Mono Hot Springs Resort ~ Sierra Nevada Bliss

My Honda Element can do this!  I had to force myself to relax as we began the climb over 9,300 ft Kaiser Pass.  It helped considerably that we began to encounter a few regular passenger vehicles on their way down . . . Whew!  The anticipation of this section of the ride had been interestingly keen!

Upon my initial internet recon, I had considered venturing to Mono Hot Springs Resort solo.  It was, however, heading as far into the western Sierra Nevada as you can get via car, deep into Ansel Adam’s “Range of Light” and the John Muir Wilderness (Highway 120 – Tioga Pass Road not included). By the looks of things on a map, it was in the “do-able” category for my car, and my comfort level.  After reading several accounts of the “gnarly”, sixteen-mile drive from Huntington Lake to up and over Kaiser Pass, I started to feel like a bit of company might be a good thing.  I called the Resort (no online reservations) and asked about accommodation options.  It was May and with lodging choices already limited for the season, (May-October) they offered up a small tent cabin for mid-August.  I took it.  After a quick call to friend Melissa to confirm she’d come along, we were set.

Mono Hot Springs Resort enjoys a very interesting history as a side effect of Southern California’s and the city of Los Angeles’s growing need for power.  Starting in 1910, the “Big Creek Project” began, the largest hydroelectric project in the world at the time, a scope of work rivaling the Panama Canal.  It was a vast system of lakes and connecting tunnels, penstocks and power houses, all put into action by the Southern California Edison Company.  For years, the project and road slowly progressed through miles of difficult terrain and immense granite obstacles until in the mid-1920’s, the last six miles of Kaiser Pass Road, dubbed “the cheap and nasty” was completed.  Great documentation available via “The Story of Big Creek” by David H. Redinger, Resident Engineer for the Big Creek Hydroelectric Project, penned in 1949.

By the 1930’s tales of the rejuvenating effects of the mineral hot springs, the stunning landscapes and recreation opportunities in the area had begun circulating and attracting Californians to the area.  In 1934 the Forest Service utilized the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to help construct a bathhouse and several buildings on the south side of the San Joaquin River.  Construction of Mono Hot Springs Resort began in 1935, under a permit from the Forest Service and the direction of Walter Hill.  The Resort opened to great fanfare in 1937.  Walter Hill and his family spent the following fifteen years adding a café, general store and many cobblestone cabins. In 1963, the resort was bought by the Winslow family, whom continue to run it to this day.

We began our trip from the Ventura area about 9:00am after loading my car to the brim with all the accoutrements of a fun, glamping adventure. Right out of the gate, I’d forgotten a couple of seriously important items, a camp chair and my river shoes. Crap!  Knowing that we wanted to stop at Sam’s Italian Deli in Fresno for a famous pastrami sandwich, we jumped on the SR 126 East to the I-5 North, up and over the Grapevine, transitioning onto I-99 North.

After several hours on the road, we pit-stopped at interesting, Bravo Farms, a perfect, family friendly, roadside “stretch your legs” kind of place.  Cafe, cheese factory, local gourmet snacks, knickknacks, vintage items of interest, a tree house, petting zoo and LOTS of free entertainment are made available ~ all done in a thirty-minute car break.  I highly recommend, especially if you’re traveling with kids (of all ages).

Now hungry and back on the road we made a beeline for Sam’s Italian Deli & Market.  Due to Covid, we ordered online in advance, engineered a quick pick-up, bathroom break and car “picnic” of perhaps the best pastrami sandwich, EVER!  Onward!

Cutting over to the Clovis/Huntington Lake Freeway SR 168 in Fresno, we continued up to Shaver Lake where we topped off our gas tank.  Shaver Lake and one additional stop at Huntington Lake, Rancheria Enterprises, (which  closes at 6:00pm), are your only options for gas past this point.

Back on the SR 168, as you start the counterclockwise circle around beautiful Huntington Lake, watch for the Mono Hot Springs sign on the right.  The first five miles or so of Kaiser Pass Road is a two-lane mountain road. Then the road ascends and narrows . . . in some places, a LOT.  People were courteous on pullovers.  He, who has the best option, does the job of moving forward/back/over.  On a few of the car “passes” it was clear that the other driver was a regular traveler on this road, or at the very least, considerably more comfortable “mountain goat” driving than I was. That said, there are a few cliffs, but honestly, it was not too bad.

Our modest speed resulted in an approximate two-hour trip from Shaver Lake to reach the entrance to Mono Hot Springs Resort.  Glad to have arrived and ready to get out of the car, it was interesting to see folks masked up this far out, (required in the store and bathhouse) in the wilderness.  We checked-in and were given the keys to Tent Cabin #7.  After such a long day of driving, we found our accommodation, unpacked, settled in, opened bottle a of wine and put my new Blackstone 17” griddle to the test.

