Crabtree Hot Springs, California
Encyclopedia
Crabtree Hot Springs is an unincorporated community and geological phenomenon in Lake County, California
about 25 miles (40.2 km) north of Upper Lake
. It lies at an elevation of 2,257 feet(688 m). There is a cluster of four natural hot spring
s at this location, in an isolated narrow winding steep walled canyon on the north bank of the Rice Fork
of the Eel River
, about one fourth mile downriver from its junction with Salt Creek. Three of the hot springs are aligned in one area at a large swimming hole
, while the fourth hot spring is about 60 feet(18 m) back upriver. The temperature of the hottest spring is 106 F(41 C), with a flow rate of about 10 gallons (37.9 l) per minute.
About 1907, Samuel Tate Packwood(1842-1924), an Upper Lake businessman, bought property at Crabtree Hot Springs, and made plans to set up a resort
there. Crabtree lived at the springs for a good many years.
, two tunnels were driven into the canyon side a short distance downriver from the springs, and although the rock contains noticeable amounts of cinnabar
, this mineral was not found in paying quantity.
The serpentine rock at the head of the Eel River is crushed to a green clay or shinning black shales. At Crabtree Hot Springs, the serpentine is exposed in the bed of the creek, with argillaceous
shale on both sides. The springs come up at the contact as well as in the serpentine.
The principal spring emerges at the northeast edge of the stream in a natural rock basin at the foot of a small cliff, and yields perhaps 10 gallons (37.9 l) a minute of water 106 F(41 C) in temperature. Considerable gas, probably carbon dioxide
issues with the water which is mildly carbonated and is distinctly mineralized by salts of soda, sulfur
, and probably also of iron
. The pool formed by this spring has long been used for bathing and the water is locally considered efficacious in the treatment of skin and blood diseases.
. The Crabtree family built the first wagon road from Twin Valleys to Crabtree Hot Springs, and helped build the present road from Twin Valleys to Bartlett Springs. The Crabtree family all moved from the Crabtree Hot Springs area before 1900, and the road to this location was abandoned and soon became impassable. Packwood reopened the wagon road which at that time only went as far as the springs.
Twin Valley Road was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps
in 1933-1934 as a public work relief program for young unemployed men during the depression. Often referred to as the (Off-Highway Vehicle)OHV Corridor, Twin Valley Road(forest road 17N04) is a designated 40 miles (64.4 km) east-west major transportation route across the south end of Mendocino National Forest
connecting the Upper Lake and Grindstone Ranger Districts.
From Twin Valley Road(at the junction of Rice Fork & Salt Creek), there is a one fourth mile trail to the hot springs. The trail follows the river, staying on the north side.
At another time, an Indian trail went from the hot springs down the Rice Fork canyon to the mouth of the river where it entered Gravelly Valley, then crossed the river at the upper end of the valley, then went up Squaw Valley Creek to the north of Big Squaw Valley and over the ridge to the Indian village at Bloody Rock. A portion of this trail is now under Lake Pillsbury
.
There was also a well used Indian trail from Upper Lake to the hot springs, as it was a spa for them. The large boulder at the springs is called, Medicine Rock.
Small animals, birds & lizards are often killed on coming down to the river to drink. There is an immense amount of carbonic acid gas bubbling up through the water of the river and that which flows out of the hillside at these hot springs. Sulfuric gas fumes are also present.
, before finally settling in Lake County around 1870, first at Twin Valleys and then Crabtree Hot Springs. John built his home about 150 yards southwest from the junction of Rice Fork and Salt Creek, on a bench on land. John & Elizabeth had 12 children(4 daughters & 8 sons). He died on April 3, 1915 and is buried in the Upper Lake Cemetery.
, and with hopes of benefiting her health, the Packwood's moved to Upper Lake in 1905. With gratifying results, her afflicition practically disappeared with the change of climate.
In Lake County, Packwood owned a large farm near Upper Lake, served on the Board of Directors of the Farmer's Merchant Bank in Lakeport
, and planned to build a resort at Crabtree Hot Springs. About 1907, he concreted the middle hot springs, at the swimming hole, into a small bathtub with drain. Sometime later, the Packwood's moved back to Kittitas County, Washington.
Forest for the North Coast Ranges, the RNA includes an impressive selection of Knobcone Pine, is a designated critical habitat
for the federally protected Northern Spotted Owl
, and a winter range for Black-tailed Deer
. Within the RNA, dense stands of Knobcone Pine and mixed conifer forest, dominated by Douglas-fir
, also provides a dispersal habitat for a Forest Service listed sensitive species, the Northern Goshawk. The RNA northwestern boundary is adjacent to the hot springs.
Bear Creek Campground(USFS), Mendocino National Forest. Free & open all year, maximum stay 14 days, 16 picnic tables & grilles + 2 toilets, elevation 2,000 feet(610 m). Set beside Bear Creek near its confluence
with Blue Slides Creek, on Forest Road M-10(county road 301-C) about 9 miles (14.5 km) northeast from its junction with Elk Mountain Road. Located near the southern edge of the Snow Mountain Wilderness
, about 6 miles (9.7 km) northwest of the hot springs.
