Mono Hot Springs Resort

This review is just for the River Rock Cafe at Mono Hot Springs resort. The cafe is open for dinner from 5 to 8pm according to the sign. It's advisable to go earlier rather than later because they might run out of the entree you want. They make stuff fresh daily, so that's a danger.The hardworking server managed the front end solo. She did a good job.My 1/2 lb bison burger patty was cooked to delicious perfection. Having a non-dehydrated meal after an 8- day BP trip was a treat. Having this bison burger meal with the option of 2 side dishes was heavenly. No, potato fries wasn't one of the choices. I did choose the asparagus and zucchini cooked in marinara sauce and the restuffed baked half potato. This was an exceptional meal that was almost too big for me to finish, but I managed! The bison meat was flavorful and had not the slightest greasy quality about it. Getting meals of this quality when far off the beaten track is a delightful expectation when at Mono Hot Springs. You would be hard-pressed to find a meal this good in the towns further down the mountain.

Sat Sep 16 15:53:07 PDT 2023Mono Hot Springs Resort is a gift to urban dwellers. As regards the cabins, they are of a throwback to the 70's it is more off-grid camping than a typical hotel.First off, make sure you have enough gas to go in and back out at shaver lake. And be prepared for a challenging but passable road in. Expect average speeds of around 10MPH after the snow gate. And remember as you drive an 15' wide road with a cliff on one side, that hundreds of vehicles pass each month including service vehicles needed (to run what is basically a city of 50 people) if you count tent campers in the national forest.Very limited cell service with spotty wifi from the store means you won't look at email or social media too much. If you absolutely need cell service get an eSIM. I have verizon and doubled up with t-mobile (which uses ATT towers) which worked in camp and on a few of the trails. But plan on being without. We had an incident and after being prompted by the phone multiple times "do you want to share your location?" tried it out. Verizon SOS and it didn't work. You will be off the internet for extended periods, ok in camp.For cabins with power, the generator runs from 6am to 11pm. Some cabins are solar. There is limited ability to charge phones, although if you leave them in the office they will do this for you. There is a sort of country kindness present. if you need something they will do their best to accomodate.The restaurant/cafe is sort of the exception here with the food being exceptional - better than some restaurants in LA or SF. The restaurant is sometimes closed on mondays.The accommodations are clean and well maintained. But remember these cabins are decades old and in the snow for the winter. They ain't fancy, rather worn and patched and loved. Bring your own coffee pot. Limited silverware, cookware, small, new / clean fridge in cabins with elect. The beds were fine. Everything clean. The family that runs the resort puts a lot of time into these old cabins. Water is good and drinkable.Be prepared for beauty and awe. The hike to Doris lake is well worth the effort. Download a topo map on alltrails before you leave. Corbet lake is supposed to be very nice; drive back to ranger station and hike. Florence lake is gorgeous but pack for back-country sierra with food, water, and warm layers. We took the ferry over (seats 10 plus dogs) and hiked back. The hike back from John Muir wilderness is three five hours and moderate to challenging, and apple watch says 6.5 miles, 19,000 steps, and large elevation gains. We saw beautiful water falls, fish, striking scenery. You can also just do a round trip Florence Ferry but there is not much to look at at the far end unless you hike to one of the horse camps. Yeah, horses running around. Bring Food, water, matches, knife, layers, maps. Another hike, Devil's table, can be seen by driving up the road. This is challenging and not good for dogs.Above all, the people are friendly. Fishing is fantastic. Other campers have returned year after year. Staff is fantastic

I don't understand why anyone would steep their skin here when the arsenic content shown on their website exceeds the acceptable threshold for drinking water.Dec 5... I'm amending my review, as I understand arsenic a little better now. Apparently, arsenic is complex, a little helps in red blood cell formation and metabolism - however too much causes illness and cancer. I wish the hot springs people would add such background information to their websites. So be careful not to overdo the spring water, ... and of course watch what you eat.

Rustic with enough modern convinces to make even the novice camper feel at home. MHSR has a beautiful stillness that I've only found in other wilderness areas. The night sky is unparalleled. Knowledgeable and courteous staff that will look after your needs and your well-being should you need it (ie. You get lost in the wilderness). If you are hiking make sure you are well equipped and ready to on the elements.

