Grover Hot Springs State Park

What to expect

Grover Hot Springs is a state park pool, not a wild soak. That is the point of it. You get reliable, temperature-controlled hot water, a staffed pool complex, a campground close by, and mountain scenery at 5,900 feet on the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada, where the range drops toward the Great Basin.

The park covers 553 acres and was set aside in 1959. It is named after Alvin Merrill Grover, who owned a share of the land in 1878 and built a bathhouse and fence around the springs. Long before that, the Washoe people used the springs. Their name for the place translates as “our place, hot springs.”

Six mineral springs rise at the base of the hillside at about 148°F64°C. The water runs into a holding tank to cool, then fills a hot pool held at roughly 102-104°F39-40°C. Beside it is a cool swimming pool. The hot pool water is treated with bromine, and the reaction with the mineral salts turns it a cloudy yellow-green. People who expect a clear blue pool are sometimes surprised, but that color is normal here.

The complex sits at the edge of a broad meadow ringed by pine-covered ridges. In winter the meadow is often under snow, and soaking in steaming water with snowbanks around the deck is the main reason many people come.

Getting there

The park is 4 miles west of Markleeville at the end of Hot Springs Road, off State Route 89. The park lists the address as 3415 Hot Springs Rd, Markleeville, CA 96120.

• From South Lake Tahoe: Take US-50 to Meyers, then SR-89 south over Luther Pass. At the junction with SR-88, turn east toward Woodfords, then follow SR-89 south to Markleeville. In town, turn west on Hot Springs Road. Allow about 45 minutes.
• From Carson City and Minden: Head south on US-395, then take SR-88 southwest to Woodfords and SR-89 south to Markleeville. Reno-Tahoe International Airport is roughly 80 minutes away.

Hot Springs Road is paved. Parking is close to the pool complex, so there is no real walk. Monitor Pass (SR-89 south of Markleeville) and Ebbetts Pass (SR-4) close in winter, so in the snow season come in from the north via Woodfords. Carry chains from fall to spring.

When to go

The park is open all year, but the pool schedule is not fixed. In October 2026 California State Parks listed the pool complex as open Friday through Monday. Earlier seasons have had daily summer hours, midweek closures and, in 2025, timed 90-minute slots. Check the park page or call (530) 694-2248 before you set out.

• Summer days run about 75-95°F24-35°C with nights in the low 40s. This is the busiest time, when the campground is full and the pool can reach capacity on weekends.
• Fall is quieter, with aspens turning in the surrounding canyons.
• Winter highs are around 45°F7°C and lows in the 20s, sometimes below zero. Snow is likely. The hot pool is at its best then, and the drive needs the most care.

Rules and etiquette

• Fees: Pool $10 for adults, $5 for children. Vehicle day use is $8, or $7 for seniors 62 and older. Special rates may apply at busy times.
• Tickets: Sold at the park, first come, first served.
• Swimsuits: This is a public family pool. Wear a suit.
• Day use: Sunrise to sunset.
• Dogs: Allowed in the park on a leash and never left alone, but not in the pool complex.
• Fires: Charcoal fires are banned in the day-use area, and campfires can be banned at times of extreme fire danger.
• Quiet hours: 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the campground, with generators only from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Where to stay nearby

Grover Hot Springs campground is the obvious base.

• Summer (mid-May to mid-September): 76 family sites at $35 a night, reservable up to 6 months ahead on ReserveCalifornia. Up to 8 people per site. Motorhomes up to 27 feet and trailers up to 24 feet. Coin-op hot showers run $1 for 5 minutes. There are no hookups or dump station. The summer campground closed on October 16, 2026.
• Winter: Camping moves to the picnic area until mid-spring 2027, with 25 first-come sites at $25 a night ($23 for seniors 62+), an 18-foot vehicle limit and no showers.
• Extra vehicles cost $8 a night.

Markleeville, 4 miles east, is a tiny county seat with a few places to stay and eat. South Lake Tahoe, about 45 minutes away, has the widest choice of lodging. Gardnerville and Minden in Nevada’s Carson Valley are the closest larger towns to the east.

Safety notes

• Bears: This is black bear country, and State Parks says spring brings hungry bears into the Tahoe region. Store all food, drinks, toiletries and anything scented in the metal lockers, day and night. Never leave food in a car.
• Altitude and heat: At 5,900 feet you dehydrate faster. Drink water and keep soaks to manageable lengths, especially if you arrived from sea level that morning.
• Winter roads: Snow and ice are normal on SR-88 and SR-89. Check Caltrans road conditions and carry chains.
• Hot ground: The source springs are far hotter than the pool. Stay on paths near the spring area.

Trails and nearby stops

A meadow boardwalk under a mile long is accessible. The most popular hike is the waterfall trail, about 3 miles out and back up the creek to a 50-foot fall. Longer routes climb about 4 miles one way to Burnside Lake, and the Charity Valley Trail runs about 7 miles one way to Blue Lakes Road, popular with mountain bikers.

For more hot water, the Carson Valley is an easy drive north. David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort near Genoa has mineral tubs and a heated pool, and Carson Hot Springs on the north edge of Carson City has flow-through outdoor pools and private rooms.