Glen Ivy Hot Springs is a historic hot springs just an hour south of Los Angeles, but it feels like a million miles away. I went there to spend the day with my boyfriend, and discovered a 12-acre paradise of palm trees, bougainvillea and oaks.
Glen Ivy Hot Springs features 19 pools and spas and unique attractions including naturally thermal mineral water baths and Glen Ivy’s famous “Club Mud,” California’s only therapeutic red clay mud bath. It's the perfect “stay-cation” for people who live in the area and for spa lovers, it's worth a pilgrimage.
At Glen Ivy Hot Springs You Should:
- Come Early, Spend the Day. You can "take the waters" and hang out as long as you want for a single admission price. It's the closest thing the U.S. has to the traditional European "baths." Yoga and water aerobics classes are included. Spa treatments, cabanas, and The Grotto are extra.
- Play in the Mud! My boyfriend and I dipped in the mud bath pool, slathered ourselves with therapeutic red clay, then grabbed a chaise to bake in the sun. After showering, we were deeply relaxed and ready for our massages. But red clay stains. Bring an old suit and break out the cute bikini AFTER the shower.
- Enjoy A Spa Treatment. Glen Ivy Hot Springs offers 25 different services including massages, facials, body treatments including wraps and scrubs as well as manicures and pedicures. We had our massages “under the oaks.” Listening to birds chirp, leaves sway and water fall was almost as relaxing as the massage itself.
- Get Into Nature. Everywhere you look you’ll see turtles paddling in ponds, koi swimming lazily and the woodpeckers harvesting beetles from the palm trees. That’s one reason Glen Ivy Hot Springs is a founding member of the Green Spa Network.
- Check Out The Grotto! Attendants paint on a moisturizing body masque of sea kelp, aloe vera and minerals, the you relax in the steamy hydrating chamber. Shower off the masque and relax in the cool mist chamber moisturized and refreshed. (But a trip to Glen Ivy's Grotto is extra!)
Glen Ivy Hot Springs is an ideal spa to spend the day with friends and family, far from the buzz of Los Angeles. My boyfriend and I felt we truly got away from it all for a day -- and it was just an hour from home.
As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary treatments for the purpose of reviewing those services. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.
