Grover Hot Springs State Park Camping Guide: Pools, Trails, and Reservations

Camping/Day Use at Grover Hot Springs: What to Know Before You Go

The mineral water at Grover Hot Springs State Park has a green that makes first-time visitors stop and stare. It is not algae, and it is not a filter. Six springs feed the soaking pool, minerals settle on the concrete floor, and the water refracts that color while it sits around 102 to 104 degrees. It has almost none of the usual hot spring sulfur smell.

That combination—warm water, granite peaks, and a 76-site campground at 5,900 feet—is why people drive out to Alpine County. The park sits four miles west of Markleeville at the end of Hot Springs Road, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada where pine forest meets sagebrush and the Great Basin. Hawkins Peak rises to the northwest and Markleeville Peak to the southwest. The 553-acre park opened in 1959, but people have used these springs for much longer.

Getting There and What the Landscape Looks Like

From Sacramento, the drive is roughly 120 miles east on U.S. 50, then south toward Markleeville. From South Lake Tahoe, it is about 31 miles. Cell service fades as you leave town. High Sierra weather can flip in a few hours: a clear afternoon, then a thunderstorm; a warm day, then a cold night. Pack layers even in July.

The 2021 Tamarack Fire burned the slopes around the park. The meadow and pool complex survived, but you will see fire-scarred forest once you leave the valley floor. Trails beyond the park boundary can still have hazard trees and unstable ground.

The Mineral Pools: Sessions, Fees, and How to Get In

The developed complex has two pools: a hot mineral soak and a cooler swimming pool a few steps away. The hot pool is drained and refilled daily. A lifeguard is on duty when the complex is open. Wheelchair lifts serve both pools. Pool use is not included with camping or day-use parking. Recently published rates are $10 for adults and $5 for ages 16 and under. Day-use parking is $8 per vehicle ($7 for seniors 62 and older). California State Parks passes are accepted for parking.

Hours change by season, staffing, weather, and maintenance—tickets are sold at the park on a first-come basis. Summer schedules have often run more days; off-season days shrink. Typical annual closures include about two weeks in September for maintenance, plus Thanksgiving and Christmas. Call the pool line at (530) 694-2249 before you drive. The official park page has sometimes shown both “currently closed” and a current session list on the same page. Confirm the day you go.

Swimsuits are required. Towels are not provided. Changing rooms and showers are on site. Dogs are not allowed in the pool complex.

Camping at Grover Hot Springs State Park

The summer campground has 76 family sites in a forested setting, with picnic tables, fire rings, bear-resistant lockers, flush toilets, and showers (tokens in summer; a token is typically $1 for five minutes of hot water). There are no hookups or dump stations. Maximum lengths in the summer campground are generally 27 feet for motorhomes and 24 feet for trailers. Two sites are wheelchair accessible.

Summer rates are $35 per night and include one vehicle. Winter rates drop to $25. Extra vehicles are $8. Reserve at ReserveCalifornia.com up to six months ahead. The reservation season for the main loop typically runs mid-May through mid-September. After that, camping often shifts to first-come sites in the picnic area near the entrance, with a shorter vehicle limit (about 18 feet) and no showers.

This is active bear country. Store food, drinks, toiletries, and anything scented in the metal locker day and night. Rangers enforce it. Do not gather downed wood. Charcoal is prohibited in the day-use area. Campfires can be banned during high fire danger.

Hiking the Meadow, Waterfall, and Burnside Lake

Most visitors come for the water. The trails keep you longer.

An ADA-accessible boardwalk now loops through the alpine meadow—an easy family walk with wildflowers in season and birds year-round. The park is a designated watchable-wildlife area.

The waterfall hike on Hot Springs Creek is the most popular longer walk. AllTrails lists it at about 2.3 miles round trip with modest elevation gain. It starts on the boardwalk, then continues onto Forest Service land. Near the falls, you pick your way through a boulder field; it is not a technical climb, but it is not a sidewalk either.

Burnside Lake is the bigger outing. The route leaves the park, follows Hot Springs Creek, then climbs through pine forest in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Distances published online vary (often in the 5- to 6-plus-mile one-way range depending on where you start). From rocks above the shoreline, you can eat lunch or fish for planted trout before heading down.

Winter Access: Snow, Soak, and a Smaller Camp

When snow covers the meadow, the same valley becomes a cross-country ski and snowshoe area. The pool complex often stays open in winter if the road is plowed, which is part of the appeal: steam over snow, granite above the trees. Chains or four-wheel drive can be required on Hot Springs Road. Winter camping is limited and first-come—call (530) 694-2248 for road and campground status.

Nearby Markleeville and a Basque Dinner in Gardnerville

Markleeville is a small county seat with limited services. If you want a night off camp cooking, Gardnerville, Nevada, is a short drive east. J.T. Basque Bar & Dining Room on U.S. 395 has served family-style Basque meals for decades—soup, salad, beans, stew, then lamb, steak, or chicken, with plenty of garlic and a Picon if you want the house classic. It is open Monday through Saturday. Confirm hours before you go.

What to Bring and What to Double-Check

Bring layers, a swimsuit, a towel, cash (the entrance can have unreliable connectivity), a California fishing license if you fish, and a headlamp. Download maps before you lose signal. Reserve camping early for summer weekends. Book pool access separately or as a same-day ticket, depending on the current system.

Before any trip, check parks.ca.gov and call the park. Fees, session days, and fire rules change.

Grover Hot Springs Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a reservation for the hot springs?
Sometimes. Recent seasons have mixed first-come tickets at the park with online session reservations on ReserveCalifornia. Summer weekends fill up. Call (530) 694-2249 the morning you go.

Is camping included with pool admission?
No. Camping, day-use parking, and pool entry are separate fees.

How many campsites are there?
Seventy-six family sites in the summer campground. Winter camping uses a smaller first-come area near the entrance.

Are dogs allowed?
Yes, on leash and attended, in camp and day-use areas. They are not allowed in the pool complex.

Why is the water green?
Mineral deposits on the pool floor, not algae. The water is low in sulfur, so the smell is mild compared with many California hot springs.

How long is the waterfall hike?
About 2.3 miles round trip, easy to moderate, with a boulder scramble near the falls.

Is the park open year-round?
Day use is generally sunrise to sunset. Camping is year-round when conditions allow. The pools follow a changing seasonal schedule and close for storms, holidays, and maintenance.

How far is Grover Hot Springs from Sacramento and Tahoe?
About 120 miles east of Sacramento via U.S. 50. About 31 miles from South Lake Tahoe.

A Grover Hot Springs camping trip works best when you treat it as three things at once: a soak, a camp, and a trailhead. Book the site early, confirm the pool the day you arrive, hike the meadow or the creek while the light is good, then get in the water before the evening chill drops off the granite. That is the whole point of Hot Springs Valley—warm water in a cold mountain county, with enough quiet left that you can still hear the creek after dark.

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