Prospective operators eyeing the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools are poring over Inyo County’s request for proposals, searching for clues and benchmarks that might help them craft realistic financial projections for this iconic but demanding desert site.
Newly released financial records spanning three years offer a revealing look at the fragile economics behind one of the Mojave’s most storied public hot springs resorts — and the precarious balance required to keep the water flowing.
According to tax documents and profit-and-loss statements for Tecopa Hot Springs Conservancy LLC — made public through the County’s bidding process — the company closed out 2022 in the red, reporting an ordinary business loss of $8,450. That year, the desert campground and pools brought in nearly $147,000 in gross receipts but saw most of it absorbed by operating costs, leaving only $15,272 in gross profit before final expenses pushed the balance negative.
The following year, the Conservancy managed to reverse course. In 2023, rental income ticked upward to more than $155,000, while cost-cutting measures saw cost of goods sold drop dramatically. The result: the business ended the year with a slim but positive net income of about $20,000.
The trend continued in 2024, when gross receipts dipped slightly to $138,689, but the operators held expenses to under $80,000 — the lowest in three years — boosting net profit to more than $36,000, nearly doubling the prior year’s gains.
This slow but steady turnaround, achieved without any meaningful marketing plan, underscores the enduring draw of Tecopa’s mineral-rich waters. Yet the same records highlight a hard truth: while the documents confirm routine repairs and day-to-day maintenance, they show no sign of major capital improvements or long-term upgrades.
That shortfall proved decisive. In July 2025, Inyo County formally terminated the Conservancy’s concessionaire contract, citing the operator’s failure to meet its obligations to improve the public facility. Now, as the County courts new bidders, it is clear that revitalizing the historic hot springs will require a level of investment far beyond what the previous operator’s modest annual profits could ever sustain.
In the end, the numbers make one reality plain: while the Conservancy kept the lights on and the pools open through frugal day-to-day management, it never made the scale of capital improvements needed to secure the site’s future. Without that reinvestment, even modest profits couldn’t outweigh years of deferred upgrades. Now, as Inyo County looks for a new steward, the books stand as both a cautionary tale and a blueprint — showing that keeping Tecopa’s hot springs alive will demand more than just breaking even; it will require vision, capital, and a commitment to preserving a desert treasure.
For residents and visitors alike, these numbers are more than just ledger lines; they’re a reminder that safeguarding Tecopa’s desert oasis demands not only careful daily management but also the vision and capital needed to protect it for generations to come.
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