Hello chienchi,

I can answer some of your questions and even provide you with some basic etiquette for hot springs. I will start with your questions ...

1. "will the springs be open on new year's eve?" Technically, Deep Creek Hot Springs is a day-use only area. I would expect the US Forest Service rangers to be on patrol that evening and ask people to leave at sunset. Being there after sunset can earn you a ticket (starting at $50 each) and camping, using a stove, having a bonfire, etc is not allowed and will earn each person additional fines. There are usually many people that attempt to visit for New Year's Eve ... it can be a rather roudy and crowed place ... I'm not too sure what the visitors' results have been regarding how much of a fine they have incurred for that night.

2. "will the roads be ok to drive on given recent weather conditions?" I have never had a problem with the roads in that area. Unless the rain produces flooding conditions or it snows ... the roads will be a little sloppy since they are only dirt.

3. "do we need to reserve camp space at bowen ranch? if so, from whom? is there a number we can contact?" You do not need to reserve camp space at Bowen Ranch but I would suggest you arrive early so you can see the area in daylight. It will make choosing your spot and setting up your camp easier. Plus you will want some extra time to hike down to the springs before sunset. You will need to get a map of the trail from Mike at the toll gate. If you see other hikers, maybe you can hook up with them to make the hike down easier ... some people have gotten lost. That is another reason why you should hike out before sunset.

4. "do we need to reserve a day to hike in?" There are no reservations for hikes.

5. "what else do we need besides the adventure pass and toll fee at bowen ranch?" You do not need an Adventure Pass to park on Bowen Ranch and hike the trail. The Adventure Pass is only if you are going to park on US Forest Land ... but that's another subject (and not a popular one!) LOL. You will have to pay Mike at the tollgate $5 per person to camp overnight at Bowen Ranch. There are no developed camp sites ... it's all primitive. No water or latrines.

6. "what's the best route to go into the area?" The best route into the area is:

Take I-15 north from the Orange County/Los Angeles Area to the Victorville area.

Exit at Bear Valley Road, turn right or east, drive 9.7 miles. You will go past Deep Creek Road and turn right on Central Road at the 4-way stop sign (a restaurant called The Waffle Iron in an old gas station will be on the far left corner).

Turn right on Central Rd and drive 3.0 miles. You will go over the railroad tracks and take a left on Ocotillo Way and drive 2.3 miles, the road will turn to dirt.

Then take a right on Bowen Ranch Road, drive 6.1 miles on a rough dirt road to get to the Bowen Ranch area. Drive cautiously on this dirt road, there are dangerous curves and washboard (less control of your vehicle). This road is even more dangerous when rain or snow conditions occur.

I totaled up the mileage from I-15 and came up with 21.1 miles. These figures are according to the Yahoo! maps. From I-15, it's 15.0 miles just to reach the beginning of Bowen Ranch Rd!

For more directions, maps, etc check out http://www.deepcreekhotsprings.org/map.html

7. "where's the best place to camp?" I can't really answer that question since I have never camped there. You could ask Mike at the toll gate and he should be able to give you an idea.

More to follow ...