A Fair Soak at What Cost? Inside the Flippin-Hamrick Proposal for Tecopa Hot Springs

Oct 31, 2025

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When the Inyo County Board of Supervisors meets in Tecopa on November 4, one agenda item will rise above the rest: how much locals and visitors will soon pay to soak in the County’s own hot springs.

While residents have been fretting over the newly released rate schedule, Inyo County has also made public the full proposal submitted by Flippin Happy Campers & Lance Hamrick LLC, the Las Vegas–based partnership awarded the concession to operate the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground & Pools. The 140-page document—obtained through a public-records request—offers the first complete look at both the pricing framework and the broader vision that won the group the contract.

A Vision Wrapped in Equity Language

At the heart of the proposal is a pledge to “create equitable access and respectful partnerships with local residents and the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe.”

That promise anchors an intricate pricing system built on off-peak “resident and Tribal access windows,” designated “Community Access Days,” and limited discounts for seniors and veterans. The language evokes inclusion, yet the structure reveals a framework driven by dynamic, tiered pricing—more typical of private hospitality operations than county recreation facilities.

As previously reported, locals who apply for verification to prove Tecopa residency would pay a $35 annual ID fee to participate in the resident-rate program. The proposal even describes “equitable access” as a measurable data point: discounted entries and participation rates logged and reported to the County as key performance indicators alongside revenue and occupancy.

Market Logic Meets Public Water

The Flippin-Hamrick vision places Tecopa Hot Springs firmly within the tourism economy, aligning rates with market demand rather than simple cost recovery.

Day-use passes are divided into weekday, shoulder-season, and holiday tiers, while camping fees adjust dynamically by season and length of stay. RV guests would pay a $10 daily electricity surcharge, despite the campground offering only power hookups—no water or sewer connections.

Presented as sustainable business practice, these choices effectively position the County’s public hot springs near the top of Tecopa’s price range, challenging its historic role as a community-accessible amenity.

Public Amenity, Private Pricing

For decades, Tecopa’s public pools have stood apart from nearby resorts precisely because they were simple, communal, and affordable—a place where locals and travelers shared the same water without regard to income or itinerary.

Under the proposed management model, that distinction begins to blur. Prices rise with demand; access is mediated through booking software; and discounts appear as exceptions rather than the rule. The framework reads less like recreation policy than a hospitality revenue plan, one in which data, demand, and “revenue per soak” determine who gets in.

An Alternative Perspective on Pricing

In the coming days, TecopaCabana.com will publish a deeper look at all the ideas submitted through the County’s RFP process. One proposal stood out for its differing philosophy on pricing: a submission from Cynthia Kienitz, owner of Cynthia’s, a small local hospitality business offering desert tours.

Kienitz argued that previous day-pass rates were unreasonably low and failed to reflect the true cost of operations. She urged the County to base future pricing on verified expense data and warned against undercutting nearby private businesses, whose livelihoods she said she “respects and supports.”

Her plan emphasized flexibility and gradual adjustment—starting with lower campground rates that mirror current conditions, then increasing them only as the site meets compliance and beautification goals.

Awaiting the Board’s Decision

On November 4, the Board of Supervisors will decide whether to approve the new concessionaire’s proposed pricing structure. It remains to be seen whether the final figures will mirror those circulating now, but whatever the outcome, the rates will set the standard for the next decade of operation at Tecopa’s only public hot springs.

Flippin Happy Campers & Lance Hamrick LLC.pdf-redacted Download

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3 responses to “A Fair Soak at What Cost? Inside the Flippin-Hamrick Proposal for Tecopa Hot Springs”

Withheld

October 31, 2025

It’s not very realistic to call something that’s run by private vendors, now and in the past, a public hot spring. You’d be more accurate to call it publicly owned as BLM are the owners, but they refuse to have anything to do with it and push management off on to Inyo County. Money needs to be put into those Springs and money will need to be recouped in order to pay for the improvements that are desperately overdue. How do Tecopa residents propose that those costs be covered if the county is unwilling to put up the money and it is upon the vendor to do the repairs and upgrades? And where’s the reward for the vendor if they do not run it as a business? Paul and Topher’s experience show us all that the county will not reward community spirit, experimental unpermitted structures, and sloppy bookkeeping.
Maybe someone will show up at the meeting with a better idea for how to run this, but I have yet to hear about it.

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pools user

October 31, 2025

Here’s one problem I think should be corrected.

Ever since the very first concessionaire took over management of the pools–many years ago–the overhead, wood-pole mounted sodium arc lamp has been turned off, and this is a serious safety issue (tripping). This was probably done to reduce cost, of course. I hope the new management will turn this light back on at night, during pool operation hours.

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proposal reader

November 2, 2025

The Tab E Marketing Proposal left me with some concerns about my own, personal, continued access to the baths. It seems to target another kind of user–a numerous but only mildly interested, or even disinterested user, that wants to “get in, get out” and get back on the road.

I come here yearly, after a two-day drive, in the early-to-mid fall for a few weeks to soak, walk and hike. I don’t really camp, but just find a place to park and sleep at night somewhere out in the public lands desert.

I don’t care about discount-fee-timing text message alerts. I just want to go soak in the morning, afternoon and evening. I really enjoy sitting in the clear, hot, mineral water, and I would always buy a weekly pass which may now come with potential timing restrictions.

I guess I’m a bit of an outlier and will just need to try out the new system and see if it works for me; but, after twice reading the entire proposal, I somewhat suspect that it just may not and my longtime Tecopa experience may be ending.

As for this year, by the time the contract is signed and employees hired and trained, the weather may be too cold for me in Tecopa; so, I’ll be checking this valuable website for any updates, including user experiences.

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