Miracle Hot Springs along the Kern River will close indefinitely after two people died there in less than two years, U.S. Forest Service officials announced this week.
Officials said public health and safety concerns drove their decision to close the popular destination whose warm, mineral-enhanced waters have for years drawn visitors and generated support from locals. On February 17, officials found a body in one of the bathtubs at Miracle Hot Springs. It was the second death there in about 16 months. On Oct. 17, 2022, officials found a body in the same area, according to a U.S. Forest Service news release.
It is unclear how the individuals died. The Forest Service did not provide their names.
“Public safety is of utmost importance to Forest Service officials. With a second death that may be attributed in part to the hot springs, the area will remain closed until a long-term sustainable solution is reached,” District Ranger Al Watson said in a news release.
Forest Service officials could not immediately be reached for additional comment Thursday.
The hot springs consist of rock and mortar tubs along the banks of the Kern River in the Sequoia National Forest, about 10 miles west of Lake Isabella. A group that supports the maintenance of Miracle Hot Springs says on its website that the pool water has mineral compounds including sulfur, magnesium, calcium, chloride, iron and sodium.
The hot springs are managed by the Forest Service, Kern River Conservancy, and a group known as Hot Spring Angels who help educate visitors on how to keep the space clean and safe.
Concerns about damage, litter, vandalism, overcrowding and drug use have peaked in recent years as bathtubs have grown in popularity.
In March 2020, Hot Springs Angels notified Forest Service personnel that some of the tubs had been damaged. Although most of the problems were minor, one of the tubs suffered enough damage that it was only half filled with water, according to a 2021 news release that did not detail the type of damage.
The situation sparked debates about how to maintain the hot springs. But after 2022 died, Forest Service employees dismantled the tubs. People kept showing up and some even tried to rebuild them, the East Bay Times reported.
The tubs were inaccessible for at least several months after a series of severe winter storms and subsequent spring flooding along the Kern River in 2023 covered the tubs with water. But eventually, river levels dropped and the bathtub area was exposed again, officials said.
