Abbott Mine

Lake County, California · Near Clearlake
39.0220°N, 122.4440°W · 1,721 ft
86°F 65°F air · Good soaking weather 1,721 ft Open Short Walk Bureau of Land Management Camping nearby (19.6 mi)
Aerial view of the ground around Abbott Mine LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Abbott Mine
Aerial LiDAR bare earth

Drag the handle to compare the two views. The orange dot marks the spring, in a frame about three quarters of a mile wide.

Abbott Mine is a warm spring on public land in Lake County, California, eleven miles from Clearlake. The name belongs to a mine; the record is about the water, mid-eighties, warm enough to feel good in cool weather and well short of hot. Access is open. A five-hundred-foot walk from the road gets you there.

Location
13 miles from Clearlake Oaks, CA

The Ukiah Field Office of the BLM manages the land, which is public and open, at about seventeen hundred feet. Rain runs around twenty-two inches a year with only a little snow. The walk in is short, from a road the record leaves unnamed. A 2015 water sample, recent by the standards of these records, found the spring slightly acidic. The BLM classes the designation as PUB, ordinary public land.

The rated months are the winter ones, and light snowfall makes them workable most years. Little Stony campground is almost twenty miles away, so camping means a drive. No fee is recorded. Access is open on public land. The water is warm, nothing more, so there is no burn risk and no hot soak either.

Terrain

Aircraft with laser scanners measured this ground to within inches. The scan strips out trees and buildings, leaving the bare shape of the land around Abbott Mine.

Setting
Valley floor
Gentle slopes rise on both sides.
Highest ground nearby
183 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the northeast
Cross-section through the spring

A slice through the ground from west to east, about 0.6 miles end to end.

Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.

Heat Below
170 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's about 2½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 97% of the springs on this site.

Heat flow measures the warmth working its way up through the ground from deep inside the earth. Where it runs high, rain and snowmelt that seep down through cracks in the rock come back up hot.

Heat flow estimate: Stanford Thermal Earth Model (Aljubran & Horne, 2024), CC BY 4.0.

Monthly Climate
45°
Jan
47°
Feb
49°
Mar
56°
Apr
63°
May
73°
Jun
78°
Jul
77°
Aug
72°
Sep
62°
Oct
51°
Nov
44°
Dec
Annual Precip: 21.9 in Annual Snow: 4.8 in
Best Time to Visit
December Air 44°F · Water 86°F · +42° contrast
January Air 45°F · Water 86°F · +41° contrast
February Air 47°F · Water 86°F · +39° contrast
December offers 34°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
65°F
W 10.8 mph 36% Good soaking weather
Tuesday 88° Low 61° Sunny
Wednesday 79° Low 57° Sunny 7% precip
Spring is +7° warmer
Thursday 79° Low 55° Sunny
Spring is +7° warmer
Friday 88° Low 59° Sunny
Saturday 88° Low 62° Sunny
Water Chemistry Sampled 2015-11-16

The water at Abbott Mine is slightly acidic (pH 6.7).

pH 6.7 Slightly Acidic
pH influences mineral absorption through skin
Where to Stay

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Nearby Camping
Little Stony 19.6 mi away

Overview This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site.Once on-site, you are able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature.In order to utilize Scan & Pay on site, you will need to first download the free Recreation.gov mobile app https://www.recreation.gov/mobile-app prior to your arrival as some remote area...

Reservable Yes
Reserve on Recreation.gov →
Temperature
86°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 86°F (30°C)
Avg Air Temp 60°F
Above Ambient +26°F
Warm air, warm water September
Access
Open
Road Access Short Walk
Distance to Road 503 ft
Land
Ownership Federal
Agency Bureau of Land Management
Designation PUB
Unit Ukiah Field Office
Manager Bureau of Land Management
Protection 3 - Protected, subject to extractive use
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Abbott Mine?
Abbott Mine has a water temperature of 86°F (30°C). This is a warm thermal spring.
Where is Abbott Mine located?
Abbott Mine is located in Lake County, California at 1,721 feet elevation, near Clearlake. Coordinates: 39.0220°N, 122.4440°W.
How do I get to Abbott Mine?
Abbott Mine has Short Walk road access (503 ft from the road).
Is Abbott Mine free to visit?
Abbott Mine has Open access. It is managed by Bureau of Land Management.
Can I camp near Abbott Mine?
Yes, Little Stony is located nearby (19.6 miles away).
What minerals are in the water at Abbott Mine?
Water chemistry analysis shows the presence of pH. The pH is 6.7 (slightly acidic).
Sources: USGS NWIS