Wild Willy's Hot Springs
Wild Willy's Hot Springs is a Bureau of Land Management spring in Mono County, about twelve miles from Mammoth Lakes, on ground the Bishop Field Office administers. the access on record says open. The water comes up hot, hotter than you would want to lie in at the source. It carries a fair mineral load, with iron and sulfate among what a 1990 sample found.
From the nearest road it is a walk of under half a mile. The road goes unnamed in the record. This is high country, near seven thousand feet, on BLM land that carries no special designation. Winter is serious, with around six feet of snow a winter, and the annual mean sits in the forties. Rain is modest.
The record picks December through February, which against that much snow means checking conditions and being ready for a cold walk in. Short walk on open BLM ground. Crowley Lake Campground is listed about six miles away. Nothing on fees. The water is hot enough to need care; test it before you commit. The water figures date to 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 Wild Willy's Hot Springs.
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
- Level with the spring
- Within a quarter mile
A slice through the ground from northwest to southeast, 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 Wild Willy's Hot Springs 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...
Wild Willy's Hot Springs 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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Wild Willy's Hot Springs is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear. The water runs hot, so extra hydration is key.
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