Hilltop Hot Spring
Hilltop Hot Spring, which OpenStreetMap lists as Alkali Hot Springs, is BLM ground near Mammoth Lakes, around twelve miles out, in Mono County. Access is listed as open. The source runs hot, above body temperature by a wide margin, and the water carries a heavy mineral load. Iron and sulfate both turned up in sampling. There is a photo.
Benton Crossing Road passes within a few dozen feet, so this is a pull-over spot. No walking involved. The Bishop Field Office manages the land. Seven thousand feet up, give or take, winters bring real snow, though the year as a whole is dry. Crowley Lake Campground is about seven miles distant.
Open public land, no fee on record. Winter ranks top for timing in the row, and with six feet of snow in an average year the road may decide for you. The source itself is too hot to soak in straight, so find out where the water has cooled first. Chemistry was sampled in 1990 and may have drifted since.
OpenStreetMap carries a second name, Alkali Hot Springs. The USGS site here was sampled in January 1990.
Aircraft with laser scanners measured this ground to within inches. The scan strips out trees and buildings, leaving the bare shape of the land around Hilltop Hot Spring.
Drag the handle to compare the two views. The orange dot marks the spring, in a frame about three quarters of a mile wide.
- Setting
- Open ground
- Flat, open ground all around.
- Highest ground nearby
- 29 ft above the spring
- Within a quarter mile, to the north
A slice through the ground from west to east, about 0.6 miles end to end.
Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.
That's about twice the US average of 65. It's higher than at 78% of the springs on this site.
Heat flow measures the warmth working its way up through the ground from deep inside the earth. Where it runs high, rain and snowmelt that seep down through cracks in the rock come back up hot.
See every spring on the geothermal heat map →
Heat flow estimate: Stanford Thermal Earth Model (Aljubran & Horne, 2024), CC BY 4.0.
The water at Hilltop Hot Spring is neutral (pH 7.0) with 1260 mg/L total dissolved solids. It is notably rich in sodium (supports circulation and skin hydration), chloride (natural antiseptic with skin health benefits), and total dissolved solids (higher mineral concentration for therapeutic soaking).
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Overview Crowley Lake Campground offers 47 RV/tent sites, maximum recommended RV length is 30 feet. All sites include a fire pit, picnic table and a lantern holder. No hook-up. Potable water is available. Dump station fee is $10.00, no passes accepted. Closest amenities are 2 miles south in Crowley, or 10 miles north in Mammoth Lakes. Recreation Popular activities include lake and stream fishing, boating, windsurfing, horseback riding, hiking, and wildlife viewing. Facilities Crowley Lake...
Hilltop Hot Spring sits at 6,880 feet above sea level, way above the mile-high mark. You may not feel the altitude strongly, but hot water still dehydrates you faster at elevation. UV is about 28% stronger than at sea level, so bring sunscreen and drink more water than you normally would.
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Hilltop Hot Spring is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear. The water runs hot, so extra hydration is key.
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