Tassajara Zen Mountain Center
Tassajara is a Zen Buddhist monastery deep in the mountains east of Big Sur that opens its hot springs bathhouse to guests in summer. Day visits are offered only on a few dates and must be booked by phone no more than two weeks ahead.
- Getting there
- Long, narrow mountain road (Tassajara Road) with one-lane sections
- Children
- All ages
- Clothing
- Bathhouse clothing optional with no coed bathing; swimsuits required at the swimming pool
- Cost and hours
- See current prices and hours on the official site
- Pools
- Separate bathhouse sides with indoor and outdoor plunges, and a swimming pool
- Reservations
- Required
- Stay the night
- Cabins and rooms during the summer guest season
- Managed by
- San Francisco Zen Center
Good to know. The access road is narrow, steep and unpaved in places, and can be hazardous after rain or snow.
In any natural hot spring, keep your head above the water. Health officials advise it because of a rare amoeba that can enter through the nose.
New to hot springs? A slow soak is a five-step way to enjoy the water safely.
Good for: quiet soaking. Something out of date? Let us know and we’ll check it.
No hot spring nearby?
Warm-water sessions at your own pool, or your community’s, in and around Flagstaff, by request. And there are small water practices you can do at home, in a bath.