Indian Springs Calistoga

What to expect

Indian Springs is the oldest spa property in Calistoga and the one most tied to the town’s story. Sam Brannan, the promoter who named Calistoga, opened a spa resort here in the early 1860s, and the Napa County Landmarks listing dates the site to about 1861. Today it is a 17-acre resort at the east end of Lincoln Avenue with cottages, bungalows, lodge rooms, palm trees, lavender and a large lawn with bocce and croquet.

The center of everything is the Main Pool. It was built in 1913 to replace the original 19th-century plunge and is Olympic size, which makes it far larger than the hot pools at most Calistoga hotels. The water comes from four geysers on the property. According to the resort, they push up water at about 230°F110°C from deep underground, and it is cooled in reservoirs before it reaches the pools and spa. You can often see steam rising from the hill above the pool, which is where the geysers vent.

Do not expect hot-tub heat across the whole pool. The resort heats it seasonally to somewhere between 92 and 102°F33 and 39°C, with the warmer end in winter. It feels like a very warm swimming pool, good for long, slow laps or floating, rather than a short scalding soak. A second, smaller Adult Pool usually runs about ten degrees cooler than the Main Pool.

The spa is in the 1913 Mission Revival bathhouse. Its signature is the volcanic ash mud bath. A deposit of ash runs through the property, and the spa mixes it with the geyser water. Mud baths are communal and split by gender. Spa services also come with time at the Buddha Pond, a quiet water garden next to the spa.

Prices and booking

Indian Springs does not sell standalone day passes. Here is how access works, based on the resort’s own FAQ and spa pages:

• Hotel guests use the pools as part of their stay. Hours change with the season, but pools typically stay open until midnight for overnight guests.
• Spa day guests can buy a pool pass for $50, but only if they book a 50-minute spa service (the salt room does not qualify). Spa guests can swim from 10am to 6pm.
• No pool passes on Saturdays. Other blackout dates apply too, and passes are limited.
• Companions without a treatment cannot buy a pass. There are no exceptions for children.

Selected prices from the current spa menu (undated, so check before you go):

• Indian Springs Mud Bath Ritual, 60 minutes: $170
• Classic Mineral Bath, 45 minutes: $125
• Signature Massage, 50 minutes: $195
• Himalayan Salt Therapy Room, 25 minutes: $45

The spa opens at 8:45am. The first treatment starts at 9am and the last at 4:30pm. Arrive 20 minutes early. If you are late, a mud bath cannot start, and other services are cut short rather than extended. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead or you pay in full. A robe, slippers and a locker are included with treatments. Gratuity is paid at the spa desk, not added as a service charge.

Age limits matter if you are traveling with teenagers. Facials, the salt room and binaural beats sessions are 12 and over. Mud baths, mineral baths, massages and body treatments are 16 and over. Guests aged 12 to 17 need a parent in the treatment room, and for a mud or mineral bath the parent has to book one at the same time.

Hotel bookings need a full deposit when you reserve. Cancel more than seven days out and you pay a $25 processing fee. Inside seven days, you are charged one night plus tax.

Getting there

Indian Springs is at 1712 Lincoln Avenue in Calistoga, at the north end of the Napa Valley. From the city of Napa, drive north on Highway 29 through Yountville and St. Helena. Highway 29 turns into Lincoln Avenue as it enters Calistoga. The resort is on Lincoln at the east end of town, within walking distance of the downtown shops and restaurants.

From San Francisco, the usual route is US-101 north across the Golden Gate Bridge, then Highway 37 and Highway 29 north through Napa. Traffic on Highway 29 can be slow on summer and harvest weekends, so leave extra time if you have a treatment booked.

On-site self-parking is free. The resort also lends bikes to guests, which is handy for getting around Calistoga.

When to go

The resort is open all year. Winter and early spring are the best months for the pool itself, because the water is kept at the warmer end of its range and the steam over the pool is easier to see in cold air. Calistoga also gets fewer visitors then than during summer and the grape harvest in late summer and fall.

Summer is pleasant for a long swim but the water is cooler, and weekend demand is high across the whole valley. Since day pool passes are not sold on Saturdays, a weekday spa booking gives you the best chance of getting a pass.

Where to stay nearby

Staying at Indian Springs is the only way to use the pools in the evening. Room types range from historic cottages and bungalows to lodge rooms. One of Sam Brannan’s original 1862 cottages still stands nearby at 109 Wapoo Avenue and is on the National Register of Historic Places, though it is a private building, not a hotel room.

Other Calistoga hotels have their own mineral pools, including Calistoga Spa Hot Springs a few blocks away and Dr. Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort on Lincoln Avenue. For camping, Bothe-Napa Valley State Park on Highway 29 between St. Helena and Calistoga has a campground in the redwoods.

Safety notes

• Heat: Even at 92 to 102°F33 to 39°C, a long soak followed by a mud bath can leave you lightheaded. The spa advises eating a light meal, drinking plenty of water and skipping alcohol before a mud bath.
• Geyser water: The water at the source is about 230°F110°C. It is cooled before it reaches the pools, but do not touch any vents, pipes or steaming ground on the hillside.
• Children: Kids under 14 must be with an adult at the pool. The pool is large and deep in places, so watch young swimmers.
• Pregnancy and health conditions: The spa has a dedicated prenatal massage but sets age and health rules for baths. Ask the spa desk before booking a mud or mineral bath if you are pregnant or have a heart condition.

Nearby stops worth adding

Old Faithful Geyser of California, a short drive north of town on Tubbs Lane, is a privately run geyser that erupts at intervals and makes a good pairing with a pool visit. Downtown Calistoga along Lincoln Avenue has tasting rooms, bakeries and other spa hotels, and it is close enough to walk to from the resort.