Sam's Family Spa Hot Water Resort

What to expect

Sam’s Family Spa Hot Water Resort is a big, informal RV park and hot springs resort on Dillon Road, east of downtown Desert Hot Springs. It has been running for more than five decades. The resort’s own history gives 1971 as the year it was built and credits Sam Weinberg with drilling into the local geology to reach the hot water, while another part of the same page names Sam and Gloria Alhadeff and the mid-1970s. Either way, it is one of the older names in the valley.

It is also different in tone from most Desert Hot Springs spas. Many of the small mineral-water hotels on Miracle Hill are adults only and quiet. Sam’s is a family resort with a playground feel: RVs and motel rooms spread across a large desert property (the resort’s pages say 40 acres in one place and 50 in another), a palm grove around the pools, and kids in the swimming pool. If you want a calm couples’ soak, this is not that place. If you want a cheap, unpretentious hot water stop with the family or the RV, it is one of the few options in the area.

The pools

The resort’s mineral water comes from its own wells; the park’s listings say there are three. The water rises at about 120-170°F49-77°C, according to the resort, and is described as tasteless and odorless with a mild alkaline pH of about 8.3, carrying bicarbonate, calcium, magnesium, silica and sodium.

What you can use:

• Four mineral spas: filled with untreated, chlorine-free well water. Staff drain, clean and refill them every morning, so the water is freshest early in the day.
• Swimming pool: a large pool shaded by palms.
• Indoor mineral pool and wading pool for younger kids.
• Dry sauna (co-ed) and two steam rooms supplied by the mineral well.

The resort does not publish temperatures for each pool, and guest reports vary. A 2020 reviewer described pools at different temperatures, and a January 2026 reviewer found the swimming pool cold and the sauna out of service. Expect the spas to be hot and the big pool to feel much cooler, especially in winter.

Getting there

The resort is at 70875 Dillon Road, in the unincorporated area just east of the Desert Hot Springs city limits.

• From Palm Springs or the airport: Take Gene Autry Trail north over Interstate 10, where it becomes Palm Drive. Turn right (east) on Dillon Road and drive about 4.5 miles. Allow about 20 minutes from Palm Springs.
• From Los Angeles: Follow I-10 east past Cabazon and exit at Palm Drive, then continue as above.
• From Indio or Coachella: Dillon Road runs northwest from I-10 near Indio toward Desert Hot Springs, so you can drive it straight to the resort.

The access roads are paved. The park is big-rig friendly, with back-in gravel sites and concrete pads. The speed limit inside is 5 mph, and you must stay on the paved roads.

Prices and booking

Day passes: A day pass gets you the pools, spas and resort amenities for the day. Passes are sold first come, first served and depend on occupancy, so on busy winter weekends you may be turned away. Children 4 and under are free. The resort does not list adult prices or hours online, so call 760-329-6457 before you go.

RV sites: More than 175 full-hookup sites with 30 and 50 amp power, water, sewer, cable TV and Wi-Fi. Daily rates start at $85, and Campendium users reported the same $85 rate in April 2026. Weekly and monthly rates are available. Each site includes two resort wristbands, and allows one RV and two vehicles.

Rooms: Twelve motel rooms (some with kitchens, one with a balcony over the pool), first-floor studios with two queen beds, and tiny homes that sleep four, including a pet-friendly one. Prices vary by date and are shown in the online booking system.

Massage: An on-site massage suite takes appointments; treatments must start by 8 PM. Call the Wellness Centre at 760-329-6457.

House rules that matter:

• Children under 14 must have an adult with them at all times.
• Quiet hours run from 11 PM to 8 AM.
• No smoking in buildings, on patios or in pool areas.
• No wood fires (a Riverside County restriction). Propane fire pits are allowed, weather permitting.
• Cancellations need 48 hours’ notice and carry a $23 fee. Early departures and no-shows are not refunded.
• RV check-in is at 2 PM and check-out at noon. Rooms and tiny homes check in at 3 PM and out at 11 AM.
• Payment in US dollars only, collected at check-in.

When to go

November to April is the main season. It is RV season across the Coachella Valley, the hot spas feel best on cool desert nights, and the days are mild. That is also when day passes are most likely to be limited, so weekdays are a safer bet than weekends.

Summer is very hot on this open stretch of desert, and the hot spas are hard to enjoy in the afternoon. If you visit then, soak in the early morning right after the spas are refilled, or after dark.

Where to stay nearby

The simplest option is to stay at Sam’s, in your own RV or in one of the rooms or tiny homes. Downtown Desert Hot Springs, a few miles west, has several small mineral-water hotels, most of them adults only. Palm Springs, about 20 minutes away, has the widest choice of hotels and restaurants. For tent camping in a national park setting, Joshua Tree National Park is within an hour.

Safety notes

• Heat: The mineral spas are hot and the desert air can be hotter. Drink water, take breaks, and watch kids closely in the spas, since children overheat faster than adults.
• Supervision: The swimming pool is not described as lifeguarded. Keep young children within reach.
• Reviews: Recent reviews from 2024 and 2026 are mixed, with complaints about cleanliness, site condition and price, alongside praise for the pools and grounds. Look at your site and the pool area when you arrive.
• Wildlife: Rattlesnakes and scorpions live in the desert around the park. Shake out shoes left outside and use a flashlight at night.

Nearby stops worth adding

Cabot’s Pueblo Museum in Desert Hot Springs is the hand-built home of homesteader Cabot Yerxa and a good introduction to the town’s water history. The Coachella Valley Preserve, with palm groves and trails along the San Andreas Fault, is a short drive southeast via Dillon Road and Thousand Palms Canyon Road. Joshua Tree National Park is an easy day trip.