Deep Creek Hot Springs Campground @ The Bowen Ranch

Ellen Bert

This is one of my favorite hot springs so it is freakin awesome to finally have a place to camp with bathrooms & showers. This is the original Bowen Ranch parking & camping area everybody has always been parking at, but now you dont go thru that sketchy shack & pay that grumpy old dude because the new owner made a new entrance 1/2 mile further. Such wonderful people here hosting the campground and Bear & Lex are the cutest camp watchdogs ever!

Michael M.

Liked: This place was great. It was the exact type of off the beaten path isolated adventure my friends and I were looking for. We showed up and were consistently surprised by all of the the little extras we discovered on the campsite - There were flushing toilets, outdoor showers, a cold tub on a hilltop and a grill and fire-pit. Most of these weren't even listed as amenities on the website we used. The people running it were super friendly and as kind as could be. Go here, build a fire, and let your toes feel some earth between them. Disliked: It would have actually been nice to know there was a grill and other small touches. That way we wouldn't have bought all those things at the supermarket.

Janet T.

Liked: Took my bestie camping there for a day and half stress reliever. (Two elderly gals who love hiking) The Plan to rent a Geo Dome “The Desert Fox”. Hike down to deep creek and back. Cook a great meal. Have a camp fire with a glass of wine and call it a day. I didn’t know what to expect as I have never rented a Geo Dome before. But was pleasantly surprised when upon arriving when we got a tour of the area from Matt. Who was friendly informative and assured us if there was anything we need to call him and he would take care of it. We unpacked our car. Put on our day packs and went hiking down to deep creek. The hike was strenuously invigorating, which we both needed. Spent a couple of hours at the bottom and hiked back up to our car and then drove over to our Geo Dome. The area is beautiful. 160 acres of roaming! The 360 views are spectacular, the sunset/sunrise and star full night skies are mesmerizing. It was a perfect day, just what my friend and I needed. Matt was extremely helpful. We had a problem with the Coleman gas stove and he brought us his propane stove to use during our stay. We slept on an air Mattress that was provided. There were 2 camp chairs, 2 long 6’ tables, couple of night stands, camping cook stove, a few cooking utensils (the basics) a wok frying pan, dish washing stuff, couple of stackable shelves. The floor was plastic planks which helped keep the sand out some what. All and all we had a great time. Disliked: No dislikes but a few suggestions: When sleeping on an air mattress in the desert where the temperatures dip down into the 30’s. Its important to have a bearer between the air mattress and the body as the cold air will zap your warmth quickly. So my experience as a long time camper and who sleeps on an air mattress when car camping is to put a moving blanket (the thick ones moving companies use) on the air mattress, then your bedding. Which results in a toasty sleep. We both (who are experienced backpackers in all weather) were cold through the night, even tho I had my backpacking 20 degree quilt. Lesson learned for the future. Also I would recommend a few more solar lights as the dome is pretty dark in the evening.

Ari De La Rosa

if you are looking to have a beautiful experience with nature, DO NOT come here. visiting this campground was heartbreaking. this campsite called “Bowen Ranch” is violating and using the namesake (and address) of the ORIGINAL Bowen Ranch in order to get business. They’re advertising this place to people who would usually be going to a resort or a water park, which this environment is very much not like that. During our visit, we witnessed people leaving trash and getting wasted IN the springs, trashing it. We witnessed people collapsing from dehydration and sheriffs coming from helicopters to save them from the hike back uphill (which is pretty intense). If you’re buying a campsite online, that’s the exploitative camp. There were also people living on the campsite that seemed to be mixed in with heavy drugs and violent behavior. The original Bowen Ranch goes by the honor system and requests cash ($5 for springs, $10 for camp). Again, if you love nature, go to the original Bowen Ranch, and support a family that truly respects the springs. Do not support this business which seems to be run by people that are the wroooong kind of environment for a piece of nature so precious.