Hot Creek Geological Site
HOT CREEK GEOLOGICAL SITE
Near Mammoth Lakes, CA
Image by Joshua Snow @ www.wildlightexposures.com and on Instagram @ www.instagram.com/j.snow_photo/
Hot Creek Geological Site is a wonderful set of natural springs found near Mammoth Lake, CA. This location (sometimes called Brees Lookout) provides an impressive view of a winding creek, boiling hot springs, and a spectacular view of the Sierra Nevadas in the distance.
This unusual place is popular for trout fishing, swimming, and sitting in the hot springs. But for a photographer, under the right conditions - this location provides a great opportunity to capture a stunning representation of the southwest in all its glory.
Location summary written by Tim Wier
Trail Difficulty - EASY TO MODERATE
I would rate the difficulty of this trail as 2.5 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being most difficult). The hike from the parking lot for the Hot Creek Site is a moderate 300 yards or so. Depending on the location you choose to shoot from, the trail terrain can be a little dicey. The road from HWY 395 to the Hot Creek Site is a bit bumpy, but most vehicles can easily handle it by slowing down.
GPS Coordinates & Elevation
7,065 Ft. Elevation
View In Google earth
Download KMZ Trail File
Click Here to download the KMZ file for this location.
Directions
CLICK HERE to get driving directions to the parking lot for Hot Creek Site
From Mammoth - - head toward US-395 S and take a right (south) toward Bishop for 2.9 miles (you will see the Mammoth / Yosemite Airport on the left). Turn left on Hot Creek Hatchery Rd and drive for about 1/2 mile, where you will come to a fork in the road.
Turn right and stay on Hot Creek Hatchery Rd for about 1.25 miles where you will come to another fork. This time take a left and follow the signs for about 1.5 miles to (Hot Creek Geological Site). There is a well-marked parking lot with 20-30 parking spaces.
From the parking lot, follow the paved trail past the restrooms until you come back up to the dirt road (Hot Creek Hatchery Rd). There are several places to shoot along the ridge. You can walk up the dirt road to a small parking/camping area or venture down the ridge for your composition.
From Bishop - take US-395 N toward Mammoth Lake for 33 miles and look for the Mammoth / Yosemite Airport. Turn right just past the airport on Hot Creek Hatchery Rd and drive for about 1/2 mile, where you will come to a fork in the road. Turn right and stay on Hot Creek Hatchery Rd for about 1.25 miles where you will come to another fork. This time take a left and follow the signs for about 1.5 miles to (Hot Creek Geological Site). There is a well-marked parking lot with 20-30 parking spaces.
From the parking lot, follow the paved trail past the restrooms until you come back up to the dirt road (Hot Creek Hatchery Rd). There are several places to shoot along the ridge. You can walk up the dirt road to a small parking/camping area or venture down the ridge for your composition.
Photography Tips
This shot is fairly straightforward. Most people will shoot from either on top of the ridge or venture down the ridge closer to the creek. There are tons of compositions - depending on where you stand. The natural composition is horizontal, but there are several fences around the creek and hot springs that need to be accounted for. You can eliminate the fences by shooting vertical.
On cool/cold mornings, the steam from the creek and hot spring will be prominent and add texture and depth to the image. As mentioned above, I would arrive well before sunrise and try different shoots pre-dawn, dawn, and sunrise. If you are shooting in the dark, and venture down the ridge - note that there is a 30-40 ft drop-off, and caution is needed.
Be ready to shoot at or before sunrise - as the scene completely changes once the sun hits the mountains and creek area!
Best Time of Day to Shoot
For me, this is an early morning (pre-dawn and sunrise) shot.
You can get a nice image anytime during the day. However, to capture a fine art photograph, the best time to shoot is early morning as the Sierra Mountains are south by southwest from the location and the sunrise provides a nice early morning glow to the scene. Also, on a cool day, early morning will accentuate the steam coming from the hot creek/springs.
The two shots below were taken by Joshua Snow @ www.jsnowphotography.com. The first was taken around sunrise and the second one was taken predawn.
Best Time of Year
You can photograph this location any time of year (as long as you can get to the location). However, the image is best suited for times of the year where there is snow in the Sierra Mountains. That being said, this location is at 7,000 ft and this area gets a ton of snow, which makes this location impassable for most of the winter. A great time to shoot this location in late fall or early spring when the road is clear, but snow remains on the mountains.
These images above were taken in mid April and late August
Lens(es) Needed
This is primarily a medium wide-angle shot. Depending on your composition, the focal lengths range from 24-50mm.
The images above were taken at 40mm and a 14mm/30mm focal blend.
Birds-Eye View
Permits
At this time, there are no permits required in the area.
Direction of the Shot
The direction of the shot is south by southwest at around 220°.
Equipment Needed
No need for any special photography equipment (other than a sturdy tripod and potentially a polarizer).
Number of Other Photographers to Expect
The Hot Creek Geological Site is a bastion for fisherman (fly fish), tourist, and folks wanting to enjoy the hot springs and are oftentimes can be overrun with people. On a busy morning, you may see a few other photographers.
Weather
The location of this shot is just before the community of Mammoth Lake (between Bishop, CA and Mono Lake, CA) and is at 7,000 ft. Mammoth Lakes is a beautiful resort with peaks up to 11,000. During the winter this area can get 3-5 ft of snow. The temperatures are generally, MUCH colder than in Bishop.
Cell Service
I have Verizon and had limited cell service while at the Hot Creek Site. However, you will get full cell services as you drive back to HWY 395.
Lodging & Camping
As mentioned, the nearest communities/cities are Mammoth Lakes (11 miles) and Bishop, CA (28 miles). Both locations are worth visiting while in this area. Mammoth is a ski resort in winter with several lodging opportunities and Bishop is a nice sized town with plenty of places to stay. The nearest camping is in Mammoth Lake and at June Lake (closed in winter) and a couple of campgrounds near Bishop.
Nearby camping and lodging
Camping - click on the campground below for directions
Twin Lakes Campground (Mammoth Lakes)
Lake Mary Campground (Mammoth Lakes)
Lodging - click on the lodging below for a TripAdvisor review
Best Western Bishop Lodge
(760) 873-3543
1025 N Main St, Bishop, CA
Vagabond Inn Bishop
(760) 873-6351
1030 N Main St, Bishop, CA
Nearby Restaurants
Do yourself a favor and visit the great little town of Mammoth. It is a wonderful community beautiful views, lots of great places to visit and eat.
Nearby Restaurants - click on the restaurant below for yelp review
Mammoth Tavern
(760) 934-3902
587 Old Mammoth Rd, Suite 10 - Mammoth Lakes
The Warming Hut
(760) 965-0549
343 Old Mammoth Rd, Mammoth Lakes, CA
Latin Market Taqueria
(760) 934-7120
1566 Tavern Rd, Mammoth Lakes, CA
Area Guides and Workshops
Contact Joshua Snow at www.wildlightexposures.com if you are looking for a private workshop the Hot Creek Site or other locations in the American Southwest. Joshua is a professional landscape photographer based out of Moab, UT and travels all over the American Southwest.