Wild Willy's Hot Spring (Crowley Hot Spring)

What to expect

Wild Willy’s is the hot spring most people picture when they think of Long Valley. It sits on Bureau of Land Management land in the middle of a wide sagebrush plain inside the Long Valley Caldera, about 13 miles from Mammoth Lakes at an elevation of roughly 6,800 feet. You may also see it called Crowley Hot Spring, after Crowley Lake a few miles to the south. It is the same place.

Unlike the concrete tubs elsewhere in the valley, the pools here are natural. You sit on a sandy, silty bottom rather than on a man-made basin. There are two main pools:

• The main pool is the big one at the end of the boardwalk. It is roughly heart-shaped, around 3 feet deep and about 10 feet across, and fits 10 to 15 people. A small warm creek feeds it, and you can drift around to find the spot that suits you.
• The smaller pool sits against a rock outcrop. It is about 2 feet deep, holds up to five people, and runs a little hotter.

Reported pool temperatures are roughly 98 to 102°F37 to 39°C, with the source water around 105°F41°C. On a cold, windy day the big pool can feel cooler than you expect.

The setting is what makes it. The basin is open in every direction, with the Sierra crest to the west and the Glass Mountains to the east. Sunrise turns the peaks pink, and on clear nights the sky is full of stars. There are no toilets, trash cans, changing rooms or drinking water.

Getting there

From Mammoth Lakes, drive down to US-395 and head south. The turn is Benton Crossing Road, close to Mammoth Yosemite Airport. Heading south it comes just after the airport, and heading north from Bishop just before it. Look for a small green church on the corner.

1. Turn northeast onto Benton Crossing Road and drive about 3 miles.
2. Just after a cattle guard, turn right onto an unmarked dirt road. In 2022 the BLM and Mono County moved this entrance about 400 feet southwest of its old spot to improve visibility for drivers, so older directions may put the turn in slightly the wrong place.
3. Follow the dirt road about 1.4 to 1.5 miles to the parking area at the end.

The dirt road is bumpy and potholed. Most cars manage it slowly in dry weather, but low-clearance cars bottom out, and nobody should try it wet or snowy. The BLM resurfaces it from time to time and closes it during that work, so call the Bishop Field Office at 760-872-5000 if you are making a special trip. On busy days hundreds of vehicles use this road, and the lot fills.

From the lot, a path of gravel and raised wooden boardwalk crosses the wet ground to the pools. It is flat and about a quarter mile, roughly 10 minutes on foot. Stay on the boardwalk. The meadow soil turns to deep mud when it is wet, and the plant cover around the springs is easily damaged.

When to go

Late May to early October is the main season. The road is dry, days are warm and nights are cool. Summer air temperatures in Long Valley rarely go much above 90°F32°C, but they fall to between about 30 and 60°F−1 and 16°C around sunrise and sunset, so bring layers.

Winter is the most atmospheric season and the hardest. The springs stay hot, but snow can close the access road, and the road should not be driven when it is soft. If you come in winter, base yourself in Mammoth Lakes, check conditions first and be ready to walk.

Wild Willy’s is popular, so solitude is rare. Your best chance is a weekday at sunrise. Evenings and weekends are busy, and people visit well after dark to look at the stars.

Rules and etiquette

The BLM charges nothing and posts no hours, so the site depends on visitors behaving well.

• No camping at the springs or in the parking lot. Camp elsewhere on BLM land, away from the pools.
• Clothing is optional. Nudity is common, mainly early and late in the day. Swimsuits are just as welcome.
• No soap, no shampoo, no glass. Broken glass in a silty pool bottom is a real hazard.
• Pack out everything, including other people’s trash if you can. There are no bins.
• Stay on the boardwalk and keep vehicles on the road.
• Ask before taking photos. Keep phones pointed away from other soakers.
• Cattle graze here. Keep dogs under control so they do not chase livestock.

Where to stay nearby

• Brown’s Owens River Campground is about 10 minutes away on Benton Crossing Road and is open roughly April to September.
• Convict Lake Campground, about 20 minutes south off US-395, is a summer-only Forest Service campground in a dramatic glacial setting.
• Dispersed camping is possible on BLM land in Long Valley. Parts of the valley are owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which allows camping only in its designated campgrounds, so confirm the land status with the BLM before you set up.
• Mammoth Lakes has hotels, condos and restaurants and is the only real option in winter, when lodging prices rise with ski season.

Safety notes

• Altitude and heat: At nearly 7,000 feet, hot water and dry air dehydrate you quickly. Bring plenty of drinking water and sunscreen.
• Cold after the soak: The walk back can be freezing at night. Have a warm layer and a headlamp ready.
• Mud: Off the boardwalk the ground can be deep, sticky mud. Stay on the path.
• Road conditions: Do not drive the dirt road when it is wet or snowy. Getting towed out of Long Valley is expensive.
• Water: Do not drink the spring water, and keep your head above the surface.

Nearby stops worth adding

The smaller tubs in the western part of the valley, including Crab Cooker, Shepherd Hot Spring and Rock Tub, are a few miles back along Benton Crossing Road and Whitmore Tubs Road if you want a second soak. Crowley Lake, south of the valley, is known for trout fishing, and the eroded columns along its eastern shore make a good short outing when water levels allow.