- Fee
- none listed by BLM
- Hours
- Day use only (overnight camping prohibited in the ACEC); no posted hours found
- Season
- Not stated by BLM
- Coordinates
- 38.2466, -119.2051
- Status
- Open for day visits; overnight camping, campfires and firearms banned in the ACEC (BLM rules since 1995). The cement tub and surrounding area (<1 acre) closed by BLM emergency order of May 26, 2023 'until conditions allow'; no lifting notice found. BLM also closes the site periodically for Tribal ceremonial use (last: Oct 30 to Nov 6, 2024).
The NOAA Thermal Springs List gives a source temperature of 180°F (82°C) for this spring. The land is managed by Bureau of Land Management, Bishop Field Office (Central California District); Travertine Hot Springs Area of Critical Environmental Concern. Fee: none listed by BLM.
Travertine Hot Springs lies on a slope of mineral terraces southeast of Bridgeport in Mono County, California. The site is the core of the Travertine Hot Springs Area of Critical Environmental Concern, managed by the Bureau of Land Management's Bishop Field Office. The springs take their name from travertine, the banded calcium carbonate rock that forms as the spring water flows across the ground and cools. Several pools and runoff channels sit along the terraces, with the Sierra Nevada rising to the west.
Access is from U.S. Highway 395 at Bridgeport by way of Jack Sawyer Road and a gated dirt access road that ends at a parking area. BLM supplementary rules in effect since December 15, 1995, prohibit overnight camping, campfires, and the discharge of firearms anywhere in the area, so visits are daytime only. In May 2023 the BLM issued an emergency order closing the cement tub and the ground around it, an area of less than one acre, after the order recorded temperatures at the tub and its source of over 110 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The order stays in effect until conditions allow use again. The BLM lists no fee for the site.
The springs hold cultural importance for local Native communities. From October 30 to November 6, 2024, the BLM closed the area to all public access for ceremonial use by a local Tribe, citing the Bishop Resource Management Plan of 1993 and the Travertine ACEC Management Plan of 1995. Bridgeport, the Mono County seat, is the nearest town. Buckeye Hot Spring, on Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest land along Buckeye Creek, is about 6.5 miles to the west in a straight line, based on USGS coordinates.
Getting there and local rules
- Road: Reached from US-395 at Bridgeport via Jack Sawyer Road and a gated dirt access road (gate near the Jack Sawyer Road junction per BLM 2024 order). Winter maintenance not stated by BLM.
- Trail: Short walk from parking; no official distance published.
- Camping: Overnight camping prohibited within the Travertine Hot Springs ACEC (BLM supplementary rules, effective Dec 15, 1995). Dispersed camping elsewhere in the Bishop Field Office is limited to 14 days per year.
- No overnight camping in the ACEC
- No campfires in the ACEC
- No discharge of firearms in the ACEC
- Cement tub and surrounding area closed to all entry (BLM emergency order, May 26, 2023)
History
- BLM supplementary rules banning camping, campfires and firearms in the Travertine Hot Springs ACEC took effect December 15, 1995 (Federal Register, Nov 24, 1995).
- On May 26, 2023, BLM closed the cement tub and surrounding area after tub and source temperatures rose to over 110 to 160 degrees F.
- BLM closed the whole area to the public from Oct 30 to Nov 6, 2024, for ceremonial use by a local Tribe (order cites the Bishop RMP of 1993 and the Travertine ACEC Management Plan of 1995).
Weather by month near Travertine
The nearest NOAA climate station with 30-year normals is Bridgeport, about 1 miles away at 6,470 ft. Its average daily high peaks at 84.9°F in Jul, and the coldest nights average 10.3°F in Jan. Normal snowfall there adds up to about 32 inches a year. Conditions at the place itself can differ, especially with a large change in elevation.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43.2 | 10.3 | 2.01 | 7.4 |
| Feb | 45.4 | 13 | 1.48 | 8.2 |
| Mar | 52.4 | 20.2 | 0.87 | 3.9 |
| Apr | 59.3 | 24.7 | 0.62 | 2.4 |
| May | 66.8 | 31.7 | 0.68 | 0.8 |
| Jun | 76.7 | 38.6 | 0.44 | 0.1 |
| Jul | 84.9 | 43.4 | 0.48 | 0 |
| Aug | 83.6 | 40.9 | 0.39 | 0 |
| Sep | 77.6 | 33.7 | 0.23 | 0 |
| Oct | 66.5 | 24.1 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| Nov | 54.7 | 17 | 0.78 | 1.5 |
| Dec | 44.6 | 11.5 | 1.51 | 7.3 |
Other springs within 60 miles
From the NOAA list, by straight-line distance from Travertine. Most of these are not developed sites and some are on private land.
- The Hot Springs2 mi southwest113°F
- Warm Spring6 mi southeast77°F
- Buckeye Hot Spring7 mi west140°F
- Fales Hot Springs13 mi northwest180°F
- Hot Spring15 mi southeast151°F
- Unnamed spring18 mi south72°F
- Paoha Island Springs20 mi southeast181°F
- Unnamed spring21 mi northeast110°F
Sources: NOAA NCEI, Thermal Springs List for the United States (source temperature, about 1980); blm.gov; blm.gov; blm.gov; govinfo.gov; blm.gov; monocounty.ca.gov; NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020. Facts checked October 2026.
Source temperature from the NOAA Thermal Springs List (measured around 1980). Conditions, access and rules change; check with Bureau of Land Management, Bishop Field Office (Central California District); Travertine Hot Springs Area of Critical Environmental Concern before you go. This page is for trip planning only.