immersion volcanic ash mud bath.

It is more family hotel than luxury retreat. Rooms have kitchenettes, parking is free, and kids splash in the wading pool during the day. In the evening the pool deck gets quieter, and the adults-only jet pool becomes the place to be.

The water ranges from 80 to 104°F27 to 40°C across the four pools. The hotel does not post a separate temperature for each pool, so ask at the front desk which one is running hottest.

The pools

• Lap Pool: An L-shaped pool, 82.5 by 24 feet, with a 15-foot by 32-inch relaxing area. The hotel says 64 lengths make a mile.
• Wading Pool: 20 by 13 feet and only 12 to 18 inches deep, with a small waterfall. Built for young children.
• Soaking Pool: A large 60 by 20 foot pool surrounded by a high bench, for sitting and talking rather than swimming.
• Jet Pool: A 24-foot octagonal pool under a roof, with a fountain and jets. Adults only.

Pools are open daily from 10am to 9pm. The hotel has lockers, changing areas and showers for pool users.

The spa

The spa offers massage and the traditional Calistoga mud bath. The mud is a mix of volcanic ash, peat, clay and geothermal mineral water. You lie back in a tub of it while an attendant brings cool water and compresses so you do not overheat. You need to be able to climb in and out of the tub on your own, and the spa asks you to mention any health concerns beforehand.

Prices on the hotel’s spa menu, effective July 2024 (the hotel says they may be adjusted):

• Volcanic Ash Mud Bath, 60 minutes: $162. Includes the mud bath, a mineral whirlpool bath, a eucalyptus steam bath and a cool-down blanket wrap. Save $35 when added to a massage.
• “The Works”, 120 minutes: $294. The mud bath followed by a 60-minute Swedish massage.
• Swedish massage: $174 for 60 minutes, $228 for 90 minutes.
• Deep tissue massage: $198 for 60 minutes, $264 for 90 minutes.
• Sports massage: $198 for 60 minutes.
• Prenatal massage: $174 for 60 minutes (second and third trimesters only).
• Add-ons: foot reflexology $120 (30 minutes, with a 60-minute massage), steam bath $12, steam with blanket wrap $36, mineral bath with steam and wrap $90.

These prices include a 20% service charge that goes to staff. Spa appointments need 48 hours’ notice to cancel.

Mud bath days need checking. The spa page says women’s mud baths run seven days a week and men’s Tuesday through Saturday. The FAQ page says mud and mineral baths run Thursday through Sunday. Confirm your day when you book.

Prices and booking

Hotel guests get pool access at no extra charge from the time the room is ready until checkout. Check-in is 3pm, checkout 11am, and early check-in or late checkout is not offered. Instead, departing guests can buy an Extended Pool Pass for $50 per person over age 2. It lets you stay at the pools until 9pm on checkout day, with lockers and showers included. It is not sold on arrival day.

Day visitors cannot just walk in for a swim. Pool access is limited to room guests and spa clients. If you book a treatment, you can add a Premium Pool Pass to use the pools after your appointment (listed at $50 on the 2024 spa menu), and bring one Plus One companion of any age for $75. Pool passes and Plus One must be reserved when you book the treatment.

Non-guests can book spa treatments up to 14 days in advance and pay at the time of booking. Hotel guests are encouraged to book treatments when they reserve their room.

Rooms must be cancelled at least 72 hours before arrival. The first night’s room and tax are charged as a deposit at the 72-hour mark, and later cancellations cost one night. Some hotel packages, such as a breakfast package with the Calistoga Inn, also offer pool add-ons for $50 per guest.

Call (707) 942-6269 or email info@calistogaspa.com. The address is 1006 Washington Street, Calistoga, CA 94515.

Getting there

Calistoga is at the north end of the Napa Valley. From Napa, drive north on State Route 29 through Yountville and St. Helena into Calistoga, or use the Silverado Trail along the east side of the valley. In town, the hotel is on Washington Street, about one block from Lincoln Avenue. From Santa Rosa, cross the Mayacamas Mountains on Calistoga Road or Petrified Forest Road.

Self-parking is free for guests. Everything else in downtown Calistoga, including restaurants and tasting rooms, is within walking distance.

When to go

Summer is busy, with families filling the pools during the day and high room rates on weekends. Harvest season in late summer and fall is also peak time in Napa. Winter and early spring are quieter, and the 104°F40°C water feels better on a cold night. Evenings, once the day crowd clears, are the calmest time on the pool deck.

Rules and etiquette

• Swimsuits required in all pools.
• Jet Pool is adults only. Children can use the other pools.
• No pets. Service animals with proper identification are allowed.
• Spa guests may bring only one pool companion, regardless of age.
• Pools close at 9pm.

Where to stay nearby

The hotel offers King, Queen, Queen Queen and Queen Suite rooms, several of them accessible, all with kitchenettes. Other hot spring hotels in town include Calistoga Motor Lodge and Spa on Lincoln Avenue, which sells pool day passes. St. Helena, a few miles south on State Route 29, has more inns and restaurants.

Safety notes

• Mud bath heat: The mud is hot and heavy. Tell the attendant if you feel dizzy and do not book a mud bath if you are pregnant or have heart problems without checking with your doctor first.
• Hydration: Drink water between soaks, especially after wine tasting.
• Children: Supervise kids in all pools. The wading pool is the only one built for small children.
• Wet decks: The pool surrounds get slick. Walk, do not run.

Nearby stops worth adding

Old Faithful Geyser of California erupts regularly just north of town. Castello di Amorosa and Sterling Vineyards are close for wine tasting, and the Napa Valley Wine Train runs down the valley from the town of Napa.