Desert Hot Springs, a city in Riverside County, California, has simply the perfect location on The Mission Creek Fault, an aquifer bursting with both hot and cold mineral water that supports the area’s 20+ hot springs spas and resorts, and supplies famously great drinking water to the city.
Unlike a lot of hot springs that boast a high sulfur content, the mineral springs in this town are odorless (though we have some great sulfur pools on our list too, for those who appreciate the goodness of sulfur more than they are bothered by the smell!)
Desert Hot Springs became a tourist destination in the 1950s because of its small spa hotels and boutique hotels, and it continues to draw crowds year-round looking for the ultimate relaxation.
Did You Know…?
Desert Hot Springs was the first city in Southern California to legalize medical marijuana cultivation? It is now packed with marijuana developers and growers!
As well as Desert Hot Springs’ in-house spa resorts, we have looked to around 3 hours beyond Desert Hot Springs to entice you with some free, natural soaks in the Californian desert and forests too.
Let’s take a look first at the best hot springs IN Desert Hot Springs itself, then look at those worth visiting within a three-hour drive of the city.
Azure Palm Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa Oasis
Azure Palm Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa Oasis opened in 2021, offering guests a real open-skies, in-the-desert spa experience. It boasts a (very!) large mineral pool, four mineral water spas, a dry sauna, fire pits to cozy up to under the stars, and is surrounded by stunning mountain views. What’s more, Azure Palm is home to the only Himalayan Salt Room in the Coachella Valley, and Spa Suite guests get complimentary access!
At the source, these hot springs are 170°F, cooling once the water gets to the pools – but the hotter the water, the greater concentration of minerals, and Azure Palm’s mineral water wells are the hottest in the region, promising skin-smoothing Silica, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorous, Potassium, Lithium and more!
Don’t Miss…
- Massages, body treatments and facials
- A healthy, organic lunch or dinner at the on-site Azure Palm Café
- Yoga
- Their gift shop, selling locally-made skincare treats
Good To Know
You can stay at Azure Palm Hot Springs in one of its 40 guest rooms.
Buy a Day Spa Pass for full access to the pools, sauna and courtyard, if you don’t want to stay overnight.
Clothing required.
Where: 67589 Hacienda Ave, Desert Hot Springs, CA
Website: azurepalmhotsprings.com
The Spring Resort & Spa
The luxurious Spring Resort is renowned as the place to go for a good ol’ detox and cleanse, from the thermal waters that bubble up at the source at 170°F to its numerous spa services in tranquil, green and landscaped surroundings.
The water cools as it flows out of the source and feeds the three mineral swimming pools – one indoor at just over body temperature, one outdoor at 104, and the third adjusted to the weather.
Don’t Miss…
- The Finnish sauna
- Watching the sun set behind Mt. San Jacinto
- A Dead Sea Salt Scrub
- A peaceful sound bath meditation
- A pressed juice cleanse (3, 4 or 5 days)
- A luxury group retreat
Good To Know
Spa services are 50 minutes or more with a 2-hour complimentary access to the mineral pools and saunas.
Day Spa guests are provided with robes, slippers and a locker.
Stay overnight for a real treat. Rooms have great Wi-Fi and a music station, but no TV. Some rooms have their own mineral tubs in outside areas and equipped kitchens.
The lobby boutique sells Phytomer facial and body treatments and Hemp Code lotion and hair products.
Where: 12699 Reposo Way, Desert Hot Springs, CA
Website: the-spring.com
El Morocco Inn & Day Spa
Step into an exotic Moroccan dream, with every detail considered- from the colorful textiles and decorative lamps to the landscaped garden and furniture.
The whole hotel flows with mineral water – from the shower in your room to the luxurious outdoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi-style spa, open 24/7 for your ultimate relaxation.
Don’t Miss…
- Clay wraps, massages and body scrubs
- Their Far-Infrared Dry Saunas
- A Marrakech Massage (Swedish, Deep Tissue and Lomi Lomi)
- The Casablanca Scalp Treatment and Royal Foot Scrub
- A game of giant chess
Good To Know
Over 21s only.
There are 13 private rooms, some with pool views.
Choose a Day Spa visit for $60 per person for up to 4 hours or a free visit with any 1-hour massage or body treatment.
Guests have use of a locker, pool towel and robe.
Clothing required in the public pools.
