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This was a quick stop on our drive back to South Lake Tahoe from Yosemite. Travertine hot springs are located off of 395 just before you get to Bridgeport (heading north). The turn in takes you down a bumpy dirt read that ends at a parking area with a pit toilet.

We headed South from the parking lot and stopped at the first pool we found, because there wasn’t anyone else using it. The water was crystal clear and very hot, and we sat with our feet in for about 15 minutes relaxing and taking in the view.

There are other pools here as well, including the main one that’s to the West of the parking lot, but we only hung out long enough to check this one pool out and take in the view because we still had a few hours of driving ahead of us. It’s also good to note that hot springs tend to be clothing-optional, so you may want to wander down and check out the crowd before walking in with your kids if that’s a concern.

If you need snacks or drinks there’s a gas station in nearby Bridgeport, but please make sure to pack any trash you bring to the springs back out so they can be enjoyed by the next visitors.

Don’t forget a towel and some cool drinks!