Oscar's hot springs pages -- photos page 5

Oscar's Hot Springs Photos
(page 5 of 6)

This page has pictures from brief visits to some hot springs in southern California in 1998-2001, and northern California in October 2003. All photos are mine, unless otherwise noted.

NOTE: In case you want more detail, you can click any photo below to view an enlarged, higher-quality (less .jpg compression) version. Those alternate versions have larger file sizes, so please be patient while they download.

Go back to photos page 1 (Colorado)
Go back to photos page 2 (Hawaii)
Go back to photos page 3 (Alaska)
Go back to photos page 4 (Puerto Rico)
Continue to photos page 6 (Arizona/New Mexico -- some artistic nudity)


The riverside hot pool at Remington Hot Springs, on the Kern River northeast of Bakersfield, California. There's also a smaller pool uphill, as well as the pool next to my right arm where hot spring water mixes with cold river water. (October 1998 -- photo courtesy of Nick and Toni Grebb)
	At Five Palms warm spring (about 90°), in California's Imperial Valley, the floating table is mainly to muffle the warm water gushing out of the artesian well in the middle of the pool, but it also is a nifty place to set your beer while you soak. (November 2001)

The main, upper pool at Las Cruces Hot Springs in Gaviota, California. This is the warmest of the pools, at about 95°. Like the others, there is a particularly noticeable sulphur smell. (May 2000)	The large, green-tinted middle pool at Las Cruces (that's me at left center, in a shadow), just beneath the upper pool. In addition to catching the overflow from the upper pool, heated water trickles up through the muddy bottom. This is the coolest of the Las Cruces pools, at about 82°. (May 2000)
Someone else soaking in the small, and also muddy-bottom, lower pool at Las Cruces. This reportedly runs around 90°. (May 2000)

Crowley (Wild Willie's) Hot Springs, southeast of Mammoth Lakes, has two different waist-deep hot pools, plus a supply of green mud between the pools to slather on yourself for the "Jolly Green Giant" (or "green goddess") look. (Both photos October 2003)
	Pulky's (Hilltop) Pool hot spring is a short drive from Crowley, and an option for those who prefer something quieter than the sometimes lively crowds at Crowley. (October 2003)

These are the main hot pools at Travertine Hot Springs, southeast of Bridgeport on the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The hot water flows down into these pools from the source at the top of the tufa deposit. While these pools are an easy hike down from the access road, there is also a small pool (not shown here) right next to the parking area. (October 2003)

The main Travertine pools have a clear view of Bridgeport. (October 2003)
	Fales Hot Ditch, north of Bridgeport, has a warm pool (about body temperature, though the temperature varies) just a few steps down from the shoulder on US 395. The pool, partially hidden behind a highway embankment, is mostly or entirely within Caltrans' right of way easement (which extends approximately 38 feet from the outer edge of US 395's northbound lane). However, the part of the ditch further downstream, including some of the ditch shown here, is private property. The small waist-high roadside pool (room for at least a half-dozen soakers) gets the outflow from a closed commercial hot spring on the other side of the road. While the pool is hard to see from the highway, female skinnydippers do need to be careful where they change, else they could give passing motorists a real eyeful ;-) (October 2003)