Pan Hot Springs
Pan Hot Springs is a warm spring high up near Big Bear City, San Bernardino County. Despite the name, the file puts the water below body temperature, pleasant in the hand and cool for a soak. The spring lies a few hundred feet off the nearest road. Nothing in the record says who owns it or whether the public may use it.
At close to seven thousand feet this is mountain ground, and winters bring real snow, a bit over three feet in an average year. Summers are dry. From the road it is about four hundred feet on foot. The record gives no road name and no land unit, so the approach is something to work out on a map before you leave Big Bear City.
Best months are listed as December through February, which at this elevation means snow on the ground, so plan for winter driving. Tanglewood Group Camp is about two miles away, the closest camping on record. Access is not documented. Do not expect a hot tub; this is warm water.
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 Pan Hot Springs.
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
- 42 ft above the spring
- Within a quarter mile, to the northwest
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.
That's close to the US average of 65. It's higher than at 8% 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.
See every spring on the geothermal heat map →
Heat flow estimate: Stanford Thermal Earth Model (Aljubran & Horne, 2024), CC BY 4.0.
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Overview The Tanglewood Group Campground provides a picturesque spot for an extended family or large group getaway. It is nestled in the pine-covered mountains of Southern California, providing a variety of recreational opportunities for visitors of any age. Recreation A variety of hiking, mountain biking and off-road vehicle trails are nearby, including the scenic Gold Fever Trail. Climbing is also a popular activity. Fishing and boating in the nearby Big Bear Lake are also popular activit...
Pan Hot Springs sits at 6,717 feet above sea level, way above the mile-high mark. You may not feel the altitude strongly, but hot water still dehydrates you faster at elevation. UV is about 27% stronger than at sea level, so bring sunscreen and drink more water than you normally would.
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Pan Hot Springs is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear.
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