Travertine Hot Springs: Natural, accessible and relaxing

It’s no surprise that since Nevada and eastern California are geo-thermally active regions, there are plenty of places where the warm underground water finds its way to the surface. One of the easiest to find of these hot spots is Travertine Hot Springs near Bridgeport, Calif.

The Travertine springs are located about a mile and a half south of Bridgeport. To reach the area, drive a half-mile south on U.S. 395 to Jack Sawyer Road. Turn left onto Sawyer Road, then left again onto a marked somewhat rutted dirt road (not recommended in the winter unless you have four-wheel drive). Continue another mile to the springs.

There is a strange, somewhat off-planet feel to the Travertine site. Because of the presence of the mildly sulfuric hot springs and alkali-saturated soil, there is virtually no vegetation in the area.

The result is a stark, barren terrain dotted with brackish pools, muddy fields carpeted with stunted salt-coated grasses and unusual-shaped mounds and half-domes of soft clay. Indeed, the name “Travertine” comes from the whitish calcium carbonate crystals deposited by the mineral-laden hot spring water.

There are several pools at Travertine, including a nice partly developed round pool on the high ground above the area adjacent to the dirt road. A tad hotter than the lower pools, this one is popular with veteran hot spring aficionados.

The lower pools are interesting. An inch-wide trough has been carved along the ridge of a mound. Hot water bubbles from the top of the mound and spills down the little cut to a series of four pools at its base.

Water then flows from one pool to the next, cooling along the way. Naturally, that means the first pool is the hottest (an estimated 105 degrees), while each subsequent pool is a little less intense (the last pool, which is the largest and most shallow, is about 90 degrees).

Because the Travertine springs are fairly accessible and relatively well known, expect to run into people there unless you come early in the morning or at night.

The Bridgeport area offers several other undeveloped or partially developed public hot springs. Another good prospect is the Buckeye Hot Springs, located about 11 miles northwest of Bridgeport near the Buckeye campground (directional signs five miles north of Bridgeport lead from U.S. 395 to the spring).

This spring is located near the side of a hill. A clever damming system allows soakers to control the heat of the water by introduce colder water from a nearby stream to mix with the hot water from the spring. Rude, undeveloped campsites can be found in the area.

As with the Travertine area, you must take a dirt road to reach the Buckeye spring and should utilize a four-wheel vehicle in the winter.

Of course, the best part of both the Travertine and Buckeye springs is that there is no charge for admission at either. What a deal.

For information on these two spots and a handful of others, go to www.monocounty.org/places-to-go/hot-springs/.