The next morning dawned cool but warmed quickly.  We rustled up a great breakfast, the kind to be proud of and one that brought the “glamping factor” right on in . . .  In addition, Melissa whipped out a bright banner (surprise!) and I produced a string of solar lights that, moments later, we had hanging cheerfully from the front of our tent cabin. Great minds think alike!  I was especially fascinated by the small vase Melissa produced that she continually stuffed with assorted sprigs throughout our trip, gracefully morphing into a lovely picnic table bouquet.  So creative!  Decorating and clean-up duties complete, we organized for a day of hiking and headed out.

Checking out Mono Hot Springs Resort’s bathhouse first, we discovered it had a few private rooms available for soaking in vintage tubs. Reserved on a first come, first serve basis or through reservations when things are busier.  Nothing fancy, but clean and private. We opted to explore a bit further afield and made our way towards the natural hot springs.  It was Friday, and our thoughts moved along the lines of “Let’s see what we can see”, before the weekend crowds arrive.

A short walk from the bathhouse there is a parking area running parallel to the Sierra National Forest Campground. Since we had no clue as to the actual overall distances between things, we opted to park in the parking lot and walk through the campground to the San Joaquin river.  The Resort supplies a fun, graphic map, but distances are not necessarily to scale.

The campground is separate from the Resort and is operated by California Land Management (CLM).  Sites are reserved through Recreation.gov and are available on a six month rolling window.  Great for vans or tent camping, but not much in the way of trailers or recreation vehicles, the drive in, kind of precludes that . . .  Riverfront site #26 was indeed the money shot, with sites #30 and #31 coming in as close seconds (Map). And no, I did not draw that map myself!

After a bit of scrambling, we found the barely recognizable, cobblestone path to the log bridge which serves as a gateway to the “Swimming Hole”.  Be prepared to walk on uneven surfaces, and for those with balance, foot or knee issues, a good hiking stick/pole is a must!  Once to the waters’ edge, the scenery was gorgeous.  The south fork of the San Joaquin river, was by now, running on August water, suggestive in current, but not voluminous in an overtly frightening way. It flowed around a large granite boulder in the center of the river, under the log bridge and then about its business downstream.  The numerous rock cairns placed along waters’ edge inspired a magical, almost ethereal effect.  This itself was worth the drive.

The log bridge consisted of two, not particularly wide, fallen trees strapped together a bit unevenly.  This makeshift footbridge was not orientated high off the water, or wobbly, but carrying a heavy camera did give pause. Appropriate footwear advised and your yoga classes will pay off here.  Balance is everything.  This was the explore “leveler”.  The number of your years appeared to be directly proportionate to the ferocity and speed of which you undertook this river cross challenge.

Once on the other side, we progressed up the slippery slopes of a muddy bank to the first Natural hot spring, Old Pedro.  Catching it empty, we slide on in.  The hottest of all the pools, it was almost a tad too hot for the high 80’s August weather.  We adjusted quickly, the experience being so novel, what the heck!  The views ~ spectacular. After a nice soak and a few photos, we followed hot spring etiquette and relinquished our turn to the arrival of a father-daughter team.

Upwards, we traversed the hill to discover more of what the day held for us, coming across what looked like a cistern adorned with, a cattle trough? Endless opportunities for ridiculousness here, and we took full advantage!

Next we headed up and over to Reed Pools, another cement lined hot spring with a nice view, but with water significantly cooler than Old Pedro below.  It too had a lovely backdrop.

Melissa had done some internet sleuthing in advance and TripAdvisor had offered a few reports of crowds and garbage. There were people present, but not en masse and although you could see how garbage and crowds could possibly be an issue, everyone must have been on their best behavior recently as none of this was in evidence.  

Navigating a large, rather muddy meadow, we approached a river eddy that was doubling as a sparking clear “float zone”.  A young couple were enjoying an innertube chillax session.  Immediately to the right of the eddy was an interesting shoot of river, perfect for a lazy“river run”.  A little something for everyone.  In full “adventure mode” now and with the water shallow, we attempted a river crossing instead of doubling back to the log bridge. 

Towards evening, with a high-altitude flush on our cheeks, (or was it sunburn?) and a bit of dust between our toes, we finished off our day with more amazing eats, wine, a beautiful sunset and then a cozy fire. Our tent decorations fluttered in the wind, a little askew, lights twinkling gently, we stared dozily at the flames.  A perfect day.

