Hot Springs closed after second body is found in two years

Miracle Hot Springs along California’s Kern River will close indefinitely after the death of a second person there in less than two years.

The U.S. Forest Service said in a news release this week that a body was found in one of the hot springs’ manufactured stone-and-mortar tubs on Feb. 17. Another death was reported in the same location in October 2022.

Specific details about the victims and what caused their deaths were not provided by the agency.

“Public safety is of utmost importance to Forest Service officials. With a second death that can be attributed in part to the hot springs, the area will remain closed until a sustainable long-term solution is reached,” District Ranger Al Watson said in a statement.

Miracle Hot Springs is at 2,300 feet in the Sequoia National Forest, southwest of Lake Isabella and approximately 40 miles northeast of Bakersfield, about five hours away from San Francisco.

After the first death in 2022, Forest Service officials dismantled the tubs.

The agency noted that the latest death comes after substantial flooding on the Kern River last year left Miracle Hot Springs “under the high-water mark and inaccessible.” Once the river levels dropped, the area was exposed again and the tubs were subsequently reconstructed without official permission.

Despite the recent deaths, a nonprofit organization called the Kern River Angels is actively advocating to keep the tubs operational. The selfdescribed conservancy group contends that the tubs contain at least six mineral compounds beneficial for “healing our minds and bodies.”

The group’s mission, as stated on its website, is “to restore and steward the historical and healing Miracle Hot Springs, connecting our community through inspiring experiences in nature that improve livability, health, and wellbeing.”

A forthcoming order from the Forest Service will impose an area closure, preventing access to the hot springs, tubs and the surrounding area.