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Grover Hot Springs State Park is located on the east side of the Sierra at the edge of the Great Basin Province, characterized by open pine forest, and sagebrush and meadows. The park has a pool complex with a hot pool and a swimming pool hot springs, a campground, picnic area and hiking trails.
The 700-acre park lies in Hot Springs Valley at an elevation of nearly 6,000 feet, with mountains rising abruptly on three sides. Hawkins Peak, at 10,023 feet, is three miles northwest of the valley, and Markleeville Peak, 9,417 feet, lies four miles to the southwest. These bare granite peaks are best viewed from the Burnside Lake Trail, which begins at the extra- vehicle parking lot and ascends rapidly towards the west end of the valley. Burnside Lake Trail continues northwest, passing a small waterfall before switch-back¬ing up a steep mountainside. The trail rises more than 2,000 feet in less than four miles before it reaches Burnside Lake, which is also reachable by road from State Highway 88. The Charity Valley Trail goes southwest to Charity Val¬ley and Blue Lakes Road.
Ever since the mid-1850s, when journalists began putting their impressions of Grover Hot Springs into words, the descriptions have been generous.
The area is one of alpine beauty with a large variety of plant and animal life. A self-guided loop trail, with descriptions of the area’s natural history, begins at the Campground Bridge.
A full range of seasons and weather offer the visitor the opportunity to experience a variety of conditions, from major blizzards to dry scorchers, from warm clear nights to intense, blasting thunderstorms. Winds of great speeds are capable of whipping through the park causing damage during any month of the year. Pristine clear, warm days can be followed by cold stormy nights.
Proper preparation for the full range of potential conditions can make a visit to the park not only safe and warm but also dry and comfortable.
Park News Alert
GROVER HOT SPRINGS POOL WINTER OPERATING HOURS (2011/2012)
The hot springs pools are open Thursdays through Tuesdays and CLOSED ON WEDNESDAYS during the winter.
We will be CLOSED ON THANKSGIVING DAY AND CHRISTMAS DAY. Hours of operation may vary. Please call the hot springs for current hours of operation.
GROVER HOT SPRINGS CAMPING UPDATE (10/24/2011)
Our WINTER CAMPGROUND (the picnic area) is now open on a first come, first serve basis. The winter campground accommodates RVs AND TRAILERS ONLY UP TO 18 FEET LONG due to very limited space. Be prepared for cold temperatures and snow. Roads to Grover Hot Springs may be slippery due to snow and ice. Carry and USE chains if required. For those interested in group camping in winter (such as Scouts) please call Linda Frost at (530) 694-2649.
VISITOR CENTER/STORE NOW OPEN!
Grover Hot Springs now has a visitor center/store that is located opposite the campground entrance station. We sell clothing, books, stuffed animals, maps, hiking-related items, etc.... We are open during the summer every day from 9am to 5 pm. The visitor center/store is operated by the Friends of Grover Hot Springs, a non-profit organization that helps keep the park open. Come on by!
GROVER HOT SPRINGS POOL WINTER OPERATING HOURS (2011/2012)
The hot springs pools are open Thursdays through Tuesdays and CLOSED ON WEDNESDAYS during the winter.
We will be CLOSED ON THANKSGIVING DAY AND CHRISTMAS DAY. Hours of operation may vary. Please call the hot springs for current hours of operation.
GROVER HOT SPRINGS CAMPING UPDATE (10/24/2011)
Our WINTER CAMPGROUND (the picnic area) is now open on a first come, first serve basis. The winter campground accommodates RVs AND TRAILERS ONLY UP TO 18 FEET LONG due to very limited space. Be prepared for cold temperatures and snow. Roads to Grover Hot Springs may be slippery due to snow and ice. Carry and USE chains if required. For those interested in group camping in winter (such as Scouts) please call Linda Frost at (530) 694-2649.
VISITOR CENTER/STORE NOW OPEN!
Grover Hot Springs now has a visitor center/store that is located opposite the campground entrance station. We sell clothing, books, stuffed animals, maps, hiking-related items, etc.... We are open during the summer every day from 9am to 5 pm. The visitor center/store is operated by the Friends of Grover Hot Springs, a non-profit organization that helps keep the park open. Come on by!
Getting There
Located four miles west of Markleeville, at the end of Hot Springs Road, the park is in an alpine meadow and pine forest at 5,900 feet surrounded by peaks that just top 10,000 feet.
Located four miles west of Markleeville, at the end of Hot Springs Road, the park is in an alpine meadow and pine forest at 5,900 feet surrounded by peaks that just top 10,000 feet.
Seasons/Climate/Recommended Clothing
The temperature can vary greatly over the course of a year and even during the course of a month.
Winter months generally fall into three types of weather patterns and there may be one to four feet of snow on the ground:
Clear and very cold: -5 to 20 degrees F.
