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Every Hot Spring

Montecito Hot Springs

Montecito Hot Springs is a hot spring with developed pools near Santa Barbara in California. Water at the source is recorded at 118°F (48°C). Records place it on public land. Entry is recorded as free.

118°F48°C recorded at the source
Hot: most people last only minutes at the source. Look for mixing pools.

Montecito Hot Springs is a thermal spring system and former resort located within the Los Padres National Forest approximately 5 miles northeast of Santa Barbara, California.

Facts

Coordinates
34.4635, -119.6404 (Google Maps, OSM)
Source temperature
118°F (48°C)
Access
Public land
Type
Developed pools
Fee
Free
Clothing optional
Not recorded
Nearest town
Santa Barbara
Data sources
NOAA NCEI, OpenStreetMap, Wikipedia, Official sources (linked below). See sources

Map

Larger marker is Montecito Hot Springs; smaller markers are other springs within 50 miles.

Quick answers

Can you soak at Montecito Hot Springs?
Records place Montecito Hot Springs on public land. That is not a guarantee of current access: closures, fire restrictions and road conditions change, so check with the land manager before you go.
How hot is Montecito Hot Springs?
The hottest recorded reading at the source is 118°F (48°C). That is the outlet temperature, not a pool temperature; water cools as it flows away from the source.
Is Montecito Hot Springs free?
Yes. Entry is recorded as free. Fees change, so confirm before you go.
Where is Montecito Hot Springs?
Montecito Hot Springs is near Santa Barbara in California, at coordinates 34.4635, -119.6404.
What other hot springs are near Montecito Hot Springs?
The closest listed springs, in straight-line distance, are Hot Springs (Santa Barbara County), under 1 mi; Little Caliente Spring, 5 mi; and Boron Spring, 6 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/Montecito_Hot_Springs

Merged from

  1. NOAA NCEI Thermal Springs List (archived 2025): survey location and source temperature, public domain
  2. OpenStreetMap: mapped feature and its tags, ODbL
  3. Wikipedia: short description, CC BY-SA 4.0