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Directions
From LA, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego County, take the
easiest route to the I-15 and follow it north through Cajon pass. Exit at Bear
Valley Road and turn right. If you are coming from Barstow or Victorville come
south on I-15, exit at Bear Valley road and turn left.
Go east on Bear Valley Road for about 10 miles, after passing the Apple
Valley Plaza make a right at the traffic light on Central. Drive about 3 miles
on Central, across a railway line and over a steep hill to Ocotillo Way. Turn
left on Ocotillo and continue for 2.2 miles, starting on a paved road but
turning into a dirt road, until you hit Bowen Ranch Road. Turn right and drive
6+ miles to Bowen Ranch.
| This is a winding road with blind curves, so drive
carefully. After about a mile you will pass this ranch with a tire
fence, a good indicator that you're on the right road. At any forks you
should stay right and you will need to cross a cattle guard after four
miles. The road becomes narrow shortly before you reach Bowen Ranch. |
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Bowen Ranch is a private property and the owner expects you to pay $5.00
per person per day and $10.00 for overnight camping. If the owner does not
come to the door there are some envelopes and pencil on the steps for
you to deposit your payment in the slot on the wall. Then continue down
the road for another 0.5 miles to the parking lot. You will see signs
of "No vehicles beyond this point". |
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The hike is just over 2 miles down to the springs and includes an elevation
change of approximately 930 feet. |
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Look for the signs that mark the trailhead at the
south end of the parking lot. |
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The trail is clearly marked, and starts off wide
enough to drive a vehicle on. |
| Follow this wide trail until the end of
the hill and then look for the foot path down the hill. |
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Path down the hill |
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This is the marker at the end of the path down the
hill. Go left on the road. Remember to follow the arrow on
the marker on the way back, as this is where visitors most often get
lost. |
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You will cross a dirt road where you may find some
parked vehicles, this is the official USFS parking lot but you need a
4WD vehicle to reach it. |
| You will need to walk down the road for about 50
yards, the trail continues to your right through an opening in the
fence, just before you reach the parking lot. |
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From here you are on National Forest Service land and
the trail meanders down the canyon and is easy to follow. |
| After a 1.5 mile hike, the springs are visible ahead
and left. |
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There will be a fork in the trail. They both lead to
the springs. The fork to the left leads to a very steep decent and the
right fork is a more gradual slope. |
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Follow this trail down to the bottom of the hill and
then take one of the branches to your left to the little beach that
exists where the trail meets the creek.
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Cross to other side |
The hot springs are located on the other side of the
creek.
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Hot Springs |
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Some folks choose to leave all their stuff on the
beach and cross over to the hot pools. |
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Others carry their stuff to the other side and choose
a spot in the rocks or in the grass.
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Wherever you choose to leave your stuff
the easiest way to cross the creek is to remove your clothes and wade
across.
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| In winter, the water can be cold, but the
hot pools are waiting to reward you on the other side.
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To reach this trailhead you need to exit the I-15 at highway 138 half-way up
to Cajon Pass and follow it southeast until you get to highway 173. Turn left
on highway 173 before Lake Silverwood. Stay on Highway 173 until you reach the
turn-off to Hesperia. Do not turn here, stay on the 173 till it becomes a dirt
road.
Continue on this winding road, and drive carefully for about 5 miles after
the road becomes dirt. Just after four miles you will cross a small white
wooden bridge, continue straight until you come to a concrete bridge with silver
metal siding. You
can park at the small parking area on the right just before the second little
white bridge, at about 5 miles. Forest Adventure
Pass NO LONGER required to park here.
Click here for more info
and/or
High Impact Recreational
Area (HIRA) map for the area. click here
The trail starts on the other side of the road and creek from where you
parked. Go around the gate and follow the trail. This footpath is quite well
marked and is about 2.5 miles long. The first part is a very gradual trail that
meanders through the hills until it reaches Deep Creek Canyon.
The descent into the canyon is quite steep which makes it hard, on the way
out. Before the final descent the trail splits in two. The right fork comes
down a small canyon while the left sticks to the ridge. Both are steep, but
most people find the trail on the ridge, hence the Bradford Ridge Trail name,
the preferred trail. This will put you on the Pacific Crest Trail, and if you
follow this trail to your right you will come to the hot springs just a short
hike away. The advantage of this trail is that you do not need to cross the
creek.
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