Deep Creek Hot Springs, DCHS, are natural

hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow ...

s located in the northern

Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert (; ; ) is a desert in the rain shadow of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains and Transverse Ranges in the Southwestern United States. Named for the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous Mohave people, it is located pr ...

section of the

San Bernardino National Forest The San Bernardino National Forest is a United States national forest in Southern California encompassing of which are federal. The forest is made up of two main divisions, the eastern portion of the San Gabriel Mountains and the San Bernar ...

, near Hesperia in

San Bernardino County San Bernardino County ( ), officially the County of San Bernardino and sometimes abbreviated as S.B. County, is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, and is located within the Inland Empire area. As of th ...

, Southern

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Geography

The

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a he ...

s are in the

rain shadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from body of water, bodies of water (such as oceans and larg ...

ed desert foothills of the

San Bernardino Mountains The San Bernardino Mountains are a high and rugged mountain range in Southern California in the United States. Situated north and northeast of San Bernardino and spanning two California counties, the range tops out at at San Gorgonio Mountain ...

on the Deep Creek fork of the

Mojave River The Mojave River is an intermittent river in the eastern San Bernardino Mountains and the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Most of its flow is underground, while its surface channels remain dry most of the ti ...

. They are in a large bouldered

riparian zone A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. In some regions, the terms riparian woodland, riparian forest, riparian buffer zone, riparian corridor, and riparian strip are used to characterize a ripari ...

, surrounded by a rich

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

ecotone An ecotone is a transitional area between two plant communities, where these meet and integrate. Examples include areas between grassland and forest, estuaries and lagoon, freshwater and sea water etc. An ecotone may be narrow or wide, and it ma ...

of the

xeric shrublands Deserts and xeric shrublands are a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Deserts and xeric (Ancient Greek 'dry') shrublands form the largest terrestrial biome, covering 19% of Earth's land surface area. Ecoregions in this habitat ...

— desert chaparral, montane chaparral and piñon-juniper woodlands, and

conifer forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological functio ...

plant communities A plant community is a collection or Association (ecology), association of plant species within a designated geographical unit, which forms a relatively uniform patch, distinguishable from neighboring patches of different vegetation types. The comp ...

. The Southwestern Arroyo Toad—''Bufo californicus'', an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

, lives along Deep Creek.

Recreation

Deep Creek Hot Springs, being located next to Deep Creek, provides both hot and cold water locations for

clothing optional Nude recreation consists of recreational activities which some people engage in while nude. Historically, the ancient Olympic Games were nude events. There remain some societies in Africa, Oceania, and South America that continue to engage in ev ...

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 Naegleriasis, also known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), is an almost invariably fatal infection of the brain by the free-living protozoan '' Naegleria fowleri''. Symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, a stiff neck, ...

. Very high

fecal coliform A fecal coliform (British: faecal coliform) is a facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped, gram-negative, non- sporulating bacterium. Coliform bacteria generally originate in the intestines of warm-blooded animals. Fecal coliforms are capable of growth ...

counts are found in the hot springs as well. The hot springs can be reached via three main hiking routes to reach the Hot Springs. The shortest route is the Bowen Ranch / Freedom Trail, at approximately two miles each way. The Bradford Ridge Path is approximately a 2.6 mile one-way hike from the south. The PCT passes through Deep Creek Hot Springs and can be reached from the Lake Arrowhead area, 6 miles each way.

References

External links

* {{GNIS, 241343, Deep Creek
San Bernardino National Forest: official Deep Creek Hot Springs website

Deep Creek Hot Springs.net Forum

Deep Creek Hot Springs Yahoo Group forum (Yahoo login required)

Deep Creek Volunteers

Deep Creek Hot Springs location photos on Instagram
Hot springs of California Bathing Naturism in the United States San Bernardino Mountains Springs of San Bernardino County, California Protected areas of the Mojave Desert Protected areas of San Bernardino County, California San Bernardino National Forest

Geography

Recreation

See also

References

External links