Energized the following day, we purchased a couple of tubes ($9.99 at the General Store) and tried our luck at a river float. This was interesting. The river that seemed almost lazy, had a definite pull, thus reiterating my great respect for moving water.  We’d put in at what seemed like far enough upstream, but we were quickly swept along and into the main swimming hole, where I clamored to the side to avoid not being shot downstream. We were just considering a hike further upstream to drop in for another run when the afternoon was interrupted by a distant crack of thunder.  Within moments the Sierra sky let loose with one of her best afternoon downpours, adding just the right amount of drama, making us glad we were already completely wet!  Heading back to camp, now completely soaked, we dried off, changed into comfy clothes and settled in for a nice afternoon nap, complete with wind, rain and thunder. Entertainment at its finest.

On this trip, mostly due to the heat when it was not raining, we kept hiking on the down-low.  There are many incredible hikes in the area ~ crystalline alpine lakes abound, in addition to other explores along the river.  Fly fishing is also a popular pastime.  Check out this link for more info: Mono Hot Springs Hiking.

Masterminding the Explore (A few insights):

• As usual, if you want a cabin or tent cabin, call for a reservation as far in advance as possible. For the National Forest Service campground, reserve well in advance at Recreation.gov.
• Look up the location of your cabin or tent cabin on this map. Our tent cabin had a great backdrop, was one of the smaller ones and perfect for us, however, it sat directly across from Tent cabins #1 and #2.  Late at night, a family with five young children arrived quietly, but the next morning presented daylight and a CONSTANT and not minimal level of epic kid clatter that permeated our campsite from that time on. We get it.  Camping is for kids, but we could have avoided this for ourselves with one of the other sites.  Tent cabins #3, #4, #5 and #6 enjoy a lot more space and privacy.  I think Tent Cabin #3 would be my next pick for a larger group and #6 for a smaller one. Each site has pros and cons. Some more privacy, others just oriented a bit better.  All will work and have their own attributes.  Tent cabin #1 appeared to be the least attractive, (our loud family’s site), but was the only one with afternoon shade.
• Get gas in Shaver Lake and bring lots of water if you are not a spigot drinker.  There is a General Store with goodies, provisions, and yes, a faucet out front.  Thankfully, they never ran out of ice.
• Speaking of ice, due to the time of year and a bit of a heat wave, we went through A LOT of ice. It helped in the first day or so to have brought from home several frozen containers of water as block ice.  A good cooler helps too.
• The Café during Covid did have food “to-go” and although we did not partake, the reviews appeared good. It looked like a wonderful place for a meal on the outdoor patio under non-Covid conditions.
• Don’t expect much in the way of any kind of cell service past Huntington Lake. AT&T customers seemed to have the best run, but that too was spotty. Nothing on Verizon.  There was free WIFI at the Mono Hot Spring Resort General Store, but for the most part we were unplugged and unconnected.
• This is NOT an adventure for everyone. The word “Resort” is very subjective.  It’s an old-school High Sierra summer retreat. Not a lot has changed here over the years. We did not encounter nudity at the hot springs, but in the evenings, when the families retreat, I’m sure it becomes the norm.  I can’t speak to the cobblestone cabins, but our tent cabin was neat and clean, as were the restrooms.  I especially liked the way they rake the Tent cabin sites, creating a little bit of Zen for new arrivals . . .
• Bring bungies for making your own clothing hooks in your tent cabin.  No hooks or nails of any kind.  We were lucky to have an extra bed to use for putting our stuff on.

• Eat dinner and dispose of trash before the last trash pick-up (around 8:30pm). One night, we finished dinner rather late and brought our trash out to the garbage can after evening pick up, as did our neighbors.  This was a not so subtle bear invitation. Said invitation was received and the energetic guest showed up right as we began the peaceful slide toward sleep. This bear was HUGE. The contents of our neighbors’ trash can went EVERYWHERE.  The bear actually wanted nothing to do with us, and once shewed by banging pans, it shuffled off, probably a bit miffed. So glad to have brought my own porta-potty though, as venturing out into the night to use the restroom would have been fraught with anxiety ?

• Bring river shoes, or other lug soled shoes you are okay getting wet and very, very muddy. Add a good hiking stick or hiking poles if you could use the support.

• Next time, I’d probably opt for a weekday visit or shoot for September after school starts. It did not get terribly crowded, but if you’re looking for a bit more solitude, your chances are probably better mid-week.

This trip was a great choice after a long Covid spring and summer.  We felt very comfortable with our accommodations and all the wide-open space this explore presented. It was a long drive coming up for Southern California and I’m glad we did not pinch the time.  We did Thursday – Sunday.  One more day would have been nice too.

Swimming holes, lazy summer rivers, tubing, hot springs, and dusty mountain roads bring me back in time. For just a few days, I felt almost eighteen again.   Get out – Explore!

The very recent and ongoing fire in the area has been devastating.  The National Forests are currently closed.  Please check for latest information here:

Questions and comments welcome.