DEEP CREEK HOT SPRINGS

From: richard@West.Sun.COM (Richard M. Mathews)

  DEEP CREEK HOT SPRINGS is considered to be one of the ten best hot springs
  in the West.  On weekdays you can enjoy the "hot-pottin'" solitude by
  yourself or maybe with a stranger or two.  During the weekends plan on
  a mellow group of all shapes, sizes, and ages of friendly folks.  The
  hot water flows from several cracks in a rock just above a large pool
  in a bend of the cool waters of Deep Creek.  The hot water is contained
  in three distinct pools of varying temperatures on a flat rock shelf
  above the creek.  The scenery at the springs is worth the hike!  (The
  surrounding mountains, trees, and rocks are not bad to look at either.)
  You can always be guaranteed to find plenty of sunny space to toast your
  buns (or anything else you want to toast).

  To get there, take the Bear Valley Cutoff from I-15 in Victorville.
  Go east about 10 miles to Central Road.  Turn right on Central.  Drive
  about 3 miles until you get to Ocotillo Way.  Go left on Ocotillo and
  continue 2.2 miles (?) until you hit Bowen Ranch Road (no sign, all
  roads are dirt).  Turn right and drive 6+ miles to Bowen Ranch.  Honk
  your horn, even if late at night, to get someone to come to the door.
  Pay $3/person/day and $4/person/night (1995 prices).  Be sure to lock
  valuables in your trunk; this is an unprotected area and cars have been
  known to be broken into.  Then hike the 2.5 miles down to the Springs
  and enjoy!  Camping is permitted at Bowen Ranch, but not at the springs.
  Nudity appears to be OK at the ranch and along the trail.

  A possibility for avoiding paying for parking that may or may not work
  now: when you get to Bowen Ranch, don't park.  Turn right just before
  you enter the ranch.  Drive about .5 miles until you pass the trailhead
  on your right, and park.

  An alternate route is the highway 138 exit from I-15 in Cajon Pass,
  to highway 173 at Lake Silverwood.  Stay on Highway 173 until you get
  to the dry Mojave River Forks Reservoir.  Park here and hike up Deep
  Creek Canyon to the springs.  Free parking here; but you have a long,
  gentle 6 mile hike in (after a short, steep climb up the dam and then
  further up the hill on your left).  There are some reports of vandalism
  of cars parked at the dam, however.

  To get to the hot springs from Bowen Ranch you should continue down
  the road.  Park as far down as you like (the road starts to get pretty
  bad), and then walk.  At the end of the road on top of a hill find the
  trail and follow it down the hill; cross a dirt road where you may find
  some parked vehicles; and go through an opening in the fence.  From
  here you can't go wrong.  Just follow the canyon.  You'll pass a park
  boundary sign with a few rules on it.  Follow the canyon (you'll be
  on the right side hill) about 1.5 mi to the end of a ridge where the
  creek is ahead of you and on both sides of you (only at a much lower
  elevation, about 150 feet lower).  A large rock outcropping straddles
  the creek right in front of you at the bottom of the hill.  A trail
  goes down the hill to the creek from the end of this ridge, but you
  have to turn almost completely around to the right to see this trail.
  Most people just risk their lives by scrambling the short way down the
  right side face of this steep, treacherous decomposed granite bank to
  the creek.  You can leave your stuff at the beach here or take it with
  you as you ford the creek to the hot springs located on the other side.

  Note: The trail there is all downhill.  That means going back it is all
  uphill, about a 1200 foot elevation change.  Bring lots of drinking water.
  You will probably spend all day at the springs, so bring a picnic lunch.
  There are no facilities anywhere nearby on this trip so be completely
  self-contained.  Take: Drinking Water, Sunscreen, drinking water, food,
  drinking water, maybe beer or soft drinks, drinking water, a hat, and
  drinking water.

+ Weather reports for the area can be found at
+   http://www.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/Webweather/ww?city=pmd

+ For more information, contact:
+   FRIENDS OF DEEP CREEK
+   c/o The Bowen Ranch
+   6221 Bowen Ranch Road
+   Apply Valley, CA 92308

  	[Original from <pkcode@sleepy.bmd.trw.com>
  	Dan Kegel <dank@moc.jpl.nasa.gov>
  	and Tom Middleton <middleto@poincare.ucsd.edu>]

End of nude-faq/beaches/California Digest
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     Richard M. Mathews			D efend
					 E stonian-Latvian-Lithuanian
    richard@West.Sun.COM		  I ndependence