Hot Creek is located east of the Mammoth Airport (KMMH) by taking the road off of Hwy 395 just north of the runway. About 3 miles from the airport is the parking lot. The stream is an exhilarating experience! Ice water flows from the mountains mixing with the boiling water that churns up from under the stream bed and sand. The water swirls around you mixing the hot and cold to a comfortable soak! Don't let that fool you!! When the current changes, you either get chilled beyond belief, or scalded with boiling water! PEOPLE HAVE DIED in this creek, and swimming is NOT RECOMMENDED. The Locals will tell you that you're sitting on an active volcano! You can feel the ground shake. And NO, you CANNOT enter the water in the pools north of the creek. They are boiling.

If you're into fishing, the water upstreem of the hot water is loaded with fish! The geothermal flow is a natural barrier and live fish avoid it. The dead fish couldn't care less and might be well cooked after floating through. Barbless hooks were the legal method last time I checked, but its been a while.