WANT TO GET JUST A BIT CLOSER TO GOD? THIS IS THE PLACE TO GO. BUT ONLY IF YOU CAN SURVIVE THE LONG, DANGEROUS JOURNEY.Oh what a place this is. 5 stars just doesn't do it. 100 stars is more like it. Or as many stars there are in the starry starry night here!To start-the road there: The road is scary but don't let it intimidate you (unless its snowing). "Make it your friend" by knowing A) it adds to the trip's grandeur, B) it scares a lot of people away and C) it adds to your memories of a supremely adventurous trip. The mountain scenery is simply incredible, and as for danger, the necessity for driving under 20 mph probably negates much of it. Just be super careful, and like someone said, "respect the road and it will respect you." At least it seemed to when I was there. View the road experience positively and it will end up being an unexpected highlight of the trip (assuming nothing bad happens to you, of which there is no guarantee).Ok, so about Mono Hot Springs, first about the resort. We didn't stay there, so I couldn't tell you about their accomodations, but they seemed from the outside to be fine, really mountainy looking, ones I'd love to stay in from the looks of them. We used the general store and the hot tub baths. The people were really nice there and Jim in the store helped me out of a really horrible situation I had gotten myself into, for which I am so greatful. I don't know if an overnight stay here would be "truly unique" but I do know that it at least would be very different than many stays a person could experience, and is one I would love to experience in the future.They have the bathhouse there and then the real hot springs baths across the river. If you try them both you'll find them to be vastly different. The bathhouse is clean, covered and indoor, and would be good if you have very little time or if you stay for a few days. But it's "pure vanilla" compared to the "tutti frutti" outdoor hot springs. That's the one I'll talk about.There's 3 ways to get to the hot springs, the 1st 2 only if your very sure footed. Over a log that crosses the river, or over a lot of slippery river rocks. Or, the way I did it, all the way up the road to the entrance, over the bridge and back around to the other side, which is way farther but a lot safer, especially if you're walking a dog like I was. It's also a heck of a long way back.Anyway, we walked along a trail, that had tiny "seepages" you had to walk through. Suddenly,disaster! I stepped in a spot that looked muddy and BOOM! Suddenly I was thigh-deep in mud, my shin striking a rock as it fell, and my dog falling in with me. The thought quickly occured to me that I had just stepped into quicksand and my dog had followed me in, and as a quick review of how to handle quicksand flashed in my mind, my foot hit bottom and I knew we'd be ok, just a muddy mess. I think my dog liked it :) I climbed out and saw an old board laying there, which one could walk across instead of falling in. Maybe. If you go, just beware of the possbility of something like this.There were some mud baths, but they were river water and probably cold. I didn't try those but I bet they would be great. We passed a hot spring tub that was being used. Later I saw a lady walking down from the mountain. I asked her if there was anything up there and she said there's a shower up there, and I should go try it.Just what I needed! An old cement tank with a thing at the top that poured hot water into a tub below. I "showered", cleaned the mud off and tried to get my dog to jump in, but she wouldn't after feeling the hot water.I then went back down and saw this same lady and her husband at the hot spring. It was a 4 sided rectangular tub, seemingly carved out of the rock, filled with quite warm and slightly murky, mossy water.What made this so different from the bathhouse was the water was much warmer, which was monumentally better. Plus this was just so much farther out in nature, away from the more "civilized" resort. I'd survived the journey, closed my eyes, felt the warmth soak in and, finally, this is where I felt a lot closer to God.As my experience ended the couple who invited me down suggested I cross the river at a more narrow place as a short cut. I tried it, and getting my dog across the river at that point was a another story, but, with the couple cheering my dog on and telling her she could do it, we were able to get across and then I felt like some kind of Grizzley Adams pioneer. To sum it up, if you go there, expect hardship and struggle. Expect to experience the thought of "boy, should I really be doing this?" But, and especially if this is a once in a lifetime trip, PRESS ON and GET IT DONE. It's just way better to KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE rather than wonder the rest of your life about what you DIDN'T experience.And if you survive, I think it will be worth immensly more than the money, effort and hardship involved.

I really wanted to love this place but came away happy with only 3 things: (1) beautiful setting with a couple really nice hiking trails, (2) dogs allowed, and (3) old Pedro. Old Pedro is across a log bridge on the other side of the river (NOT part of the "resort"). If you don't mind bugs and mud in your mineral soak, it's superb water.Unless you really need a cabin, SKIP THE RESORT, and camp at the adjacent beautiful national forest campground. This is not a health-oriented hot springs resort at all. I came away needing to detox when I wanted to feel healthy and refreshed. It wasn't just the chlorine added to the mineral water pool, but there was regular gas fumes in the air maybe from the generator, sketchy drinking water, and almost no healthy food options. You could skip the chlorinated outdoor pool and use the bleached bathtubs but the water temperature there is tepid at best. This could be a heaven for health-oriented hot spring lovers but instead it seems to be a tourist trap and outpost for hunters. Go to any of the other really awesome hot springs in Northern CA for a healthy get-away.

Unique place. The drive in is scary as heck. Make sure to book at least 2 full days (3 or more nights) so you can relax & enjoy the place. Soak in the tub every day. We drove to each of the 2 nearby lakes & took the "hikers boat" to the far end & back. Cheap entertainment. The John Muir (PCT) through hikers are interesting to watch & listen to. Bring food for breakfast & snacks, to save money, but eat at least one meal a day at Mono's restaurant. Bring 2-3 good books so you can hike out, sit on a rock, & chill. Unfortunately the relaxing vacations ends with another scary drive back over the pass.

The absolute worst place you can go to for peace an quiet. I was in cabin 19 and the guests in cabin 17 had a dj rack and blared their music from 6pm to 11pm every night. Imagine Dave Mathews subwoofing into every room in your stone sided cabin. I called the office but the management does not answer phone calls after 6pm.I demanded a refund.I kept in touch with the other folks staying there. They said the group in cabin 17 kept playing their music loud every night, Not sure why management there lets people keep playing loud music when the rules on the receipt clearly state no electronic music that disturbs your neighbors is allowed.Never, never stay at this place.

Absolutely a wonderful place to visit, relax and have fun. My dog Eagle and I enjoy ourselves evertime we go there. Awesome staff, great cabins.

The best chill resort ever! Thank you! Once you pass the initiation test of finding it, you'll want to return. A gem!!