Dr. Wilkinson's Backyard Resort and Mineral Springs

What to expect

Calistoga has been selling mud baths since the 1800s, and Dr. Wilkinson’s is the name most people associate with them. John “Doc” Wilkinson and his wife Edy opened the place in 1952 on Lincoln Avenue, the town’s main street. The family ran it for more than 60 years before selling to San Francisco based Chartres Lodging Group in 2019. The new owners closed it for about a year, renovated it top to bottom, and reopened it as Dr. Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort and Mineral Springs. It is now part of Design Hotels, which sits within the Marriott Bonvoy network.

The result keeps the bones of a 1950s motor lodge, including the neon sign that has hung over Lincoln Avenue for decades, but the rooms, pool deck and spa are new. Expect painted murals, lounge chairs, daybeds and striped cabanas around the outdoor pools, and a counter-service restaurant and bar called House of Better. It feels more like a design motel with a spa than an old bathhouse.

The water comes from the geothermal aquifer under Calistoga. The resort says it carries sulfur, zinc, magnesium, calcium and bromine. Three pools use it, each at its own temperature:

• The Spring: about 85°F29°C, cool enough for laps on a hot day.
• The Warm Spring: about 95°F35°C, the comfortable all-day pool.
• The Hot Spring: about 104°F40°C, marked as an adults-only quiet zone.

Two pools are outdoors and one is indoors in the Spa Gardens. ResortPass lists the indoor pool as 18 and over only.

The mud baths

The mud bath is the reason many people come. The house mix is the one the Wilkinsons used from 1952: volcanic ash from the area blended with hot mineral water into a thick, warm slurry. You lie in it for a set time, rinse off, then move through the rest of the routine.

The spa sells two main packages:

• The Mudslinger (60 minutes): mud bath, mineral whirlpool bath, facial mask, geothermal steam room and a blanket wrap. ResortPass lists it from $220 including fees.
• The Works (about 2 hours): everything in the Mudslinger plus a 60-minute Swedish massage. Book through the spa directly for current pricing.

ResortPass also sells a 60-minute Mineral Bath treatment without the mud, from $199, and a combined Mudslinger plus private day room package for two from $392. The spa adds a 5% geothermal fee, which is already built into its listed prices. Call the spa at 707-942-6258 to ask whether a treatment booking includes pool time on the day you want.

Prices and booking

Day access is sold through ResortPass rather than at the front desk. Prices move with demand, so these are the “from” rates listed in October 2026:

• Daycation Pass: from $90 per person, including fees. Covers both outdoor pools and the indoor pool, towel service, outdoor showers, Wi-Fi and self-parking.
• Daybed for two: from $168.
• North or South Cabana for two: from $224, with a daybed and fans.
• Day Room plus pool access for two: from $224, with a private room from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Children under 5 enter free (up to two per booking). Anyone 5 or older pays the adult rate, and the indoor pool is restricted to adults 18 and over. Robes and lockers are not provided, and you cannot bring outside food or drinks. Check in at the front desk with your confirmation and photo ID. Most bookings can be cancelled for a full refund within the window shown on each listing.

Hours on ResortPass are 9 AM to 10 PM for the pools, daybeds and cabanas. House of Better serves from 8 AM to 9 PM.

Overnight guests stay in about 50 rooms: mid-century king rooms, private bungalows, and the 1924 Victorian House, which sleeps up to 15 across two family rooms. Rooms book on the resort website or by phone at 707-942-4102. The resort is pet-friendly and asks you to discuss pets when you book. Parking is free on site and includes EV chargers.

Getting there

The resort is at 1507 Lincoln Avenue, in the middle of downtown Calistoga at the north end of the Napa Valley.

• From Napa: Take Highway 29 north through Yountville, Oakville and St. Helena. In Calistoga, Highway 29 becomes Lincoln Avenue, and the resort is on the main street among the shops and restaurants.
• From San Francisco: Cross the Golden Gate or Bay Bridge and head north to Napa, then follow Highway 29 up the valley. Expect about 1.5 to 2 hours, more on weekends during harvest.
• From Santa Rosa and Highway 101: Take Calistoga Road or Petrified Forest Road east over the hills into town.

Highway 29 through the valley is a two-lane road that backs up badly on summer and fall weekends. Leave early or come midweek.

When to go

Calistoga is busy from late summer through October, when the grape harvest fills hotels and roads. Summer afternoons in the valley are hot, and the cool 85°F47°C pool earns its place then.

Winter and early spring are quieter and better suited to hot water. Rain is common from December to March, but a 104°F40°C pool in a light rain is a good way to spend an afternoon. Weekday visits get you the most room on the pool deck and better day pass rates.

Where to stay nearby

The resort itself is the simplest base, and everything in downtown Calistoga is within walking distance. Calistoga has several other spa hotels with their own mineral pools if you want to compare. For camping, Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, a few miles south of town on Highway 29, has a campground in the redwoods, and St. Helena and Napa have more hotels further down the valley.

Safety notes

• Mud baths and heat: The mud and steam room raise your body temperature. Drink water before and after, and tell the attendant if you feel lightheaded.
• Health: Skip the hottest pool and the mud if you are pregnant or have heart or blood pressure conditions unless your doctor has cleared it. The spa will ask about this when you book.
• Wine and hot water: Calistoga visits often mix tastings and soaking. Alcohol and 104°F40°C water together is a fast route to dizziness, so leave the tasting room for after.
• Wet surfaces: Pool decks and spa floors get slippery. Bring sandals.

Nearby stops worth adding

Old Faithful Geyser of California, just north of town, is a privately run geothermal geyser that erupts at regular intervals. The Sharpsteen Museum on Washington Street covers Calistoga’s spa town history, including founder Sam Brannan. For a hike, Robert Louis Stevenson State Park on Highway 29 north of town has the trail up Mount St. Helena.