Hilltop Hot Springs (Pulky's Pool)

What to expect

Hilltop Hot Springs is one of the small, primitive soaks scattered across Long Valley, the broad sagebrush basin east of Mammoth Lakes that sits inside the Long Valley Caldera. Many people know it by its other name, Pulky’s Pool. It is a single tub, built from rock and cement, perched on a low rise above a marshy creek bottom. From the water you look west across open range to the Sierra Nevada, which is the main reason people come.

The tub is small. Guides describe it as roughly 2 to 3 feet deep and a few feet across, fitting about four to six people if everyone is friendly. Hot water arrives by pipe from a geothermal source close by, and a valve on that pipe controls the flow. Open it and hot water pours in. Close it and the tub slowly cools in the desert air. Because of that valve, the temperature depends on whoever was there before you. Reported temperatures run from about 90°F32°C up to 110°F43°C, and one writer who visited in 2025 found it at about 103°F39°C, easing to 101°F38°C. The source itself is reported to exceed 130°F54°C.

The inside of the tub is slick. Some visitors have left mats and a step to help with entry, and grabbing the rock rim as you lower yourself in is a good habit.

There is nothing else here. No toilets, no running water, no trash cans, no shade structure and no staff. The land around Long Valley’s tubs is public land that guides list as managed by the Bureau of Land Management, and cattle graze the valley in summer.

Getting there

Hilltop sits just north of Benton Crossing Road, a short drive off US-395 between Mammoth Lakes and Bishop.

• From Mammoth Lakes: Head down to US-395 and drive south for roughly 13 miles total from town. Turn left onto Benton Crossing Road, just past the Mammoth Yosemite Airport. A small green church on the corner is the landmark everyone uses.
• From Bishop: Drive north on US-395 for about 35 miles and turn right at the same green church.

Follow Benton Crossing Road for about 3 to 3.7 miles (guides measure it slightly differently), crossing a pair of cattle guards. Take the first unmarked dirt road on the left and follow it about 0.2 miles to one of two small dirt parking areas. The drive takes roughly 15 minutes from Mammoth Lakes.

The spur road is rough and potholed. Guides report SUVs doing fine and low sedans struggling. If you are worried, park near Benton Crossing Road and walk the extra distance. Many rental agreements also forbid driving on unpaved roads, so check yours.

From the lot, a defined path of packed dirt and wooden planks runs about a quarter mile to the tub with almost no climbing. Stay on it. The ground around the springs is soft and easily scarred.

When to go

Spring and fall are the most comfortable seasons. Days are mild, nights are cold, and steam rises off the tub at dawn.

Summer is the busiest time. Long Valley also turns buggy in the warmer months, and the marshy ground near the creek breeds mosquitoes. Go early.

Winter can be the most dramatic, with snow on the Sierra and frost on the sage, but Benton Crossing Road is not maintained like US-395, and the dirt spur and lots can close or become impassable after snow. Expect to park on the road and walk or snowshoe in, and carry chains and warm layers.

Whatever the season, sunrise on a weekday gives you the best chance of the tub to yourself. It is easy to reach, so it can be crowded at any hour. A 2025 visitor who arrived before sunrise on a weekday still saw several groups come and go within an hour.

Rules and etiquette

There is no fee and no posted hours. What keeps the place usable is visitors following a few unwritten rules:

• Leave the valve partly open when you leave. Around a quarter open is the usual advice. Shut it and the next group finds a cold tub. Leave it wide open and the next group may find it scalding.
• Share. The tub holds only a handful of people. If others are waiting, keep your soak reasonable.
• Clothing is optional. Nudity is common at Long Valley’s tubs. Swimsuits are fine too.
• No soap, shampoo or glass. Soap leaves a film in a tub this small, and broken glass in a hot spring is dangerous.
• Pack out everything, including food scraps, dog waste and toilet paper.
• Keep it quiet. No parties or loud music.

Camping rules near the spring are unclear. One guide says overnight and dispersed camping is prohibited in the area, while another describes people camping in the lot. Much of Long Valley is owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power rather than the BLM, and the two have different rules. Do not camp at the tub or in the meadow, and confirm with the BLM Bishop Field Office before you plan an overnight stop.

Where to stay nearby

• Brown’s Owens River Campground, off Benton Crossing Road, is the closest developed campground. It is seasonal.
• Mammoth Lakes, about 15 minutes away, has hotels, condos and several national forest campgrounds. Most of the higher campgrounds close for winter.
• Convict Lake and Crowley Lake, both a short drive south on US-395, have campgrounds and small resorts.
• Bishop, about 40 minutes south, has the widest range of budget motels and services.

Safety notes

• Valve and water temperature: The single biggest risk here is a tub that someone left on full. Test the water with a hand or foot first, and be ready to wait while it cools. Keep soaks short and get out if you feel lightheaded.
• Slick surfaces: The tub floor and rim are slippery. Move slowly and use the rock edge.
• Altitude and cold: Long Valley is high desert. Winter nights fall well below freezing, and wet skin chills fast once you step out. Bring a warm layer for the walk back.
• Mud and snow: Dirt roads in the valley turn soft after rain and snowmelt. Do not drive onto a muddy spur hoping for the best. Cell coverage is unreliable, and help is far away.
• Livestock: Cattle graze the area in summer. Give them room and keep dogs leashed.

Nearby stops worth adding

Long Valley has several other primitive soaks within a few miles. Wild Willy’s Hot Spring (also called Crowley Hot Spring) is farther along Benton Crossing Road, with natural sand-bottomed pools and the only vault toilet in this part of the valley. Hot Creek Geologic Site, a few miles away off Hot Creek Hatchery Road, is closed to soaking but worth a stop to look down on its steaming blue pools from the overlook. Crowley Lake and Convict Lake are both close for an afternoon walk after a morning soak.