Vallecitos Spring
Vallecitos Spring is a warm spring on BLM land in San Diego County, about ten miles from Pine Valley, and a USGS thermal site. Tepid water, upper seventies, enough for a wade. The El Centro Field Office lists it as open. There is a photo on file.
Dry country at about 2,000 feet with very little rain, under ten inches, and a trace of snow. Roughly 350 yards of walking from the road, which the mapping leaves unnamed. BLM public land. Horse Heaven group camp is about six miles away.
December through February are listed as best. Short walk in. Horse Heaven is set up as a group camp; solo campers should ask first. No fee recorded. Open BLM land. Water is only warm. The photo on file gives you an idea of what to look for once you are there.
The USGS carries Vallecitos Spring on its thermal site list.
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 Vallecitos Spring.
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
- Hillside
- The spring sits on a steep slope that climbs to the north.
- Highest ground nearby
- 555 ft above the spring
- Within a quarter mile, to the north
A slice through the ground from north to south, about 0.6 miles end to end.
Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.
That's about 1½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 53% 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 Contrary to its name, Horse Heaven Group Campground has no equestrian sites. Instead, this tent-only facility can accommodate gatherings of up to 100 people. It provides a great mountain getaway for city dwellers to relax and enjoy cool summer temperatures, hiking and other outdoor recreation, just one hour east of San Diego.Recreation The Laguna Mountain region is known for its great horseback riding, mountain biking and hiking trails. Visitors can get their boots dusty on a segment...
Vallecitos Spring is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear. Bring sun protection for exposed soaking.
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