Mercey Hot Springs | |
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Mercy Hot Springs | |
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Location | Fresno County |
Elevation | 1,161 feet (354 meters) |
Type | geothermal |
Temperature | 119 °F (48 °C) |
Mercey Hot Springs (formerly Mercy Hot Springs) is an unincorporated community and historical hot springs resort in the Little Panoche Valley of Fresno County, central California, [1] [2] about 60 miles (97 km) west-southwest of Fresno. [3]
Historically the hot springs were used by Native Americans. Local native peoples introduced the springs to John Merci, a sheep herder and early European settler; he later changed the spelling of his name to Mercy. [4] The springs were discovered by settlers on the Arroyo de Pannochita in 1848. [3] During the California Gold Rush it was known as the Aguaje Panochita. This watering place was used by mesteneros as holding point for their captured mustangs. It was a station on La Vereda del Monte used by the Five Joaquins Gang driving their horses southward to their hideout on the Arroyo de Cantua. [5]: 449, 453 The later resort opened after 1900. [3] In 1912, Mercy sold the property to Frederick Bourn, who was a real estate developer from San Francisco. Bourn built cabins and a hotel at the hot springs. In the mid-1930s the hotel burned in a fire, and a bathhouse and restaurant was built to replace the hotel. Later a campground and swimming pool was added. [4]
The natural hot mineral water emerges from one of the sources at 119 °F (48 °C), [6] and from an artesian well at 110 °F. [2]
There are cabins at the hot springs available to rent, tent spaces and RV campsites. There is a pool large enough for swimming that is fed from an artesian hot well, and several bathtub soaking pools. [2] A bathing area is located along South Fork Little Panoche Creek and the Little Panoche Road ( Fresno County Road J1) located at the western edge of Fresno County.[ citation needed] A motel is located about ten driving miles west of Interstate 5. The facility is along the San Andreas Rift Zone.[ citation needed]
Mercey Hot Springs is located in the Little Panoche Valley, the facility includes natural hot springs. Little Panoche Road was formerly part of a stagecoach route. [4]
The ZIP Code of the settlement is 93622, and the community is inside area code 559. It lies at an elevation of 1,161 ft (354 m). [1]