Mercey Hot Springs – Los Banos, California

Located thirty-five miles from the nearest town of Los Banos, California, and sixty miles from Fresno, Mercey Hot Springs is a completely eco-friendly hot springs resort. It’s set on 144 acres in the Little Panoche Valley and offers a variety of pools and hot tubs, as well as sustainable camping areas and cabins.

Natural Hot Springs Pools

Mercey Hot Springs California Pool — Mercey Hot Springs near Los Banos, Cali. Photo: Alexander Komlik

Mercey Hot Springs features a wide variety of rejuvenating Hot Spring water areas. Primarily, the resort contains therapeutic hot tubs, where guests may soak and relax in geothermally heated mineral water that varies between 102-106 degrees Fahrenheit.

Additionally, the resort offers bathhouses, where guests may soak in private, indoor tubs. Besides these, the property also features a traditional, chlorine-treated swimming pool and a dry sauna.

The clothing optional set of individual hot tubs behind a fence at Mercey Hot Springs in California. There are family-friendly ones in a separate location. — Set of clothing-optional hot spring tubs behind a privacy fence at Mercey Hot Springs, Cali. Photo by: Laura Hamilton

While clothing is required throughout the majority of the resort, some of the therapeutic hot tubs as well as the indoor bathhouses are clothing optional. The geothermal water that comes from the springs is full of various minerals, among which sodium chloride, or salt, is the most common.

Camping and Lodging

Mercey Hot Springs Cabin California — Original cabin from the 1930s at Mercey Hot Springs. Photo: Laura Hamilton

As a fully functioning resort, Mercey Hot Springs offers guests the choice of basic campsites, cabins, airstreams, or even a larger group house.

There are campsites for both tents and RVs. The RV sites feature electric hookups, but, because the resort relies mainly on solar power, air conditioning and heating are strictly prohibited.

Mercey Hot Springs RV Camping — Campsite at Mercey Hot Springs. Photo: Laura Hamilton

The cabins on the property are rustic, containing only a queen-sized bed and other basic furniture. Cabins do not contain bathrooms, but they are only a short 25-75 ft. walk away. Each cabin is unique, with an individual name and features.

Mercey Hot Springs Cabin Kitchenette California — Cabin kitchenette. Photo: Laura Hamilton

For those looking for more comfort, the resort offers two fully furnished Airstream trailers. These Airstreams feature proper kitchens and bathrooms as well as a flat-screen television. The airstreams also include a deck with a propane barbeque as well as a firepit available seasonally.

Finally, the resort features one group house offering two bedrooms, a full-sized kitchen, and a bathroom with a bathtub & shower. This group house, named Walkabout, has a maximum occupancy of four guests and is a short walk to all other Mercey Hot Springs facilities.

While there is no restaurant on the resort property, snacks are available in the registration office. The closest town, Los Banos, has a grocery store as well as various restaurants.

Activities

Mercey Hot Springs Resort California — Mercey Hot Springs resort. Photo: Laura Hamilton

Mercey Hot Springs provides comprehensive massage services as well as yoga classes. Besides this, the resort is home to a 9-hole disc golf course, free for all guests.

Additionally, guests are free to roam the entire 144-acre property on human or animal-made trails. For those seeking longer, more strenuous hikes, there is a Bureau of Land Management access road less than a mile from the resort entrance, offering miles of trails and roads for exploring. Trail maps for the BLM area are available in the Mercey Hot Springs registration office.

Also, located far from any town, Mercey Hot Springs has little to no light pollution, which provides guests with unparalleled star gazing opportunities.