Description of Hike: This is an out and back hike to San Juan Hot Springs along a (mostly) maintained dirt hiking trail. You begin your hike on the Juaneno Trail in Caspers Wilderness Park. The Juaneno Trail is 2.68 miles long one way. There are plenty of great views along the Jueneno Trail as well as a great opportunity to see wildlife in this section of the park. The Juaneno Trail is mostly flat and is well maintained dirt hiking trail. It intersects with the San Juan Creek Trail, where you will make a left and continue to head toward the hills. In just under one mile you will hit the Oso Trail Make a left onto the Oso Trail and head uphill. This is where a significant portion of the elevation gain for this hike is. In approximately 1.5 miles you will hit the turn for the Cold Springs Trail. Take this trail down into Cold Springs Canyon. The trail ends in about 1 mile when you hit the San Juan Creek Trail again. At this point make a left and head up a steep hill on the San Juan Creek Trail. You will pass two heavy posts driven into the ground. At this point you are getting close to the San Juan Hot Springs. Pay attention for several Palm Trees on the right side of the trail. (Note: They can be easily missed) At that point there is a path on the right side of the trail which takes you directly to the San Juan Hot Springs. (Note if you hit another major trail intersection, you have gone to far).
Further Thoughts: This was a hike I did with two friends from work Matt & Jon. It was a great hike that offered the opportunity to see abundant wildlife and the opportunity to relax by the San Juan Hot Springs. We saw deer, a ringneck snake, a red diamondback rattlesnake, hawks, turkey vultures, and an alligator lizard. One of the things about this particular trail is you will find the farther out on the trail you go, the less likely you are to see other hikers as only few hikers make the lengthy venture all the way to the San Juan Hot Springs.
The San Juan Hot Springs actually have a long history, even though most people in Orange County do not know they exist. Note, most of the hot springs are too hot to even stick your feet in and most websites have the temperature of the hot springs at between 120 and 130 degrees. In the 1870s the area where the San Juan Hot Spring were was a well known tourist destination. At the turn of the 1900s a hotel and other buildings were constructed to meet the tourist demand to visit the San Juan Hot Springs off of Ortega Highway. Sometime around 1936 the resort was shut down. Sometime in the late 1970s a new owner renovated the rundown resort. However the resort again closed down and most of the remnants were destroy in a 1993 that ravaged the area. For more on the history of the San Juan Hot Springs click Here.
Bottom-line is the hike to the San Juan Hot Springs is a fun must do hike to a very neat geological feature deep in Orange County's wilderness!
Rating: Elevation Gain: 1,200 ft (Strenuous), Distance: 15 Miles Roundtrip (Strenuous).
Time to Complete Hike: 6 - 7.5 hours.
Rating: Elevation Gain: 1,200 ft (Strenuous), Distance: 15 Miles Roundtrip (Strenuous).
Time to Complete Hike: 6 - 7.5 hours.
MORE TRAIL WRITE-UPS ON CASPERS WILDERNESS PARK
San Juan Hot Springs (This Post)
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