Mono Hot Springs

What to expect

Mono Hot Springs is a small summer settlement at about 6,500 feet on the South Fork of the San Joaquin River, deep in the Sierra National Forest between Yosemite and Kings Canyon. It has two halves. On the north bank is Mono Hot Springs Resort, a cluster of stone and timber cabins started by Walter Hill in 1935, with a general store, a post office, the River Rock Cafe and a mineral bathhouse. On the south bank, up a granite hillside, are the natural pools, which sit on national forest land and are free to use.

Wikipedia counts six separate springs here, the hottest at 112°F44°C at the source. The resort’s own guide names more than that, and the water in each pool is different.

The pools

• Old Pedro is the one most people come for. Two concrete-walled tubs remain from a bathhouse the Civilian Conservation Corps built in 1934. The resort says the water usually sits around 106-107°F41-42°C, so most people soak for 10 or 15 minutes, cool off, and go back in.
• Reed Pools are about 100 yards uphill from Old Pedro. They are also concrete-lined and usually a little cooler. Water from this area is piped across the river to the resort bathhouse.
• Iodine Pools are concrete tubs deep enough to stand in, about 300 yards east through a meadow that is often muddy.
• Rock Garden is a natural granite pool with ferns above it, around 104°F40°C where the water enters. The Mud Baths sit a short scramble above it and are cooler, with a clay bottom.
• Little Eden and Rose Garden are farther out, near Edison Lake Road. Little Eden is big enough to swim in and is often near swimming pool temperature, which is welcome on a hot July afternoon.

The resort bathhouse is a different experience. An attendant shows you to a private room with either a long clawfoot tub or a deeper tiled tub, filled with spring water that the resort lists at 100-104°F38-40°C. There are hot mineral showers and an outdoor spa that looks up at Mount Hooper. Massage can be booked by phone.

Getting there

From Fresno, take CA-168 northeast through Clovis and Shaver Lake to Huntington Lake. Wikipedia puts the total at about 70 miles to Huntington Lake, and the resort says to allow about two and a half hours for the roughly 85 miles from Fresno to Mono Hot Springs.

At Huntington Lake, watch for the Mono Hot Springs sign and turn right onto Kaiser Pass Road. If you reach Lakeshore Resort, you have gone about a mile too far. The first 5 miles are ordinary two-lane road. After that the road narrows to a paved single lane with blind curves and a few exposed cliff sections, and it climbs over Kaiser Pass at more than 9,000 feet. Plan on about 20 mph. When you meet another car, one of you backs up to a turnout. Long trailers and big RVs are a poor fit.

After about 8 miles on the narrow section you pass a small Forest Service ranger station. Two miles later, turn left at the Mono Hot Springs sign onto Edison Lake Road. It drops to the river; the resort turnoff is just past the bridge. Going straight instead takes you to Florence Lake.

Fuel: No gas is sold at Mono Hot Springs or anywhere beyond Huntington Lake. Fill up in Shaver Lake.

To the free pools: Day visitors park in the day-use lot, walk through the campground to the river and cross to the south side. Wikipedia describes fording the river, and older trip reports describe a slippery footbridge. How you cross depends on the year and the water level, so ask at the general store for a facility map and current advice. The walk to Old Pedro takes about 10 minutes.

When to go

The whole place runs on the Kaiser Pass Road calendar. The resort lists its 2026 season as May 22 to October 26, from Memorial Day weekend into late October. Early or late snow can shift both ends.

June brings high, cold snowmelt in the river. That makes any crossing more dangerous, so be cautious. July and August are the busiest months, with full campgrounds and warm days that make the cooler pools more appealing than Old Pedro. September is often the sweet spot: fewer people, cool nights and steady weather. The bathhouse keeps 8 am to 9 pm hours until September 15, then posts shorter hours at the store.

Weekends are busy at the free pools. Arrive early in the morning if you want Old Pedro to yourself.

Prices and booking

Resort rates published for 2026:

• Bathhouse day pass (private tubs, showers and outdoor spa, all day): $25 adults, $15 children 11 and under. Children 2 and under with a parent are free.
• Registered campers: $15 adults, $10 children per day.
• Shower only: $10 adults, $8 children.
• Resort cabin guests: bathhouse included.

One older page on the resort site still lists $20 and $10, so expect the posted price at the bathhouse to be the final word.

Bathhouse rules: no dogs around the bathhouse, no alcohol, no smoking and no nudity in the spa. Wear a suit at the free pools too, since families from the campground use them all day.

Cabins range from tent cabins at $89 to $105 a night up to stone housekeeping cabins at $169 to $229 and a honeymoon cabin at $279, plus 12.75% tax. There is a three-night minimum, check-in after 4 pm, and pets cost $18 per day (two dogs maximum, none in the honeymoon cabin). Reservations are taken by phone year-round at 559-325-1710. The resort does not answer email or text.

Where to stay nearby

• Mono Hot Springs Resort cabins, steps from the river.
• Mono Hot Springs Campground, run for the Sierra National Forest, is split into two sections on either side of the resort at about 6,700 feet. Sites have tables, grills and bear lockers. There are vault toilets but no drinking water, which you can buy at the store. Some sites are reservable on Recreation.gov and first-come sites take cash only.
• Mono Creek Campground is farther up Edison Lake Road at about 7,500 feet, in a meadow along Mono Creek.
• Ward Lake and Jackass Meadow campgrounds are near Florence Lake, about 6 miles past the Mono turnoff.
• Huntington Lake and Shaver Lake, an hour or more back over the pass, have lodges, cabins and more services.

Safety notes

• Heat: Old Pedro and Rock Garden run hot. Keep soaks short, drink plenty of water and keep your head above the surface.
• River: The San Joaquin runs fast and cold during snowmelt. Do not attempt a crossing that looks unsafe, and watch children closely near the bank.
• Footing: Granite, wet concrete and mud around the pools are slick. Wear shoes with grip.
• Remoteness: Cell service is very limited and full medical care is hours away back down CA-168. Bring what you need and tell someone your plans.
• Bears: Use the bear lockers at campsites and never leave food in a car or tent.

Nearby stops worth adding

Doris Lake is a short uphill walk from the meadow west of the cabins, and the resort says geothermal water keeps parts of it from freezing. Edison Lake and Florence Lake are reservoirs a short drive away with boating, fishing and trailheads into the John Muir and Ansel Adams wildernesses. Recreation.gov lists the Mono Creek Trail to Edison Lake as about a 10-mile round trip.