Remington Hot Springs

This is right next to the river bank, most definitely the best springs with the most amazing location! Very well kept secret to the locals and among the regulars!

Once the sun goes down, this place is to be avoided. It attracts a very rowdy and disrespectful class of people. Do not camp near the springs if you want a peaceful night’s sleep.

This place is such a great gem of Lake Isabella and Kern River. It’s free, it’s beautiful, and the locals really treasure this place. We met a guy, Brian, who actually helped build the springs in order to make it an attraction. He told us the history of the springs, and it dates all the way back to the mining era. The first pool was buily around the 1930’s. We spent three hours hoping around the three pools, all ranging in various temperatures. The hottest spring is about 104 degrees and it only fits about 4 to 5 people. But the other pools are still enjoyable and entirely relaxing. The view and sound of the river is a great retreat away from real life. The sulfur and other minerals make your skin feel so amazingly soft!!! PLEASE, PLEASE CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF!!! Like another review said, since you don’t have to pay to enter, PLEASE PAY SOME RESPECT!

This is a hidden serene gem. Locals and volunteers really put their loving hearts to make this place beautiful and they clean it. It’s a free place so the least visitors can do is pay some RESPECT.
However there are some people out there that are utterly disrespectful.
* DO NOT BRING GLASS! ABSOLUTELY NO GLASS!!!
* CLEAN AFTER YOURSELF! ACT LIKE AN ADULT!
* BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU EAT CHIPS OR OTHER FOOD, SO YOUR FOOD DOES NOT FALL INSIDE THE SPRINGS!
* WASH YOUR FEET WITH THE BUCKET BEFORE GETTING INTO THE SPRINGS! Oh and please don’t get in there with socks, seriously!
Aren’t these just common sense rules! How hard is it to understand!
I think there should be a big wooden sign there with all the rules written on it.
One extreme downside is: People smoke all kind of things here and it smells horrible. I understand it’s outdoor and all but then there are no fresh air to breath.
It’s an easy short hike to the hot spring from where you park your car.

**As with all my hot spring reviews, I’m starting this out with a plea/​admonition: I get a lot of guff from hot springs regulars for my «irresponsible» compulsion to share hot springs info with the world — I guess the old-​timers are afraid that the more people know about these places, the worse condition they will end up in. I steadfastly maintain that sharing is caring, and that to hoard these locations is greedy and selfish… so I’m sharing this info here with the request that, if you visit these springs, PLEASE be respectful and PACK OUT YOUR TRASH!!! I’ve see so many hot springs strewn with gross litter (including human and pet waste) that it really turns my stomach.**
Spectacularly beautiful spot, but I had to dock a star because the water in the tubs isn’t very hot. There is only one really hot tub, which can fit maybe 5 people if you really scrunch in… but the other pools are just lukewarm, and not very fun to soak in when it’s chilly out.
My sister and camped down on the beach by the pools on a Monday in March. It was GORGEOUS — wildflowers everywhere, and a decent number of kooky interesting locals and weirdos, without being totally overcrowded (we came on a Monday for that precise reason, having read some of the other reviews on here).
And speaking of those other reviews… there are way too many negative Nellies and judgy haters in this world. These springs did NOT seem dirty at all (a local even came b in the morning to drain and clean the hottest tub) and I never once felt uncomfortable or unsafe, even camping overnight with just my sister. We went nude in the tub, squeezed in with several «weirdo» local dudes, and it was WONDERFUL. The people at this spring were among the friendliest I’ve ever met at any hot spring.
I will definitely come back here, but I’ll be sure to come on a weekday, when the weather is warmer — so I can enjoy the other pools without feeling chilly.

