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Updated on 07/07/2001 |
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Deep Creek Hot Springs
from Arrowhead Lake Road |
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Location: San Bernardino Mountains, San Bernardino National Forest, Southern California
Region: North Face of San Bernardino Mtns, near Hesperia, CA
Wilderness: None
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Total Distance:
8 Mi
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Season: Year-round
Type: Out & Back |
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| Driving Directions |
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Route 1: Take Main St. in Hesperia east. Continue on the same road as it heads to the south and becomes Lake Arrowhead Rd. Remain on Lake Arrowhead Rd. until it dead-ends at Hwy 173. From here, make a left towards Lake Arrowhead. Continue about 1 mile until the road turns into dirt. Park somewhere near here. Note: an National Forest Adventure Pass is required to park here. There is a PCT sign and trailhead right here. Note that going this way requires that you cross Deep Creek to reach the dam and this can be difficult, or at least get you wet, if there is a lot of water. There is a beaver dam that may aid in crossing. Using this option makes the hike a total of about 12 miles round trip.
See Hike 9 for more details about this route.
Route 2: An alternate place to park to avoid crossing Deep Creek is near the dam on Lake Arrowhead Rd. From there, walk across the dam to the Pacific Crest Trail and pick up on the hike which now has about 4 miles to go until you reach Deep Creek Hot Springs. This is the route described in the hike below.
Route 3: The most popular route to the hot springs is the Bowen Ranch way. Parking near here will cut the hiking distance to about 3 miles round trip and will take to Deep Creek on the opposite side of the hot springs. To get to this parking area, do the following: from Hesperia take Main St. east to Rock Springs road. Make a left here and continue on the newly repaved road to Kiowa. Continue straight passed Kiowa on Roundup Way. Take Roundup up the grade and it will eventually turn into a dirt road. Take the dirt road maybe a couple miles to the last turnoff before the road becomes pretty bad. This last turnoff is Bowen Ranch road. Make a right. Take Bowen Ranch road all the way to the entrance of Bowen Ranch. You can pay to park here (last time I checked) or you can take the BLM road just outside of the gates to Bowen Ranch. Make a right on this BLM road and continue a few miles of slow travel passing a few forks in the road. I believe with the forks you generally take the left fork. If you don't have an idea of where your going or where the trail to the hot springs is, don't go this way because it takes a good half hour or longer after you turn off from the ranch gates and you'll probably end up lost, especially if it's dark. Where the road ends, get out and start hiking. There is a barb wire fence that must be crossed to get down to the valley with the trail in it. This is the same trail that starts at Bowen Ranch. Take the trail a short distance down to Deep Creek and the hot springs on the opposite side of the creek.
See Hike 46 for more details about this route.
Route 4: From Hesperia, take Main St which turns into Lake Arrowhead Rd. to Highway 173. Make a left and travel 1 mile to the end of the paved road. Continue 5 more miles on the dirt portion of Highway 173 where you will reach a large clearing, a Narrow Bridge sign, and a narrow bridge over Kinley Creek. The creek is dry most of the year. Park somewhere near here. Note: a National Forest Adventure Pass is required to park. The Bradford Rigde trailhead is on the north side of the bridge through the fence.
From the mountain communities surrounding Lake Arrowhead, this is the main way to get to Deep Creek Hot Springs. Perhaps this is the main way for most people who don't live in the desert. From Lake Arrowhead, travel northwest on Highway 173. About 4-5 miles beyond the outskirts of Lake Arrowhead, the highway will turn into a dirt road. Continue about 2 miles down the dirt road to the Kinley Creek bridge and Bradford Ridge Trail.From Hesperia, take Main St which turns into Lake Arrowhead Rd. to Highway 173. Make a left and travel 1 mile to the end of the paved road. Continue 5 more miles on the dirt portion of Highway 173 where you will reach a large clearing, a Narrow Bridge sign, and a narrow bridge over Kinley Creek. The creek is dry most of the year. Park somewhere near here. Note: a National Forest Adventure Pass is required to park. The Bradford Rigde trailhead is on the north side of the bridge through the fence.
From the mountain communities surrounding Lake Arrowhead, this is the main way to get to Deep Creek Hot Springs. Perhaps this is the main way for most people who don't live in the desert. From Lake Arrowhead, travel northwest on Highway 173. About 4-5 miles beyond the outskirts of Lake Arrowhead, the highway will turn into a dirt road. Continue about 2 miles down the dirt road to the Kinley Creek bridge and Bradford Ridge Trail.
See Hike 11 for more details about this route.
Route 5: Get a map of the area. I recommend:
Thomas Guide 2003 San Bernardino and Riverside Counties.
This map provides excellent coverage of the National Forest roads and other roads in the area.
Take Hwy 173 to Torrey Rd to 2N25 (Rouse Ranch Rd) to 3N34 (Squint Ranch Rd) and make a right. Now there is this steep paved section of road. Go to Pacific Crest Trail trailhead and parking lot near Deep Creek. Once on the the Pacific Crest Trail, head down, paralleling Deep Creek. Go about 12 miles to the hot springs and return the same way or have a car shuttle 4 miles further near the dam on the Mojave River/Deep Creek.
Alternatively, a shorter way there, which was closed last time I visited, is to take Highway 173 to Hook Creek Rd, and take Hook Creek Rd. to the PCT trailhead.
Original Directions: From Hesperia, take Main St to Rock Springs Rd, take a left and drive to the stop sign at Deep Creek Rd, make a right. Go all the way down Deep Creek Rd to where it turns into a dirt road (thru that dumb gate that was put up and someone tore the gate off, YEAH!!), go left, right when dirt rd begins and take the long "L" to near the foothills, just staying on the main dirt rd and head toward the spillway and park there. DesertMud assumes no responsibility for you illegally tresspassing on your own US land - so go thru the torn off gate at your own risk. NOTE: can no longer enter this area. Instead, park off of HWY 173 at the enterance to the dam (Adventure Pass Req'd). |
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| Route |
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The route described below is for Route 2 listed above. For other hiking routes, click the appropriate link listed in the driving directions above.
From Arrowhead Lake Road, walk across the top of the dam to the other side of the dam, make a right and head down a steep asphalt walkway. Make a left to an open flat area at the top of the large concrete spillway. Continue across this flat area to the PCT trailhead.
Original Way (now closed): Hop over the pile of rocks, up a steep small asphalt rd to the top of the dam, make a left and take the PCT 4 miles to hot springs (cross the bridge). |
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| Details |
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It's a pretty dull level walk in, the bridge is neat, and then more dullness until you look ahead and down and see some hot naked ladies (maybe, but probably just some old naked hippies). When you get to the hot springs you are on the same side of deep creek as the hot springs. If you go in the Bowen Ranch way (3mi RT) you come in on the wrong side of deep creek and you have to pay about $4 to park at the ranch (I rode my bike in this way once). If the water is low enough, there is an area you can cross without getting wet, it's a rocky area around the bend just north of the hot springs, steep getting down to it. (16 T.) |
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