Amedee Hot Springs

Lassen County, California · Near Janesville
40.3020°N, 120.1950°W · 4,009 ft
203°F 43°F air · Good soaking weather 4,009 ft Roadside Camping nearby (14.5 mi)
Dangerously Hot, Not Safe for Soaking

Amedee Hot Springs reaches 203°F, far above safe soaking levels. Contact with this water will cause severe burns. Look for cooled downstream pools or view from a safe distance only.

Amedee Hot Springs comes out of the ground a bit over two hundred degrees, hot enough to be near boiling, in Lassen County, a sixteen-mile drive from Janesville. This is a spring to look at from a distance. Nobody soaks in water this hot at the source. Owner and access status are both missing, so the terms of getting near it are unknown.

Location

Under three hundred feet from an unnamed road, at about four thousand feet in Lassen County. Winters bring around thirty inches of snow; rain for the year is a modest fifteen inches. The record leaves owner and unit empty, so the ground around the source is uncharacterized. Black Mountain Lookout, fourteen or fifteen miles away, is the only overnight spot the record lists.

The best-rated months are December through February, but thirty inches of snow says winter access can close without warning. The water will scald on contact. Treat it as you would a boiling pot. Access and ownership are unrecorded. No fee is listed, and no land unit 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 Amedee Hot Springs.

Aerial view of the ground around Amedee Hot Springs LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Amedee Hot Springs
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.

Setting
Open ground
Flat, open ground all around.
Highest ground nearby
3 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the northeast
Cross-section through the spring

A slice through the ground from southwest to northeast, about 0.6 miles end to end.

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

Heat Below
82 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's about 1½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 19% 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
35°
Jan
38°
Feb
43°
Mar
51°
Apr
59°
May
70°
Jun
78°
Jul
77°
Aug
69°
Sep
56°
Oct
43°
Nov
35°
Dec
Annual Precip: 14.8 in Annual Snow: 31.8 in
Best Time to Visit
January Air 35°F · Water 203°F · +168° contrast
December Air 35°F · Water 203°F · +168° contrast
February Air 38°F · Water 203°F · +165° contrast
January offers 43°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
43°F
SE 10.8 mph 54% Good soaking weather
Today 76° Low 50° Sunny
Spring is +127° warmer
Wednesday 71° Low 50° Sunny 3% precip
Spring is +132° warmer
Thursday 70° Low 50° Sunny 1% precip
Spring is +133° warmer
Friday 73° Low 52° Sunny
Spring is +130° warmer
Saturday 76° Low 54° Sunny
Spring is +127° warmer
Where to Stay

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Nearby Camping
Black Mountain Lookout 14.5 mi away

Overview Black Mountain Lookout remained closed for the 2020 season and is expected to remain closed into 2021. Closure is due to COVID related demands in maintaining a safe environment for our customers and our staff. Black Mountain Lookout is located on the eastern edge of the Beckwourth Ranger District, 10 miles from Highway 395, near Milford, California. The lookout was constructed in 1934 and is a great example of Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) architecture. The C-3-type lookout is si...

Reservable Yes
Reserve on Recreation.gov →
Temperature
203°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 203°F (95°C)
Avg Air Temp 55°F
Above Ambient +148°F
Access
Road Access Roadside
Distance to Road 280 ft
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Amedee Hot Springs?
Amedee Hot Springs has a water temperature of 203°F (95°C). This is considered a hot spring, well above body temperature.
Where is Amedee Hot Springs located?
Amedee Hot Springs is located in Lassen County, California at 4,009 feet elevation, near Janesville. Coordinates: 40.3020°N, 120.1950°W.
How do I get to Amedee Hot Springs?
Amedee Hot Springs has Roadside road access (280 ft from the road).
Can I camp near Amedee Hot Springs?
Yes, Black Mountain Lookout is located nearby (14.5 miles away).
Is it safe to soak at Amedee Hot Springs?
No, not at the source. The water at Amedee Hot Springs reaches 203°F, which can cause severe burns within seconds. Look for cooled side pools or downstream stretches, and test with a hand before anything else.