Sierra Hot Springs

Posted on February 1, 2010 – 10:01 AM | by OldManFoster
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by Becky Grunewald

Sierra Hot Springs is located north of Truckee, about 2 and half hours northeast of Sacramento.  It’s a short jaunt from the teeny town of Sierraville, down a dirt road.  As I approached the large, handsome frame house that serves as both check-in station and inn, I caught an immediate blissed-out hippy vibe, probably emanating from the woman with dreads on the tire swing and the Hari Krishna-esque man with flowy pants in a lotus position on the lawn.  The check-in desk is extremely laissez faire – in fact I checked myself in by stuffing an envelope through a slot after about 10 minutes of ineffectually standing around.  Three hours in the hot springs is only $15 with a $5 membership fee for one person in your party.

All pools are clothing-optional, but Sierra doesn’t have the hook-up vibe that Harbin Hot Springs has.  Some people wear suits, most don’t, it’s not a big deal.  Sierra boasts a sick-ass hippy dome that has a toe-curlingly hot pool delightfully lined with sand.  There are two ice-cold plunge pools flanking it.  Harbin has a similar set-up, but the cold pools are outside, so each time one wishes to alternate one has to brave the intense scrutiny of many wrinkly, bearded wizards upon reentry into the hot pool.

Outside the dome there’s a large warm pool enclosed by a deck that looks out onto a lovely meadow.  I’m no nudist (quite the opposite, in fact, practically a never-nude), but there are few $15 pleasures in life to rival a relaxing scalding-hot soak followed by lolling on this deck in the gentle breeze.

There are also some slightly sketchy private pools up a hill, some of which have a lock on the door.  I don’t know what happens in those pools, and I don’t want to know what happens in those pools, but I tried to relax in one and felt like I was going to catch gonorrhea just from sitting in it, so I freaked out and left.

The hot springs are open 24 hours a day to those staying on the property.  In addition to reasonably priced rooms at the inn (around 80 bucks for two people), there are camping facilities available, with the caveat that campfires are not allowed.  I definitely plan on visiting again and camping in order to take a moonlit dip-with no wizards watching!

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