Shepherd Hot Springs

There is only one Or 2 spots for RV’s the rest are tent spaces around the hot springs.
The road was bumpy but doable if you can strap your goods well!
We were lucky to get in early in the week and got a great spot. There is car traffic of people going to the hot springs during the day, but it’s was mostly quiet. It got down to 30 F at night in September, so have blankets!
Also, there was a naked guy in the hot springs, so just sayin’.

Great views of the Sierra’s. Road is rough but we got our 26” trailer down without trouble. Only two or three flat spots for a trailer. There was a constant stream of people visiting the spring. The flow of people continued 24 hours a day. One group parked their car and turned the stereo all the way up at 3 am. We asked them to turn it down. The next night, more of the same.

We spent a few days here this August, rolling in on a Tuesday and out on a Thursday. Someone was behind us coming in, and behind her was generally a constant stream of people going to and from the spring at all hours. We were surprised how busy this place is during the week, even (especially) at night. We were finally able to use an empty tub on a Wednesday at like 1 pm. Very pretty campsite surrounded by mountains and within 20 mins of a good grocery store. Excellent cell service. Just surprisingly constantly busy. Road is bumpy but I saw plenty of all kinds of cars here as the weather was great.

I mean, what else do you need? The downside is that it is a popular place for people to come for a dip in the springs, so there will be some cars coming and going at every hour of the day (and night on the weekends!) during the high season, but since there really is just one real camping spot (for bigger rigs anyways), most people come for an hour and leave. Be warned that the road is rough and bumpy. We scouted it out first with our Westfalia and it was passable with our low-clearance 35 feet bus. A few things about the springs: it's a public place, so do not hug the springs. There are many hot springs in the area and people usually just drive in, see if it is occupied, and leave (most are just 4-5 people size). Do not park right by the spring and wait in your van/car while people are bathing. You should not park your van or rig too close to the spring even if it's the only flat spot. Be far enough that the bathers have their privacy (many people like to soak naked).

So from this spot, Shepard Hot Springs is right there and you can access the Crab Cooker from a trail located just right of Shepard (when you are facing it). It is a 5 minute walk to the Crab Cooker (which is more secluded and was much cleaner when we visited it). It is called Crab Cooker because the spring is very hot, but there is a valve to control how much water comes in. You should close the valve when you are done bathing. During less busy times, you can pull the plug (sometimes a real plastic plug, sometimes a rock stuffed in a sock) and let the tub drain and scrub the green algae (there was a brush at the Crab Cooker and it was very clean when we got there), then fill it back up and close the valve. Obviously, do not use any soap in the springs.

Some people will leave trash behind. Be nice and collect it. Some people will come and blast some music and be loud, know that it's part of the deal if you decide to camp there. All and all a beautiful place to stay at. Waking up and heading to a hot spring as the sun rises is pretty amazing.