Light to very heavy snow storms: 22 to 34 degrees F.
Sleet and rain at higher temperatures and clear or partly cloudy and rather warm: 35 to 50 degrees F.
Late Spring and early Summer are the best weather months with very clear skies and warm to hot days, 66 to 95 degrees F., with cool to cold nights 24 to 45 degrees F.
Later Summer features very warm mornings, 68 to 83 degrees F., with afternoon thunder storms and comfortable to slightly cool evenings, 31 to 45 degrees F.
Fall is progressively cooling with mildly warm days, 45 to 77 degrees F., and freezing nights 20 to 36 degrees F. and increasing storm activity towards winter. Early Fall storms are can be rain, turning to or snow later in the year.
The temperature can vary greatly over the course of a year and even during the course of a month.
Winter months generally fall into three types of weather patterns and there may be one to four feet of snow on the ground:
Clear and very cold: -5 to 20 degrees F.
Light to very heavy snow storms: 22 to 34 degrees F.
Sleet and rain at higher temperatures and clear or partly cloudy and rather warm: 35 to 50 degrees F.
Late Spring and early Summer are the best weather months with very clear skies and warm to hot days, 66 to 95 degrees F., with cool to cold nights 24 to 45 degrees F.
Later Summer features very warm mornings, 68 to 83 degrees F., with afternoon thunder storms and comfortable to slightly cool evenings, 31 to 45 degrees F.
Fall is progressively cooling with mildly warm days, 45 to 77 degrees F., and freezing nights 20 to 36 degrees F. and increasing storm activity towards winter. Early Fall storms are can be rain, turning to or snow later in the year.
Operating Hours & Contact
The park is open year-round. Closed on Thanksgiving day and Christmas day. The hours and days of operation at Grover Hot Springs change often so please call in advance.
For questions concerning operations date and times, please call 530-694-2249 or 530-694-2248 for the latest information.
The park is open year-round. Closed on Thanksgiving day and Christmas day. The hours and days of operation at Grover Hot Springs change often so please call in advance.
For questions concerning operations date and times, please call 530-694-2249 or 530-694-2248 for the latest information.
Hot Springs
The park’s hot springs are a phenomenon associated with the faulting that developed when the Sierra Nevada began to rise millions of years ago. Surface water courses its way through the cracks in the earth’s crust until it reaches hot rock thousands of feet below; then it bubbles to the surface, dissolving minerals along its way. For many years before the advent of modern medicine, people sought the curative powers they believed existed in the springs. They were sure that the springs cured a long list of chronic illnesses.
The water’s total mineral content of 74.7 grams per gallon breaks down as follows: sodium chloride, 19.91; sodium sulfate, 12.02; sodium carbonate, 34.10; calcium carbonate, 6.38; magne¬sium carbonate, 1.16; iron and alumina, 0.32; and silica 0.82; plus a trace of organic matter. Unlike the water from most hot springs, it contains little sulfur.
One of the park’s two concrete pools is fed by the runoff from six mineral springs. Although the water comes to the surface at 148 degrees F., the hot pool’s inflow is regulated so the temperature remains between 102 and 104 degrees. Excess water and overflow from the pools are diverted into nearby Hot Springs Creek, a year-round stream that flows through the middle of the park’s large meadow. Pool hours depend on the season; call the park before you plan to visit.
Visitors can fish the creek during the summer months. Catchable-size trout are planted periodically as long as the creek maintains an adequate water-flow. Four miles east of the park is the Carson River, and farther upstream is Silver Creek, both noted for their excellent trout fishing.
The park’s hot springs are a phenomenon associated with the faulting that developed when the Sierra Nevada began to rise millions of years ago. Surface water courses its way through the cracks in the earth’s crust until it reaches hot rock thousands of feet below; then it bubbles to the surface, dissolving minerals along its way. For many years before the advent of modern medicine, people sought the curative powers they believed existed in the springs. They were sure that the springs cured a long list of chronic illnesses.
The water’s total mineral content of 74.7 grams per gallon breaks down as follows: sodium chloride, 19.91; sodium sulfate, 12.02; sodium carbonate, 34.10; calcium carbonate, 6.38; magne¬sium carbonate, 1.16; iron and alumina, 0.32; and silica 0.82; plus a trace of organic matter. Unlike the water from most hot springs, it contains little sulfur.
One of the park’s two concrete pools is fed by the runoff from six mineral springs. Although the water comes to the surface at 148 degrees F., the hot pool’s inflow is regulated so the temperature remains between 102 and 104 degrees. Excess water and overflow from the pools are diverted into nearby Hot Springs Creek, a year-round stream that flows through the middle of the park’s large meadow. Pool hours depend on the season; call the park before you plan to visit.
Visitors can fish the creek during the summer months. Catchable-size trout are planted periodically as long as the creek maintains an adequate water-flow. Four miles east of the park is the Carson River, and farther upstream is Silver Creek, both noted for their excellent trout fishing.
