A few questions to those who might know: How long have the pools at DCHS been in their current configuration? And when/why were they named as they are named? The Womb Pool seems self-explanatory, but the Anniversary and the Arizona pools? I guess the Crabcooker is self-explanatory too, unless there is a story there. Thanks in advance for sharing if you know!by neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
I think this whole issue is, with due respect (!), ridiculous. Privacy in a public place? Should I expect if I'm in a pool alone, that a couple will give me "privacy" and not enter the pool if I'm there? The area around DCHS offers many opportunities for solitude if you want that, sometimes I do -- and I'm not a "single guy" but a married man who often comes on my own since myby neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
hey was going to post last night when i first read your trip report that you were not giving "too much information"--it is great to read all the details and things that excited you in your first visit. I see that you edited it down. anyway, you shouldn't feel you need to do that, but more to the point i'm just happy to hear that you loved it and that you did find a friend with which toby neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
noun, singular, A textile is from the reptile family, except this creature will not shed its skin. A clothing compulsive, LOL. Strange folk who travel out to a nude beach or destination, and don't partake in the freedom. There are many textile destinations. Not so many nude ones.by neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
You have much longer experience at DCHS than most of us, Celfire, but I have never witnessed any problems with or for single woman visitors to the springs. A bad apple at the springs can happen anytime, but thankfully is rare at least on weekdays--I'm talking about rowdy drunken male (and female) visitors. And they can threaten men or women of course--surely I have not enjoyed some of my run-insby neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
i think i'm going to go again tomorrow. windsailor--the dog "sicked" on you, this kind of thing, jest or not, is why I more or less stopped going to the springs on weekends and only go on weekdays now. too many textiles taking over on the weekend, but more than that, textiles who were hostile to the nude use of the springs.by neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
that's a great trip report PP. glad you had a good time. In my opinion--and I am a complete and total dog nut (who doesn't bring his dog to the springs because of the snakes)--there is a slight prob with owners not picking up after their pets. I saw two dog poops near the river on my visit Friday. At least you hoped that is their source@!by neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
i'm pretty sure i saw you leaving coyote. i was in the womb pool soaking, poaked my head up for a sec...by neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
hello hiker, thanks for calling me a “gentleman”--it was good to meet/see you again down at the springs. I can confirm the general excellence of your trip report, it was a great day at the springs. For me, the conditions were so perfect that I couldn’t leave and it was one of my longest days spent there--arrived around 8:30 am and didn’t hike out until 6:30-ish pm. So I can add to your trby neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
In LA, the marine layer just won't quit, so I decided to get up early and get to Deep Creek for a glimpse of sunshine. When I arrived at Bowen Ranch around 9 am, a bank of clouds in fact had rolled in over the area. There were about 3 or 4 cars parked, and a couple packing up things to leave. The guy was nude, the clouds were providing cover, so I joined in and stripped down in the parking lot foby neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
i read a story yesterday that Los Alamos campground near Pyramid Lake has been closed down for a while due to a squirrel found there with the Plague. So your slingshot idea sounds like a good one!by neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
Like most nude beaches, men usually do outnumber women, but it does depend on the day and who is visiting. A few times that I have visited the springs this year, there have been as many woman as men using the springs nude. It is a very mellow and respectful place usually. On hiking and camping nude, yes people do it. I do sometimes, but I didn't used to: I have several times when hiking to the spby neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
Ha! thanks Jobe. Well, the chipmunks are running rampant out there. And I guess there are leeches. I didn't want to believe it when the girls starting complaining of them.by neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
Another great day at DCHS. Drove up from LA, arrived at the springs from Bowen between 9:30 and 10 am. There were about 4 cars in the parking lot. Saw no one on my hike down, it was crystal clear skies and warming up already. Saw no snakes but the critters were everywhere. (What are those critters that look like small squirrels? They were out in force and later in the day they were showing up atby neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
It was a joke. Obama gets blamed for everything. So I'm "blaming" him for the fact that we seem to be experiencing a resurgence of skinny dippers at DCHS. It's a good thing.by neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
