While I've never been to Travertine hot springs, I highly recommend Sierra Hot springs www.sierrahotsprings.org which is located 25 miles from Truckee, CA in the Sierra Nevada mountains, near Lake Tahoe. There is a rustic lodge onsite with rooms (shared bathrooms) and a communal kitchen. There is also the option of staying in the Globe hotel in town (Sierraville). The property sits on the largest alpine valley in North America!

Enjoy your vacation,
Todd

Buckeye is right up the road from Travertine, and really great. Google around and you'll find directions. Or PM me. :)

Travertine is one of the most popular springs in that area and can be quite crowded at times especially weekends .
Definitely worth a stop and easy to get to, but don't expect solitude.
Likewise with Hot Creek and the other springs in the Mammoth lakes area ( Long Valley Caldera) which are all pretty nice.
All of the springs in these areas are popular and highly visited, but sometimes you get lucky if you travel during the week vs weekends.
Try soak.net or The soakers bible for more details.
Good Luck ~Wendell~
P.S. Our favorites in that area are Buckeye , out of Bridgeport for primative soaking and Benton just out of Benton for a developed spring.

Hi John, I am probably too late to help here, but you and others will be able to use this information in the future. I moved from LA to Humboldt at age nine and have traveled up and down hwy 101 so many times I stopped counting. And I have lived in a lot of cool places in between, and checked out their hot tub spots.

So from south to north: The furthest south that I am aware of is actually Esalen in Big Sur, I have never been there, but my mother has been many times. It seems to have been open to the public and not open to the public at various times over the years, it's world famous for things like encounter groups, workshops and such. And for its' tubs and gardens. Always had the impression of a real five star set-up.
Actually can't think of any place I have hot tubbed south of Santa Cruz, unless you count pool parties I went to in LA as a child, LOL. So let's start with Santa Cruz and two of my favorites; Kiva house in Downtown Santa Cruz was the only one of these I ever worked at, as a volunteer receptionist, with free membership. Can be a bit of a pick up scene in the evenings, but daytime was always wonderful out in he communal garden area, three hot tubs, some cold tubs, a sauna and a nice indoor area in a converted Victorian. Wonderful place last time I was there, back in '91 and the five years prior. I'd give it four stars.
The right over the hill in the hills of Las Gatos is a nudist colony that has a family environment, sort of, for about 50 years, Lupin I think it's called? I've been there at least once, but I think twice actually. I like nude lounging during the day, but not all weekend at a campout. I'd probably give it three stars.
All I can say about SF and the eastbay is that they both have what I think is still called Grand Central Hot tubs, or something like that, I'd give them three stars too, but more for a date on Saturday night than for anything communal. I hear rumors of good hot tubs for gay men in San Jose and in SF, but of course I have only second hand information on that.

Then there is Marin where everyone owns their own private hot tub, LOL. Next we have the Sonoma county. Out in Guerneville, if your gay and don't mind public sex on ocassion, there's a fun spot that I'll just let you discover on your own. The there is Osmosis, a place I have only heard rave reviews on and considered putting in my resume as a massage therapist at, but never actually been to yet. It's in a small town called Freestone, has always given the impression of a four star operation at least.
There are three places worth mentioning up in the sonoma/napa wine country area's, though I have only been to one of them. So of course that would be Harbin Hot Springs. I have only been there once. While I was slightly Impressed with the physical environment I was less impressed with the emotional atmosphere. But the place is big and a lot happens there as you may know, it has quite a reputation. So I can hardly say that one day in midwinter was a good sampling. I did however really like the massage I got there, out in a teepee I think. I'd give the over all experience two or three stars, but I'll reserve judgement until I've gotten out to it again.

The two I have not been to are Wilber Hot Springs and Orr Hot springs. Both remote and more meditative in atmosphere. Probably at least four star operations from what I've heard from many others.

The last two places up for review are further north still, Humboldt and Mt. Shasta areas. Humboldt, Arcata; a place called Finnish Hottubs, if it is still there! Back about 30 years ago it opened up, with only private tubs, in an outdoor garden setting. Much like Kiva house's private tubs. I don't know if is is still there or if it has added a communal area, but I believe there was a sort of tea house or cafe there when it opened, I was only about ten. It was still open in my 20's I'm fairly certain, mom still lives there. I'd give it five stars, if it's still around.

Last on the list and with deep affection is a place about a half hour north of Mt Shasta called Stewart Hot Springs. I received my first professional massage there and enjoyed many a tub there. Their tubs are somewhat unique in that they are not hot tubs, but old victorian tubs that they fill with water from the actual spring; which is a true hot sulfur spring with things like arsenic and of course sulfur in the water. They actually encourage people to try drinking a glass of this horrible smelling stuff to do a detoxing. I'd give it five stars.

Most of these places can be googled I'm sure, and probably have very active websites. Good Luck, Bon Apetite, and Adios.

About an 45 min - 1 hour off of the 395 in Alturas (NE CA) is a town called Cedarville. About 20 minutes sout of that is Eagleview. People really don't end up there, so you don't have to worry about garbage and creepies. Driving South from eagleview about 7-8 miles, there is a 5.5 mile marker (5.5. miles from what, I do not know). Stop here and look over the ledge of road and youwill see a big round tub surrounded by sweet smelling mint.