Where: 66810 4th Street, Desert Hot Springs, CA
Website: elmoroccoinn.com
Aqua Soleil Hotel And Mineral Water Spa
Aqua Soleil Hotel and Mineral Water Spa is a large enclosed complex, a sanctuary from the desert, offering a swimming pool and two jetted mineral Jacuzzi tubs.
The staff here are friendly and helpful and the amenities are bright, clean and well kept.
Don’t Miss…
- A facial or body treatment from a professional therapists that use Body Deli organic products
- Their Swedish and Deep Tissue massages
Good To Know
The rooms are colorful and light, some with courtyard views, others overlooking the stunning San Jacinto mountains.
The Soleil Suites are a customer favorite, and include an in-room jetted mineral water pool – check at the time of booking to be sure everything is in working order.
Clothing required in the public pools.
Where: 14500 Palm Dr, Desert Hot Springs, CA
Website: aquasoleilhotel.com
Miracle Springs Resort & Spa
Miracle Springs Resort & Spa boasts eight 90 – 104°F pools and spas in colorful, palm-tree clad grounds, surrounded by Californian mountains and golden desert.
Swim, soak, or take advantage of the professionals at the Day Spa – this is an affordable escape from the urban stress!
Don’t Miss…
- Their body and facial treatments
- A hot stone massage
- A scrub, polish and wrap
Good To Know
Over 21s only.
You should drink this water while visiting – the resort regularly wins “Best-Tasting Water in the World” at the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Competition.
Eat Italian at their on-site Capri Restaurant & Bar.
Stay overnight in their comfortable rooms with outdoor private space.
Bring your own towel and lock for your locker.
Clothing required.
Where: 10625 Palm Dr, Desert Hot Springs, CA
Website: miraclesprings.com
Hope Springs Resort
For overnight guests only, the boutique, intimate and cozy Hope Springs has three hot mineral water pools and 10 quaint rooms with views of the Coachella Valley.
Hope Springs is a mid-century desert Oasis. The mineral water pools and spartan interiors declutter the mind. The buildings and landscaping are mid-century perfection. The staff is friendly and the breakfast provided was healthy and delicious. Plenty of good coffee, tea, and every possible milk – almond to oat and more.
– John H. / Yelp
Don’t Miss…
- Yoga classes
- Body wraps
- A Desert Sage Body Scrub
- A body-balance massage
Good To Know
The 10 rooms with king-sized beds are decorated in simple, natural colors to promote calm. Four of the rooms have kitchens, and all open onto the pool area. Those that don’t have a kitchen have access to a communal kitchen and small fridge
The resort suggests “unplugged” relaxation, so leave your cell phones and laptops in your room!
Clothing required.
Where: 68075 Club Circle Drive, Desert Hot Springs, CA
Website: hopespringsresort.com
Two Bunch Palms
Two Bunch Palms offers circulating hot, 100+°F mineral water, rich in lithium and low in sulfur, on 72 acres of palm-framed landscaped garden. Recent reviews with regards room cleanliness have not been great, but we enjoyed our time there, so we are putting it on this list – least of all for its stunning gardens and mineral pools!
Don’t Miss…
- A mud bath
- Specialty massages – dry and wet
- Spiritual services and private readings performed by intuitive healing practitioners
Good To Know
Guests 18+ only.
Choose to stay in an olive Grove Suite near the pond, a Desert Suite near the palm and hammock grove, or a Spring room near the pools. There are also luxurious villas for full treat-yourself rejuvenation.
“Digital detox” is encouraged here, so don’t expect to find TVs in your room!
Clothing required.
Where: 67425 Two Bunch Palms Trail, Desert Hot Springs, CA
Website: twobunchpalms.com
Before we head further afield, let’s look at some interesting history of Desert Hot Springs.
Interesting History of Desert Hot Springs
While the natives were enjoying the hot springs long before the Europeans came and claimed the land, the hot water aquifer on Miracle Hill wasn’t discovered until 1913, by homesteader and writer Cabot Yerxa. As the Mission Creek Branch of the San Andreas Fault bisects the area, one side of Miracle Hill offers up a cold water aquifer, and the other a hot water aquifer. Yerxa’s large Pueblo Revival Style choice of home, which was hand built over 20 years, is now one of the oldest adobe-style buildings in Riverside County. It houses Cabot’s Pueblo Museum, which, along with Cabot’s Trading Post & Gallery, is well worth a visit!
Now let’s check out other hot spring gems in the vicinity of Desert Hot Springs.