When are the Hot Springs Closed?
The pool complex is generally open every day from June through August. From September through May the pool hours and days of operation vary. Please call ahead for current operating hours (530) 694-2249 - this may save you an unnecessary trip.
The pools are closed for facility and pool maintenance during two weeks in September each year. Please call the park for closure dates.
The pool complex is also closed for Thanksgiving day and Christmas day.
Finally the pools must close during nearby thunderstorms due to the possibility of lightning striking the water. Thunderstorms usually occur during the afternoon hours in the summer months of July and August. If thunderstorms are predicted by the National Weather Service for the Northern Sierra Nevada, then Grover may be affected.
During the winter, when snow is covering the ground, the pool complex will usually remain open. It may be closed during severe snow storms, and high accumulations of snow on the roads. The roads are generally plowed during the winter, but always carry snow chains and a shovel when traveling in the Sierras during the winter. Contact a weather service and Caltrans for conditions before departing.
The pool complex is generally open every day from June through August. From September through May the pool hours and days of operation vary. Please call ahead for current operating hours (530) 694-2249 - this may save you an unnecessary trip.
The pools are closed for facility and pool maintenance during two weeks in September each year. Please call the park for closure dates.
The pool complex is also closed for Thanksgiving day and Christmas day.
Finally the pools must close during nearby thunderstorms due to the possibility of lightning striking the water. Thunderstorms usually occur during the afternoon hours in the summer months of July and August. If thunderstorms are predicted by the National Weather Service for the Northern Sierra Nevada, then Grover may be affected.
During the winter, when snow is covering the ground, the pool complex will usually remain open. It may be closed during severe snow storms, and high accumulations of snow on the roads. The roads are generally plowed during the winter, but always carry snow chains and a shovel when traveling in the Sierras during the winter. Contact a weather service and Caltrans for conditions before departing.
Tips
Carrying capacity at the pool is 50 people in the winter and 75 people summer season. Weekends and holidays are the busiest times. Wait time to enter the pools during these times may exceed 2 hours.
Pool use is not included with camping fees.
Carrying capacity at the pool is 50 people in the winter and 75 people summer season. Weekends and holidays are the busiest times. Wait time to enter the pools during these times may exceed 2 hours.
Pool use is not included with camping fees.
Camping
The park has 76 sites equipped with fire pits and grills, cupboards, bear-proof lockers and tables. Each campsite is close to piped drinking water and restrooms. Two of the 76 sites are designed specifically for wheelchair use, and accessible restrooms are nearby.
The campgrounds are closed from early October to May. Camping is permitted in the day-use area adjacent to the park entrance during the winter. Each of the 20 units has a fire pit with a grill and a table. Piped water and restrooms (no showers) are always available.
Make Campground Reservations
The park has 76 sites equipped with fire pits and grills, cupboards, bear-proof lockers and tables. Each campsite is close to piped drinking water and restrooms. Two of the 76 sites are designed specifically for wheelchair use, and accessible restrooms are nearby.
The campgrounds are closed from early October to May. Camping is permitted in the day-use area adjacent to the park entrance during the winter. Each of the 20 units has a fire pit with a grill and a table. Piped water and restrooms (no showers) are always available.
Make Campground Reservations
Accessible Features
Camping: Two designated accessible campsites are paved and generally usable.
Restroom with shower: The designated accessible combination restroom and shower building across from the accessible campsites is usable.
Hot springs and pool are accessible via a lift. Assistance may be needed with ramp slope. Dressing rooms and toilets are usable. Showers lack folding seats and lower heads but have adequate space. Designated accessible parking is available near the pool.
Camping: Two designated accessible campsites are paved and generally usable.
Restroom with shower: The designated accessible combination restroom and shower building across from the accessible campsites is usable.
Hot springs and pool are accessible via a lift. Assistance may be needed with ramp slope. Dressing rooms and toilets are usable. Showers lack folding seats and lower heads but have adequate space. Designated accessible parking is available near the pool.
Community Trips
Overnight snowcamping trip near Carson Pass.
Attempt to walk down Charity Valley to look at Wildflowers. Had some trouble finding the trail. Left when a thunderhead was dropping lightning within 9 seconds of the trail.
Waterfalls and natural springs
Lots of snow melt, special surprise at the end of the trip (see photos)
My brother and I made this trek on a warm summer day. The hike starts out very steep but the incline reduces gradually. It really gets the blood pumping after a long car ride out to the trailhead! The trail is a fire road used to access a building project located just below the peak.Most of the trail is out in the open and the wildflowers bloom long into the summer.Being flatlanders...
Jeff Davis and The Nipple - Great Basin National Park
Shay Creek Summer Home Area, California, United States
6.5 miles
6.5 miles
