Deep Creek Hot Springs
San Bernardino National Forest (Apple Valley area) · near Apple Valley / Hesperia (nearest services) · Los Angeles / SoCal
Swimming & Hot Springs
At a glance
- Temperature
- 100–108°F · Creek provides cold contrast
- Cost
- FREE · San Bernardino National Forest
- Season
- Year-round · Summer heat on the exposed hike can be extreme — October–April best
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- No
- Safety
- No lifeguards. Natural flash flood risk in the canyon in stormy weather — check weather before hiking in. Summer heat on the exposed approach trail can be dangerous (100°F+). Carry 2+ liters of water per person. Some visitors wade across Deep Creek — use caution as currents can be strong after rain.
Swimming & Hot Springs detail
- Type
- hot-spring
- Temp
- hot
- Clothing optional
- Yes
- Directions
- Multiple trailheads — Bradford Ridge and Pacific Crest Trail trailhead off Bowen Ranch Road are most common. Bradford Ridge: 3-mile round trip. Pacific Crest Trail approach: 6-mile round trip. Download topo map before arriving — cell service is nonexistent on the trail. Bowen Ranch charges a private land crossing fee (~$5/person). High clearance vehicle helps for some trailheads.
- Pools
- Multiple pools of varying temperature along Deep Creek · Natural rock formations · Cold creek water adjacent to all hot pools for temperature regulation · PCH/trail access brings a dedicated community of regulars
- Intl tip
- The Pacific Crest Trail access to Deep Creek Hot Springs means the pools are a genuine PCT landmark — through-hikers from the Mexico terminus often reach Deep Creek in their first week on trail and consider it one of the early highlights. If you time your visit right, you may be soaking alongside people who've been hiking for days.
The guide
Deep Creek Hot Springs is the definitive Southern California hot spring — the one that regulars protect with fierce loyalty and…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Deep Creek Hot Springs — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 34.338, -117.314