I went here today. Finding it was easy. Once I passed the Hobo campground I saw the large area off to the right to park. Unfortunately there were about 15 cars there. We took the trail to the west which was a mistake. Then we took the trail to the east (right side for the women) and it was a short simple walk down to the lake and what we saw shocked us. There were a family that looked like they belong in National Geographic that were fully clothed, men and women wearing t-​shirts, jeans, shoes and a baby that was completely naked. There were some naked creepy hippy dudes smoking joints in one of the pools. There were some drugged out looking run away kids in the other pool. There must have been 25 people in the 3 little pools. The water looked dirty, merky, and disgusting. All I could think about was the baby shitting in the tub all day. It seemed more like a scene from some third world country with a bunch of homeless people and drug addicts bathing and sitting around. Soon as we all made eye contact everyone looked at us like we walked into their living room. It was extremely awkward and repulsive. I don’t care about all the hippy talk and this water being special and love the earth bla bla bla. This was just a creepy situation. I’ll make sure to never try this again.

Located near the kern river managed by locals and not very popular with the BLM rangers. We were told that the rangers had taken the plugs out of the hot springs earlier in the day and the locals that maintain the springs had set out a call for one of their crew to bring a new one.
It’s great to see the community rallying together to take care of this resource; but I can also see things from the Rangers perspective, as the springs attract riff raffs, that set up camp, and overstay their welcome.
The hot springs are adjacent to the Kern River and this makes for a beautiful setting. The tubs have beautiful patterns and jewels cemented into the rock. You see the love and care that meticulously built these pools.
Its a bit of a steep hike to get down to the pools but worth it. I hope the rangers and local figure out a compromise because the pools are beautiful and it would be a shame if they weren’t around for future generations to enjoy.

Visiting this place is a must if you happen to be visiting the Kern River area. It’s only a short hike down from the road and the pools are amazing. You can soak in the hot tubs and enjoy the beautiful view of the river, or venture out into the river for fun activities. There is a trail that leads up river if you want to walk up with tubes and float down. There is also a rope swing just upstream from the pools (be sure to swing out far because the water is shallow!). If you look directly across the river from the pools you’ll see a big boulder which is very fun to jump off of. Overall a great spot and must see if you’re in this area.

Some friends and I stopped here as part of a weekend/​hiking/​river-​rafting trip. From the parking lot, it’s about a quarter of a mile hike to the springs. You may want to wear shoes as there’s some slippery parts with inclines on the trail, but I somehow managed to get to and from wearing flip flops.
This was my first time at an outdoor hot springs and I was told, people go «au naturel.» But my friends and I just stripped down to our undies (or in case of the dudes, to their boxers). Everyone we saw had some article of clothing on.
There was a regular there, and he told us to use the bucket to clean our feet before entering the tubs. We were there on a Friday evening and there weren’t too many folks there. He said we came at a good time since there weren’t too many people, and there was no glass. Unfortunately, people like to bring adult beverages and glass ends up shattering.
Of the 3 hot tubs, the one closest to the river was the coolest one. The hottest one was the one on top. The regular whose name I forgot said the Koreans can stand the really hot tubs and funny enough, we see a Korean family enter that top tub.
You can tell the tubs were lovingly constructed. Embedded in the tubs are kids’ bracelets, charms, colored jewels, and written uplifting words, It was so relaxing just soaking up the minerals, watching the Kern River, chatting with others. Could have stayed there forever.
We did see a couple guys bring bottled beer. My friend reminded him about the glass beer bottle, and he promptly moved the beers and poured them in a plastic water bottle and re-​joined us. Re-​affirmed my faith that people are generally good.

I don’t know which moron came up with the idea to put these natural springs on the internet, and especially on Unilocal,but this is just another example how beautiful natural retreats get completely ruined by people who don’t understand why some things need to be kept a secret.
I’ve been going to these springs for a decade. It was lovingly build by locals over the course of 8 years, and the same local had an agreement with park services to keep them clean and safe. Very few people knew about it, and it was always clean, safe and peaceful. The few who found the springs were all experienced hot-​springers, aware of the need to not wear any clothes or swimsuits in the water, to not bring glass bottles, to be quiet to respect wild life, and to keep the springs clean all around. Then some people felt the need to spread the word online.
Within the course of one year, the springs deteriorated to a party spot. Broken glass lines the bottom of the Kern, and every summer, people need to be carried back up because they cut their feet. The springs are so crowded that the bacterial count is in the highly unsafe levels– the springs don’t contain enough sulfur to kill all the pathogens. People drop food into the springs, get loudly drunk, and since there are no toilets, pee and poop all over the place.
The nearby Miracle Hot Springs were taken out by Forest service because being so close to Hobo campground, they had become a health hazard. They’ve been trying to do the same to Remington, and with the way it’s going, the same fate of Miracle will happen to Remington.
Nature is very different from city. Nature doesn’t have trash removal, flushable toilets, and chlorine to disinfect. It relies on people understanding that every place has a carrying capacity, and that this needs to be respected. And the majority of city folks I’ve seen out there in the past year or two really have no respect for nature whatsoever. They would be much better off at a public pool where the chlorine keeps their germs at bay and where their garbage is cleaned up by people who are paid for it. It’s a shame that this will be yet another wonderful natural spiritual spot that will fall victim to trashy unaware city folks. What a pity to see a spring go from 10 stars (yes, that’s how good it was before it was put online) to a 1 star.

