Deep Creek Hot Springs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Deep Creek Hot Springs |
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 Deep Creek Hot Springs
Location in California
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| Location | San Bernardino County, California, USA |
| Nearest city | Hesperia |
| Governing body | San Bernardino National Forest, United States Forest Service |
Deep Creek Hot Springs, DCHS, are natural hot springs located in the northern Mojave Desert section of the San Bernardino National Forest, near Hesperia in San Bernardino County, Southern California.
Contents
Geography
The springs are in the rain shadowed desert foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains on the Deep Creek fork of the Mojave River. They are in a large bouldered riparian zone, surrounded by a rich habitat ecotone of the xeric shrublands—desert chaparral, montane chaparral and woodlands, and conifer forest plant communities.
The Southwestern Arroyo Toad—Bufo californicus, an endangered species, lives along Deep Creek.
Recreation
Deep Creek Hot Springs, being located next to Deep Creek, provides both hot and cold water locations for bathing. The site is managed by the San Bernardino National Forest and is maintained by a volunteer group, the Deep Creek Volunteers. Water from the creek or pools is not advised for consumption. The hot pools contain a rare and sometimes fatal disease called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. Very high fecal coliform counts are found in the hot springs as well.
Hiking Trails
There are three main hiking routes to reach the Hot Springs.
- Bowen Ranch / Freedom Trail - the shortest route at approximately two miles each way.
- Bradford Ridge Path - 2.6 mile one-way trip from the south.
- Pacific Crest Trail - the PCT goes through Deep Creek Hot Springs and can be reached from the Lake Arrowhead area, 6 miles each way.
Regulations
The Deep Creek Hot Springs regulations include:
- Closed to the public from sundown to sunrise
- No camping is permitted within 1-mile (1.6 km) of Deep Creek.
- No fire, campfires or stoves allowed in the Deep Creek drainage basin.
- No glass containers permitted within 1-mile (1.6 km) of Deep Creek
- Pack out all refuse.
- State designation Wild Trout Stream, the Deep Creek Wild Trout Area
