Keough's Hot Springs

What to expect

Keough’s Hot Springs is an old-fashioned plunge, not a spa. It sits at the foot of the Sierra Nevada a few minutes off US-395, about 7 miles south of Bishop, and it has been a swimming hole for Owens Valley families since Phillip Keough bought the property in 1919. If you grew up in Bishop, there is a decent chance you learned to swim here.

The main pool is big: 100 by 40 feet, running from 3 feet deep at one end to 8.5 feet at the other. The operator keeps it at about 88-90°F31-32°C all year, so it is warm enough to float in on a cold day but still cool enough for laps. Spring water comes out of the ground at roughly 123°F51°C, and instead of running straight in, it is sprayed from a raised pipe so it falls into the deep end like a waterfall. That spray is how the water cools down, and it is the first thing most people notice.

Next to it is the hot pool, 15 by 40 feet and only about 2 feet deep on average, kept close to 104°F40°C. This is where you go to sit and look across the valley toward the White Mountains. Both pools run on a flow-through system, and both are drained, scrubbed and refilled every week.

The grounds are simple: lounge chairs around the deck, dressing rooms and restrooms, a snack bar with an indoor eating area, an outdoor picnic area and a short rock garden trail. A small shop sells swim gear, souvenirs and camping supplies. It is clean and practical rather than fancy, and on a summer weekend it is loud with kids.

The pools

• Main pool: 100 x 40 ft, 3 to 8.5 ft deep, about 88-90°F31-32°C. Lap lanes are set up on weekdays outside holidays and school breaks.
• Hot pool: 15 x 40 ft, about 2 ft deep on average, about 104°F40°C all year.

The operator says the water carries 27 different minerals and flows at around 600 gallons a minute. Water aerobics classes run several times a week ($8 a class, no sign-up needed), and the pool hosts small birthday parties. Groups of more than 10 should call ahead.

Getting there

Keough’s is on Keough Hot Springs Road, which leaves US-395 on the west side between Bishop and Big Pine.

• From Bishop: Drive about 7.4 miles south on US-395 and turn right onto Keough Hot Springs Road. Continue straight about 0.6 miles to the pools.
• From Big Pine and the south: Drive about 7.6 miles north on US-395 and turn left onto Keough Hot Springs Road, then continue 0.6 miles.

The road is paved and fine for any car or RV. Parking is right by the entrance, and the walk from car to pool is a minute or two. Keough Hot Springs is also the name of the tiny cluster of homes around the resort, so do not be surprised to pass a few houses on the way in.

When to go

The pools are open all year, which is the main reason locals love them. Winter is the best season for the hot pool: the air on the valley floor can be near freezing, snow sits on the Sierra crest above you, and the contrast with 104°F40°C water is the point. Summer is busy and hot in the Owens Valley, and the big pool turns into a family swim park, especially on weekends.

Posted hours are 11 am to 6 pm Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and 9 am to 6 pm on Saturday and Sunday. The pools are closed every Tuesday for maintenance. The website labels these as winter hours and says hours are subject to change, so call 760-872-4670 if you are driving any distance or want a late swim.

For a quieter soak, aim for a weekday afternoon after the morning lap swimmers and aerobics classes have cleared out.

Prices and booking

There is no booking for a day swim. You pay at the door:

• Adults: $14
• Children 3-12: $10
• Age 2 and under: $5
• 10-swim pass: $110 adult, $75 child
• Monthly pass: $100

Swimsuits are the norm; this is a public family pool. The shop sells swim accessories if you forget something. Rates on third-party sites are often a few dollars out of date, so trust the operator’s posted prices over older blog posts.

Where to stay nearby

On site: The Keough’s campground has 10 sites with water and 30-amp electric hookups for $45 a night and a number of dry sites for $40. Rates cover up to six people and one vehicle (extra vehicles $10). Generators are not allowed, fire pits are not supplied (your own above-ground fire pit is allowed), and the maximum stay is two weeks. Showers cost $2. Swimming is not included with a campsite.

The resort also rents rustic canvas tent cabins for two, furnished with heaters and mini-fridges, at $160 a night plus tax ($179.20). That rate includes two pool entries, shower tokens, towels and a bundle of firewood a night. Extra people are $30 plus tax. Book by phone; cancellations need 48 hours’ notice or you pay for one night.

In town: Bishop, about 10 minutes north, has the nearest motels, restaurants and grocery stores. Big Pine, about the same distance south, is smaller and makes a good base for the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.

Safety notes

• Heat: The hot pool at 104°F40°C is fine for a soak but not for an hour. Get out, cool off in the big pool and drink water, especially at midday in summer.
• Deep end: The main pool reaches 8.5 feet. Keep an eye on children who are not strong swimmers.
• Desert sun: There is little shade on the deck in summer. Bring a hat and sunscreen, but shower it off before getting in.
• The free ditch: Just outside the resort, locals have built rock-walled soaking spots along a warm runoff creek, often called the Keough hot ditch. It is a separate, unmanaged spot with no staff, toilets or treatment, and power lines overhead. Any untreated warm water can carry Naegleria fowleri, a rare but deadly amoeba that enters through the nose, so keep your head above water there.

History

The springs were used for centuries before ranchers arrived in the Owens Valley. Phillip Keough, a Bishop businessman, bought the site in 1919 and built it into a health resort where visitors could soak, fish, dine, dance and stay in a cabin. In the 1920s and 1930s it was the social center of the valley, with Fourth of July barbecues, Easter egg hunts, boxing matches and school-year-end swim parties. In 1926 the City of Los Angeles bought the property as part of its Owens Valley water purchases, and the resort has been run since then by a string of leaseholders. The Brown family of Bishop took it over in 1998 and still runs it today. The pools in use now are the originals from that era.

Nearby stops worth adding

Bishop is the base for the Eastern Sierra, so Keough’s pairs easily with almost anything. The Buttermilk Country boulders and Bishop Creek canyon are a short drive west. Big Pine Creek and the trail toward the Palisade Glacier start about 20 minutes south. The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, home to some of the oldest trees on earth, is about an hour away via Big Pine and Westgard Pass. Mammoth Lakes, with its own natural hot springs in the Long Valley caldera, is about an hour north on US-395.