We were just there yesterday! Easiest direction from LA, take borel rd. from 178 and keep driving for a while till a big sign (gate) says «hobo campground and miracle springs» on the left. Park there (3 – 4 cars can be parked) and walk 5 minutes towards left in the gate. You’ll see 3 natural hot tubs right next to the river :)

We went on a Wednesday and got to the beach next to the springs just in time to set up a tent before dark. The springs are gorgeous. They folks who built the tubs did a fantastic job keeping the space natural and useable. There are tons of places to sit, recline, and climb around down to the river. Lots of great places to camp in a truly breathtaking landscape.
We were welcomed by some rowdy twenty-​something locals. They mentioned that weekends get really wild, so this is not the place for a calming evening experience. They also shared that the Kern River is dangerous and people should wear a life vest when swimming. While I’m usually really into a much more quiet hot springs experience, it was fun hanging with them until they went over the edge. One puked right next to a tub, and they (and presumably a bunch of other people) left a bunch of garbage, which we found when we went for a sunrise soak. We packed out a large bag with irresponsible users’ abandoned garbage.
If you’re able bodied enough to hike your food/​booze down to this spot, you’re able to hike out your trash at the end. Also, please do not bring glass to any hot springs! It is super dangerous.
The sunrise soak was fantastic-​one other chill person there, perfect quite peaceful springs for at least two hours in the morning. All in all, go if you’re willing to gamble on who you might share the experience with-​the scenery and pools are worth it.

A much easier drive and easier hike from parking lot to the springs. Perhaps the hike to the hot springs is too easy that it does not filter out enough weirdos…
The tubs the volunteer put together is really pretty

Overrun by tourists and dangerous at night — stay away. Diminished water flow and rowdy crowds have made this place into a local party house with tweekers and drug users.

A very well made and beautiful place that is ruined by the crowd. If you don’t want to hang out with aggressively stupid drunks, racists, and speed freaks then don’t come here. They do keep the pools very well maintained it seems, but they are not good company. Unless you like that sort of thing…
July 2012

This hot spring is world class and deserves our spiritual protection and respect.
A couple of reminders:
NO GLASS. Why??? Because people walk barefoot everywhere. Just-​Dont.
Understand that clothing *WILL* impact the cloudiness (bacteria growth) in the water — hot spring waters are best kept, and enjoyed «Naturally»
LEAVE NO TRACE.
This beloved hot spring is well manicured and a real treasure. Let’s do whatever it takes to keep it self-​managed.

A very less known place. Hard to find since there is no map. Easiest access is from highway 178 near lake Isabel. Turn off Borel road and start driving south on Kern canyon road parallel to highway 178.
There are no boards, markers. Look for a clearing on the right after about a mile after crossing Miracle hot springs & HOBO campground.
Park in the clearing and hike down about a quarter mile to the rive to access the hot springs.
There are 3 small hot water pools. The Kern river runs right beside it. There is a swing to make a dive into the river. River flow is usually strong to about a level 3 rapid so be advised.
Hot springs offer a scenic view of the river with the majestic Sierra’s in the background. The water in the springs is supposed to be therapeutic in nature and stress relieving. But who cares when ur just chilling in a beautiful natural hot tub.
In summer, there are usually a lot of people white rafting on the river.
Remember to take lot of water, the summer heat can easily dehydrate you.