Inyo County, California
Saline Valley Warm Springs
Saline Valley Warm Springs is one of the most remote and celebrated backcountry hot spring destinations in the western United States — three developed pool areas in the Saline Valley, within Death Valley National Park, accessible only by 30+ miles of rough dirt road.
- Camping Nearby
- Geothermal
- 4wd Access
- Remote
About this place
Saline Valley Warm Springs is one of the most remote and celebrated backcountry hot spring destinations in the western United States — three developed pool areas in the Saline Valley, within Death Valley National Park, accessible only by 30+ miles of rough dirt road. The springs consist of Lower Warm Springs, Palm Springs (with a natural palm oasis), and Wizard Springs further up the valley, each with stone and concrete pools developed over decades by volunteer stewards who have maintained the site as a communal resource.
Clothing-optional nudity is not just the norm at Saline Valley — it's so universal that textile visitors stand out. The spring community has developed its own culture over the 70+ years people have been making the difficult journey to reach it: a strong leave-no-trace ethic, a volunteer-maintained infrastructure (solar lighting, outdoor kitchen, shade structures), and a community that treats the springs as shared land worth protecting.
Access requires a high-clearance 4WD vehicle or equivalent — the roads through Saline Valley are genuine backcountry and impassable in wet conditions or for standard passenger cars. Summer is dangerously hot (Death Valley temperatures exceed 110°F); the ideal seasons are November through April. Many visitors camp for multiple days.
Visitor notes
Contributed by ClothingOptional.org Editorial Team
Who visits
Experienced backcountry desert travelers, hot springs devotees who make the journey specifically, burners and counterculture community members, Death Valley regular visitors who take the time.
How to find it
Access from the north via Big Pine Road through Eureka Valley (steep, rough, 50+ miles unpaved) or from the south via Saline Valley Road from Olancha on US 395 (30+ miles unpaved, somewhat easier). Check Death Valley NPS road conditions before attempting. A high-clearance 4WD is mandatory.
Things to watch out for
Summer visits are genuinely life-threatening — temperatures exceed 115°F and the road has no shade or services. Bring far more water than you think you need (minimum 1 gallon per person per day). Cell service is nonexistent. The NPS has periodically discussed restricting or closing the springs; check current status.
Last updated
Etiquette & ground rules
One of the most community-maintained naturist sites in the US. Leave the springs cleaner than you found them. Volunteer for maintenance if you stay. Photography of other visitors is not permitted without explicit consent. Respect the community's established customs.
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