Miracle Hot Springs - Hot Springs in California

It is a three-hour drive from L.A., and conveniently located near the parking lot.

Even so, the water temp is hot enough and there are many spots where you can soak, making it a truly miraculous hot spring.

Hobo Campground

From Bakersfield, head northeast on California State Route 178.

Miracle Hot Springs is located along Kern Canyon Road, which parallels the highway across the Kern River.

Kern Canyon Road is paved, but has a series of curves with poor visibility.

For this reason, taking the highway past and then crossing back to the other side of the river is faster than the shortest route.

I entered the Hobo Campground in Sequoia National Forest.

This is a primitive pay campground that is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

It is very popular, probably because of its proximity to the big cities.

I parked the car at the west end of the long, narrow campground.

From there, it is only a few minutes' hike downstream to the Kern River.

The nearby Remington Hot Springs also requires a bit of a walk from the parking lot, but Miracle is much easier.

The trail is flat and there is almost no difference in elevation.

When I reached the riverside with huge rocks, I had already reached the destination.

Do your best without adding water

This is amazing; the scene is like a paradise.

The apparent rule is clothing optional.

However, most of visitors were wearing swimsuits, probably because there were always many people.

The pool was a little higher than the river level, with a series of small ones and many spots where you could soak.

Not only was it spacious, but there were also large rocks that serve as blindfolds, so even if there were a lot of people, you might be in some privacy.

The sources of springs were scattered on the opposite side of the river.

The hot water at 122 degrees F kept flowing in; and if left unchecked, the temperature would soon become unbearable.

This was especially true in the smaller pools.

Since some buckets were available, you might have to add water by fetching it from the river.

The pool at the far end was large enough to be called the main pool.

It was beautifully decorated with the word "Miracle" written under the water.

Because the pool was so large, its temperature managed to reach an appropriate level just by natural cooling.

It was still hot that would test your guts, though.

Alpaca

Don't be afraid to add water.

But I say no.

Capybara

The tasteless and odorless water was so clear that I could see the bottom.

Miracle might be superior to Remington in terms of cleanliness, as it had a more abundant gush.

Miracle Hot Springs was a super hot spring with enough capacity to accommodate the crowds due to its popularity.

Summary