Beautiful views and an excellent walk to stretch out legs. Love coming here to visit the site and see the creek. Maybe you be lucky to find the geocache that's hidden here read more

Hot Creek Ranch - Fishing Near Me - Mammoth Lakes, California

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My husband and I went there every year for over 20 years. We wanted to keep going, but my spouse's health problems prevented it. I will always love the ranch, cabin 7 , and Kevin Peterson, the ranch manager. I miss it so much. read more

Hot creek Ranch IS NOT the geological site. Its a PRIVATE fly fishing ranch 2-3 miles upstream of the geological site.

There is so much beauty in California, mixed with the unique geological wonders that make each park so diverse. My boyfriend told me about Hot Creek Ranch when we were planning out our trip to Mammoth Lakes and Bodie. This spot isn't too far out of the way for a detour, and you get to see these amazing natural hot springs that make this park so beautiful and unique. The color of one hot spring is a vibrant turquoise, and you can see the steam lifting off the pools. There's a short walk downhill to get to a better viewing area, so wear decent walking shoes for the walk back up. It's dry, so the path is dusty and slippery with loose gravel and rock. Labor Day tends to draw a bigger crowd but you can still get some decent pictures in. Plenty of opportunities for photos near the top as well that have the valley in the background. Also at the top, there are several cliffs with steep drops, so watch your step. I would definitely recommend this spot if you're looking for a chill, photogenic park for site-seeing. Roads can get confusing if you've never been before; take a map! read more

A year ago my girlfriend and I made a horrible mistake by visiting Old Faithful Geyser in Calistoga. Yep, California has its own version of Yellowstone's iconic geyser. Only, this one completely sucked (https://yelp.to/qTKq/ml7wez1CdN). Long story short, it was more like an intermittent stream of water than an impressive spectacle of nature. So now, more often than not I'm usually triggered whenever someone brings up the word "geyser." But recently, I think I've finally begun to overcome my trauma. Thanks to a quick trip to Hot Creek Ranch in the Sierra Nevada, my faith in natural geysers has been restored! For those of ya'll who have never heard of this place before, Hot Creek Ranch is home to the Hot Creek Geological Site. Though the name isn't that spectacular, this unique gem is an awe-inspiring physical phenomenon. Hot Creek is essentially a beautiful blue geyser that bubbles up scorching, boiling water. This happens only because there's hot magma deep underneath the geyser (https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/inyo/recarea/?recid=20414). Words can only do so much to describe how marvelous Hot Creek was. Although we could only peer through a fence that was about 100 yards away, it was definitely something I had never laid eyes on before in my life. The geyser was literally the color of the sky, which was so cool considering the fact that the stream running out of it looked more like normal water. Plus, the smoke coming out of the geyser was kind of mesmerizing too. Besides the geological site, Hot Creek Ranch had so much else to offer. For example, we only walked past the geyser for about 5-10 minutes, but you could technically continue along the entire part of the creek. This will take you through beautiful landscapes and gorgeous backdrops. Furthermore, many people even come to Hot Creek Ranch to fish since it's also a hatchery! It can get cold, but we saw a bunch of people try to catch some trout. This might sound counter-intuitive because of the geyser, but the river itself was cool and fresh (though smelly). Getting to Hot Creek Ranch isn't as difficult as one would imagine. It's about 40 minutes south of Lee Vining and Mono Lake. You literally just drive down U.S. Highway 395 until you see the sign for Hot Creek Hatchery Road. You know you've gone too far if you pass the Yosemite Airport; conversely, you've got few more miles to go if you haven't passed Mammoth Lakes yet. Once you turn onto Hot Creek Hatchery Road, you just follow it for about 3 miles until you get to the parking lot. Although I will say that part of this final stretch will include unpaved roads. Just drive about 10-20 miles/hour and you'll be safe. All in all, if you find yourself passing through the Sierra Nevada, I highly recommend a trip to Hot Creek Ranch. It's quite a beautiful place and you can either spend a few minutes or an entire day here. I give it an "Omg, I'd travel 2 hours for this" rating. Have fun and prosper, read more

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Hot Creek Ranch is a pleasant respite from the combat fishing that has started to prevail in Hot Creek canyon. With a limited number of anglers allowed, it gives you a chance to test your skills against trout with PhD's in dry fly refusal. And all in a setting that gives pause and makes one appreciate the good things in life. Kevin and Lisa are down to earth friendly hosts who are willing to chat and offer advice. They stock a small shop for go to flies and other accessories. HCR is often booked out prior to the season. While it's good for the actual owner of the ranch, it also means there isn't as much impetus for improvement. And here is where HCR loses the 5th star. The cabins need a little facelift. They remind me of the classic Mammoth condo's of the 70's what with wood paneling and mismatch art on the walls. Even the bedding needs a sprucing. This is in no way a reflection on Kevin or Lisa. They are the caretakers. The owner just needs to decide to loosen the purse strings a bit. I'd stay again in a heartbeat for a guys weekend. But if I was gonna bring the wife, I'd opt for nicer digs. read more

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(The listing says this place is "Closed" for some reason. It continues to be open seasonally.) If you love to Fly Fish this is a wonderful place to be! A private ranch with 9 cabins in a huge, beautiful meadow with a spring creek meandering through it. Only guests are allowed to fish on the property and is is dry-fly only, no wading, catch and release fishing which has allowed this fishery to be remarkably maintained in comparison to many of the public areas. The ranch is operated by some of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet and has a small shop with basic flies, tippet, etc. should you need something. Cabins are clean and simple with a small kitchen and a weber grill outside. I can't think of a more beautiful place to grill up some grub after a day of spectacular fishing. A very short drive from Mammothand a truly relaxing place to get away. read more

Truly one of the great locations of the Eastern Sierras. Cabins are rustic but clean, well-maintained, and every one has a great view of the river. Had some great days fishing Hot Creek, and when it's not-so-hot the location alone makes it work the expense. Add to that the stewardship of legendary fishing guide Kevin Peterson, and you have a great time. Highly recommended! read more

We've been going to Hot Creek Ranch for many years. As the previous review stated, it is a very private fly fishing ranch behind the Mammoth Airport. It is almost invisible even from the road leading into it. The spring creek is beautiful. The fish are wild and very finicky eaters in this dry-fly, no wading, catch and release creek. There are no more than about 27 fisherman on this stretch of creek so it extremely peaceful fishing. Guides are available and excellent. The ranch manager Kevin Petersen is one of the best in the area. The only draw back is that you will notice when you go to the website that it's very difficult to get reservations for one of the 9 cabins. If you are really interested, check for cancellations. Otherwise, we make our reservations two years in advance. Good luck read more

Hot Creek Ranch remains an enigma in the world of fly fishing. In this magnificent Eastern Sierra setting, thousands of wild trout roam its 11/4 mile section of the famed Hot Creek. A serious dry fly fisher is presented the opportunity to test his or her skills on highly technical waters, then to relax at your private creekside cabin, or walk to the marmot village, or sit upon a ledge next to an old Indian grinding rock, or just to sip some wine and scan the horizon in your adirondack chair. No where do you get more, and few can truly compete with the whole Ranch experience. No wonder reservations are so hard to obtain, and few cancel when their time comes. read more