I'm blaming Obama. I'm just saying: the last few years almost all my visits to the springs were marred by feeling out of place as a skinnydipper there. The clothing-optional ethos seemed on the wane. Maybe I'm getting lucky, but today again, as on my previous visits this year, things have changed: nudes outnumbered prudes by a wide margin. It was a HOT day. Arrived around 9 am, already HOT. Hikedby neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
Jobe, if you look at all the comments posted to the article link you have shared, the first one is from me, some months ago. You have shared a link that, like most newspapers that report on issues concerning naturism, doesn't understand the issues and situation. And completely mis-states the facts. In this case, the writer doesn't know what the Cahill policy is or was, but writes about it anyway.by neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
i had a period last spring where after two really bad visits to the springs I got very discouraged. that was when I started going more on weekdays and it could still be hit or miss in terms of the number of clothing-optional users vs not. but it was almost always more calm and relaxing. some on this board counseled me that in their experience things at DCHS come and go in waves--some years, clothby neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
Rethink what? That most of the gay guys I meet at DCHS are comfortable with clothing-optional swimming? That has been my experience. Or that I would rethink my welcome to them and to all? That I wouldn't call anything that has to do with human love and identity "unnatural"? That I would report hateful comments about AIDS (spelled wrong) on this forum? That I would use the word Negro forby neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
Agreed. If you care about this place enough to post on this forum, you should care enough to make sure everyone feels welcome. Often it is the gay men and women who visit DCHS who are the few keeping the place clothing-optional, and for that, I thank them and welcome them.by neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
Well I will just say that it was an epic day down at the springs. A day like I haven't had there in some years. I feel very blessed, for my friend's first trip was so great. We arrived at the Bowen Ranch around 9 am, beautiful blue skies as usual, day already warming up. Hike down was easy and the desert flowers were everywhere, fields of yellow and purple like I have rarely seen. My friend foundby neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
hey robert--thanks! i'm hoping the non-weekend day will be better than what you describe. and nuder. (I know it's not a word, but it should be.) and yes, once you hike nude, you can't really go back. I've got my fingers crossed since I'm introducing my friend to the place.by neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
I'm heading to the springs tomorrow, Friday, for the whole day. CANNOT WAIT! I'm bringing my best friend, who I have known since we were kids--but he has never been to the springs before. Here is to hoping for a beautiful day, and to great people down there. I'll report back on the trip.....by neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
unless you are at San Onofre and you want rangers to enforce a no nude sunbathing "rule"!!by neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
There were about 40 people there at the most crowded point today, I would guess. It looked like a bunch might be planning on staying over night until tomorrow, or camping at Bowen ranch perhaps. You should go, it will surely be more mellow than a weekend day like today.by neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
Thanks for the help. I had a great day at the springs today. Definitely easier to cross the creek some 40-50 feet downstream from the pools. But either way, the water wasn't ridiculously cold--I kind of liked it and jumped in a few times during the day. Some people just wouldn't cross it though, and turned back in frustration. A really nice couple rigged up another raft and rope situation for peby neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
For those coming in from Bowen Ranch, does it make sense to cross the creek in one place as opposed to another. I have never been the DCHS when the creek is as cold as you are reporting lately. When I visit, I usually take the easy side descent from the trail to the creek and just wade across from the beach opposite the main pools. But I have often seen folks climb down the steepest part of the hby neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
I have been writing letters to the powers that be on this issue for the last two years. My letters have never been acknowledged. However I wrote the following letter yesterday and post it here as a public statement. I sent my letter to Roy Stearns, the spokesman for the Parks Department ([email protected]), to Ruth Coleman, the Director of the Parks Department ([email protected] or dby neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California
Went Sunday morning to DCHS. Weather perfect. Roads fine, though in my 2 wheel drive I have been finding the last part of the drive increasingly hard--the road that leads from where you pay at Bowen Ranch to his parking area. There are two places at least that are hard to get by with a 2 wheel drive with lower clearance, especially on the way out. Hike down with a slight breeze cooling thingsby neogeo - Deep Creek Hot Springs, Apple Valley, California