Skip to content
Every Hot Spring

Drakesbad

Drakesbad is a resort hot spring near Chester in California. Water at the source is recorded at 151°F (66°C), hot enough to scald.

151°F66°C recorded at the source
Scalding at the source. Do not enter without a cooled, mixed pool.

Drakesbad Guest Ranch is a historic resort on Hot Springs Creek at the head of Warner Valley inside Lassen Volcanic National Park, founded as a homestead by Edward Drake in the 1880s and run as a guest ranch by the Sifford family from 1900.

Facts

Coordinates
40.4440, -121.4090 (Google Maps, OSM)
Source temperature
151°F (66°C)
Access
Resort or commercial
Type
Resort
Fee
Not recorded
Clothing optional
Not recorded
Nearest town
Chester
Data sources
NOAA NCEI, Official sources (linked below). See sources

Map

Larger marker is Drakesbad; smaller markers are other springs within 50 miles.

Quick answers

Can you soak at Drakesbad?
Drakesbad is a resort or commercial operation, so soaking is on the operator’s terms. Check with the operator for hours, prices and reservations.
How hot is Drakesbad?
The hottest recorded reading at the source is 151°F (66°C). That is the outlet temperature, not a pool temperature; water cools as it flows away from the source. Water this hot can cause serious burns, so test any pool by hand first.
Where is Drakesbad?
Drakesbad is near Chester in California, at coordinates 40.4440, -121.4090.
What other hot springs are near Drakesbad?
The closest listed springs, in straight-line distance, are Drakesbad Hot Springs, under 1 mi; Hot Springs Valley, under 1 mi; and Boiling Springs Lake, under 1 mi.

Before you go

  • Temperatures are measured at the source and can be far hotter than any soaking pool. Test with a hand before stepping in.
  • Access, fees, and road conditions change. Verify with the land manager or owner; "public" here reflects survey records, not a current right of entry.
  • Water in natural springs is untreated. Keep your head above water and avoid soaking with open wounds. Some springs carry Naegleria fowleri risk.
  • Pack out everything, including soap residue. Many springs have been closed because of trash and overcrowding.

Sources

Dataset last rebuilt October 11, 2026. Not yet checked on site by a person. Access, fee, clothing and closure details appear only when a source below states them. How this data is built.

Checked against

  1. Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drakesbad_Guest_Ranch

Merged from

  1. NOAA NCEI Thermal Springs List (archived 2025): survey location and source temperature, public domain