Dirty Socks Hot Spring
90–94°F
Pool temperatures
Drive-up
Easy access
Free
No fee reported
Dirty Socks is a round concrete pool, roughly 78 feet across, fed by a warm sulfur artesian well on the southeast edge of Owens Lake. It was once an Inyo County park and is now unmaintained. The water is lukewarm (about 90-94 F), often cloudy with algae, and smells of sulfur. Visitors can drive almost to the pool and soak, but should watch for broken glass.
01 · Before you go
Plan your visit
What to expect on the ground: rules, facilities and when to go.
- Dogs allowed
- Parking
- 1 pool
- QuietSpring, fall and winter, per one guide.
- SeasonOpen year-round according to one guide. It suggests spring, fall and winter because the desert is very hot in summer.
- Free to soakOne guide lists day use as free. No official fee information was found.
Best time to go. Spring, fall and winter, per one guide. Summer is very hot in the desert.
02 · Live
Conditions
Access status, weather and hazards. Closure feeds are checked automatically every morning.
Access
No closures reported
No closure, fire or weather warning found in Forest Service, wildfire (NIFC) or National Weather Service feeds. That isn't confirmation it's open.
Checked 14 Oct · updated daily
Inyo County ended its park lease on October 17, 1978, and the site has been unmaintained since. The site is described as abandoned, with no services. LADWP's separate Dirty Socks Trailhead on Owens Lake is a bird-viewing trail of about 0.36 miles, not the pool.
Strong sulfur smell. Algae growth turns the water cloudy and slimy. Broken glass in the pool and surrounding dirt, so wear shoes or sandals. Windy, dusty Owens Lake area.
03 · Route
Getting there
Nearest town: Olancha.
- 1
From US-395 at Olancha, drive east on CA-190 for about 4.7 miles.
- 2
Turn north onto the paved or graded road, just past some power lines.
- 3
Follow it a short distance (about 0.4 miles per one guide) to the concrete pool.
- 4
Parking is next to the spring.
36.3295, −117.9492 · nearest town Olancha, CA
04 · Where to stay
Stay nearby
Make a night of it. Places to stay near Olancha, from campgrounds to cabins.
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