Deep Creek Hot Springs (87.5 Miles)
Deep Creek Hot Springs offers a rock-enclosed selection of 100 – 105°F hot mineral pools by the Mojave River in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains.
The top pool is the hottest at around 108°F, and is the most secluded of the set. Suitably named the “crab cooker,” it can seat two brave soakers! The water runs off in a hot “shower” to the other pools under it, the largest of which can fit up to 12 and is deep enough to swim in.
Surrounded by golden rocks and lush vegetation, people go to Deep Creek not just to soak up some minerals, but to socialize and have fun too!
Don’t Miss…
- Sunbathing on those golden pool- and riverside boulders
- Cliff jumping and swinging on the ropes
- Cooling off in the Mojave River
Good To Know
Clothing optional.
Holtville Hot Springs (Old Fogey) (128 Miles)
Holtville Hot Springs offers two fenced-in cement pools with mineral water that keeps a nice constant in the larger 110°F, 10-person pool, and 104°F in the smaller pool.
There is also a hot spring water shower to enjoy.
Don’t Miss…
- A selfie beside the beautiful palm tree-lined hot spring lagoon nearby (no swimming allowed!)
Good To Know
These waters are totally natural and unchlorinated, so expect to see some safe-but-slimy algae growing on the pool walls.
Day-use only.
There is a water flow valve in the big pool to control the flow of natural mineral water and, subsequently, the heat. This valve also controls how much water sprays out of the shower!
A paved road leads right to the springs.
Clothing required.
Sespe Hot Springs (167 Miles)
If you like a hike or horseback ride before your soak, Sespe Hot Springs is the destination for you, with a 16-mile hike in, making it the perfect place to overnight away from the crowds.
Sespe offers a string of 105°F creek-side hot springs pools surrounded by lush California desert.
Don’t Miss…
- Willett Hot Springs, 9.5 miles along the trail to Sespe
Good To Know
The 16-mile trail is a gently grading one, offering plenty of primitive camping sites along the way.
Clothing optional.
Montecito Hot Springs (Canyon Hot Springs) (205 Miles)
Montecito Hot Springs is a beautiful cascade of blue, hot sulfur pools in a lush golden canyon just a 3-mile round trip hike from the town of Montecito.
The pool nearest the source pours out of the pipe at 112°F, while those lower down gradually cool to 60°F. Each pool can comfortably seat around 8 soakers.
Don’t Miss…
- The chance to show what a responsible hot-springer you are by packing out your trash and leaving no trace!
Good To Know
Parking is limited and these hot springs are popular – get there early or take a taxi.
The best months to visit Montecito Hot Springs are April, May, October, and November.
Clothing optional.
Gaviota Hot Springs (240 Miles)
The Los Padres National Forest boasts a hot mineral destination worth discovering – the Gaviota Springs, two sulfur water pools surrounded by greenery to escape into.
The part natural, part man-made pools range from 100°F (top pool) to 95°F (lower tub).
Don’t Miss…
- Exploring Gaviota Peak
Good To Know
The Gaviota Hot Springs are an easy, half-mile hike up from the ($2/vehicle) parking area.
The best time to visit is between March and May, when the weather is mild and the wild flowers are out.
Clothing officially required.
What Else Can I Do In Desert Hot Springs?
Aside from the aforementioned Cabot’s Pueblo Museum for a taster of local history, there’s a great golf club at Desert Springs if you’ve a mind to give it a go, as well as a choice of restaurants to dine at!
On top of that, there’s plenty of nature to explore. Check out the Mission Creek Preserve (best in spring when the wildflowers are out), or hike the Hidden Horseshoe and Pushawalla Palms Trail for palms, dunes and local wildlife. We also highly recommend a day-trip to the Joshua Tree National Park.
If it’s more hot-springing you want, be sure to head over to our full California free hot springs and commercial California hot springs listings to discover your next mineral soak!
The Takeaway
Whether you want a top-notch resort to chill at over the weekend, or are up for some adventurin’ out in the desert in your search for the best mineral soak, Desert Hot Springs CA and its surroundings have something to please!
Disclaimer
While we at Traxplorio do our very best to give you the latest information about these hot springs sites, life happens, weather happens, and property owners happen. We always recommend you go to the official hot springs’ web page and/or the relevant state authority page to check conditions, times, and prices (where relevant) before you head out. Thanks for understanding, and enjoy your soak!
