01 · Hottest pool you can soak in
Mercey Hot Springs
Privately owned resort near Firebaugh, with drive-up access. Entry is paid. Camping nearby.
- Drive
- 2 hr 5 min
- Pool temperature
- 102–106°F
- Entry
- Paid
Explore / California / Near Santa Cruz
Last checked 10 Nov
Hot springs near Santa Cruz
There are no hot springs within an hour's drive of Santa Cruz. The closest is Esalen Institute Hot Springs in California, about 2 hr 5 min by road. Each one is checked for closures, wildfire and weather warnings every morning.
Indian Springs Calistoga · Sarah Stierch · CC BY 4.0Wilbur Hot Springs · Stepheng3 · Public domain
- Closest drive
- 2 hr 5 minEsalen Institute Hot Springs, California · 90 miles by road
- Free to soak
- 1Sykes
- Hottest soak
- 106°FMercey, pools 102–106°F
- Today
- 1 closedGolden Haven Hot Springs Spa & Resort. 1 more to check before you go. The other 10 have no closures reported.
Today
Conditions near Santa Cruz
Checked every morning against Forest Service closure notices, national wildfire perimeters and National Weather Service warnings. How we check
ClosuresClosed: Golden Haven Hot Springs Spa & Resort. Check before you go: Sykes Hot Springs.Checked
WildfireFire activity reported near Sykes Hot Springs.Checked
WeatherNo weather warnings in effect for these springs.Checked
Get closure news by email
New closures, reopenings and new states, about once a month. No spam.
Short list
Where to start
Three picked from the 12: the closest, the hottest pool you can safely sit in, a resort or developed pool and one more worth the drive.
02 · Worth the drive
Calistoga Spa Hot Springs
Privately owned resort near Calistoga, with drive-up access. Entry is paid.
- Drive
- 2 hr 30 min
- Pool temperature
- 84–104°F
- Entry
- Paid
Typical pool temperature
104–119°F
03 · Closest to Santa Cruz · Resort
Esalen Institute Hot Springs
Resort on Esalen Institute land near Big Sur, with drive-up access. Entry is paid. Clothing optional is common.
Map
Where they are
Rings are straight-line distance from Santa Cruz at 80 and 160 miles. Roads take longer, especially over mountain passes.
Questions
Asked often
Are there hot springs in Santa Cruz?
Not in Santa Cruz itself. The closest is Esalen Institute Hot Springs, about 2 hr 5 min by road (90 miles) near Big Sur.
What's the closest hot spring to Santa Cruz?
Esalen Institute Hot Springs, about 2 hr 5 min by road (90 miles) near Big Sur. Entry is paid. Drive times are from Google Maps; mountain roads can close in winter.
Which hot springs are within two hours of Santa Cruz?
None are within two hours by road. The closest is Esalen Institute Hot Springs, about 2 hr 5 min by road (90 miles) near Big Sur.
Are there free hot springs near Santa Cruz?
Yes. 1 of the 12 are free. The closest free one is Sykes Hot Springs, 58 miles away in a straight line near Big Sur.
Is there a hot springs resort near Santa Cruz?
Esalen Institute Hot Springs is the closest, about 2 hr 5 min by road (90 miles) near Big Sur. There are 9 resorts in this list.
Are hot springs near Santa Cruz open in winter?
Some are. Mercey Hot Springs, Calistoga Spa Hot Springs, Indian Springs Calistoga and Harbin Hot Springs and 1 more stay accessible all winter, and none has a closure reported today. Mountain roads can close after storms, so check before you drive. See every California spring you can reach in winter
How do you know if a hot spring is open today?
We check every spring each morning against Forest Service closure notices, national wildfire perimeters and National Weather Service warnings. When nothing turns up we say "no closures reported", not "open", because a missing report isn't proof a spring is open.
All 12
Every spring, nearest first
Drive times by road from Santa Cruz, from Google Maps (November 2026). Mountain passes and forest roads can close in winter, so check before you go. Water is the typical pool temperature, or the source temperature where that's all we have.
1Esalen Institute Hot SpringsBig Sur2 hr 5 min90 mi by road104–119°F poolResortPaidNo closures reported
3Franklin Hot SpringsPaso Robles2 hr 30 min143 mi by road97–101°F poolResortPaidNo closures reported
4Calistoga Spa Hot SpringsCalistoga2 hr 30 min135 mi by road84–104°F poolResortPaidNo closures reported
6Indian Springs CalistogaCalistoga2 hr 30 min136 mi by road92–102°F poolResortPaidNo closures reported
8Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort & SpaSan Luis Obispo2 hr 55 min175 mi by roadNot on fileResortPaidNo closures reported
For lodges, cabins and campgrounds
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