Pinches Spring

Mendocino County, California · Near Laytonville
39.6970°N, 123.4780°W · 2,020 ft
70°F 50°F air · Good soaking weather 2,020 ft Short Walk
Aerial view of the ground around Pinches Spring LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Pinches Spring
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.

Pinches Spring is a tepid spring a couple of miles from Laytonville in Mendocino County. The temperature on record sits right at the line between cool and warm; you would notice it is warmer than a creek and not much more. There is no owner on record and nothing on access either. No road is named, so this is a map point with a question mark beside it.

Location

It sits around two thousand feet up in some of the wettest country in the state, close to four feet of rain a year with snow in most winters. The walk from the nearest road is about a tenth of a mile, though the road is not named in the record. No land unit is attached, and nothing describes the ground or the outlet.

The best months on file are the wet ones, December into February. The spring is barely warm, so this is a curiosity more than a soak. Access is unrecorded; ask in Laytonville before you go looking. No campground appears in the file within a reasonable distance, and no fee is recorded.

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 Pinches Spring.

Setting
Hillside
The spring sits on a steep slope that climbs to the northeast.
Highest ground nearby
322 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
140 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's about twice the US average of 65. It's higher than at 89% 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
43°
Jan
44°
Feb
46°
Mar
50°
Apr
56°
May
65°
Jun
71°
Jul
70°
Aug
65°
Sep
58°
Oct
48°
Nov
43°
Dec
Annual Precip: 47.0 in Annual Snow: 17.1 in
Best Time to Visit
December Air 43°F · Water 70°F · +28° contrast
January Air 43°F · Water 70°F · +27° contrast
February Air 44°F · Water 70°F · +26° contrast
December offers 29°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
50°F
ENE 0.0 mph 86% Good soaking weather
Tuesday 85° Low 49° Sunny
Wednesday 76° Low 47° Sunny 6% precip
Thursday 79° Low 49° Sunny
Friday 85° Low 51° Sunny
Saturday 85° Low 51° Sunny
Where to Stay

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Temperature
70°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 70°F (21°C)
Avg Air Temp 55°F
Above Ambient +15°F
Mild soaking conditions September
Access
Road Access Short Walk
Distance to Road 0.1 mi
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Pinches Spring?
Pinches Spring has a water temperature of 70°F (21°C). This is a warm thermal spring.
Where is Pinches Spring located?
Pinches Spring is located in Mendocino County, California at 2,020 feet elevation, near Laytonville. Coordinates: 39.6970°N, 123.4780°W.
How do I get to Pinches Spring?
Pinches Spring has Short Walk road access (0.1 mi from the road).