Lake County, California
Lake County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of California, north of the San Francisco Bay Area. It takes its name from Clear Lake, the dominant geographic feature in the county and the largest natural lake wholly within California...
about 25 miles (40.2 km) north of Upper Lake
Upper Lake, California
Upper Lake is a census-designated place in Lake County, California, United States. Upper Lake is located north of Lakeport, at an elevation of 1345 feet . The population was 1,052 at the 2010 census, up from 989 at the 2000 census...
. It lies at an elevation of 2,257 feet(688 m). There is a cluster of four natural hot spring
Hot spring
A hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust. There are geothermal hot springs in many locations all over the crust of the earth.-Definitions:...
s at this location, in an isolated narrow winding steep walled canyon on the north bank of the Rice Fork
Rice Fork
The Rice Fork is a tributary of the Eel River in Lake County, California. The Rice Fork begins on the upper northwest side of Goat Mountain, on the Colusa-Lake County line, at an elevation of over...
of the Eel River
Eel River (California)
The Eel River is a major river system of the northern Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. Approximately 200 miles long, it drains a rugged area in the California Coast Ranges between the Sacramento Valley and the ocean. For most of its course, the river flows northwest, parallel to the...
, about one fourth mile downriver from its junction with Salt Creek. Three of the hot springs are aligned in one area at a large swimming hole
Swimming hole
A swimming hole is a place in a river, stream, creek, spring, or similar natural body of water, which is large enough and deep enough for a person to swim in...
, while the fourth hot spring is about 60 feet(18 m) back upriver. The temperature of the hottest spring is 106 F(41 C), with a flow rate of about 10 gallons (37.9 l) per minute.
History
About 1875, John Fletcher Crabtree(1824-1915), and sons found the hot springs by following a well used Indian trail, and have graded a fair road to reach their springs, on the Eel River, where they invite invalids to try the medicinal qualities of the water. Not only did the Indian believe in the health giving qualities of the mineral waters, but many whites also had absolute faith in the springs as a cure-all. Some people even took sick horses there and swore by the results. No water was commercially bottled here, but the springs was commercialized as a resort but in a very small way.About 1907, Samuel Tate Packwood(1842-1924), an Upper Lake businessman, bought property at Crabtree Hot Springs, and made plans to set up a resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
there. Crabtree lived at the springs for a good many years.
Minerals
About 1900, in search of quicksilverMercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
, two tunnels were driven into the canyon side a short distance downriver from the springs, and although the rock contains noticeable amounts of cinnabar
Cinnabar
Cinnabar or cinnabarite , is the common ore of mercury.-Word origin:The name comes from κινναβαρι , a Greek word most likely applied by Theophrastus to several distinct substances...
, this mineral was not found in paying quantity.
The serpentine rock at the head of the Eel River is crushed to a green clay or shinning black shales. At Crabtree Hot Springs, the serpentine is exposed in the bed of the creek, with argillaceous
Argillaceous minerals
Argillaceous minerals may appear silvery upon optical reflection and are minerals containing substantial amounts of clay-like components . Argillaceous components are fine-grained aluminosilicates, and more particularly clay minerals such as kaolinite, montmorillonite-smectite, illite, and...
shale on both sides. The springs come up at the contact as well as in the serpentine.
The principal spring emerges at the northeast edge of the stream in a natural rock basin at the foot of a small cliff, and yields perhaps 10 gallons (37.9 l) a minute of water 106 F(41 C) in temperature. Considerable gas, probably carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
issues with the water which is mildly carbonated and is distinctly mineralized by salts of soda, sulfur
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
, and probably also of iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
. The pool formed by this spring has long been used for bathing and the water is locally considered efficacious in the treatment of skin and blood diseases.
Twin Valley Road & Indian Trails
At one time, there was an old Indian trail from the springs to Twin Valleys and on to Bartlett SpringsBartlett Springs, California
Bartlett Springs is an unincorporated community in Lake County, California. It is located north of Clearlake Oaks, at an elevation of 2146 feet ....
. The Crabtree family built the first wagon road from Twin Valleys to Crabtree Hot Springs, and helped build the present road from Twin Valleys to Bartlett Springs. The Crabtree family all moved from the Crabtree Hot Springs area before 1900, and the road to this location was abandoned and soon became impassable. Packwood reopened the wagon road which at that time only went as far as the springs.
Twin Valley Road was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
in 1933-1934 as a public work relief program for young unemployed men during the depression. Often referred to as the (Off-Highway Vehicle)OHV Corridor, Twin Valley Road(forest road 17N04) is a designated 40 miles (64.4 km) east-west major transportation route across the south end of Mendocino National Forest
Mendocino National Forest
The Mendocino National Forest is located in the Coastal Mountain Range in northwestern California and comprises 913,306 acres...
connecting the Upper Lake and Grindstone Ranger Districts.
From Twin Valley Road(at the junction of Rice Fork & Salt Creek), there is a one fourth mile trail to the hot springs. The trail follows the river, staying on the north side.
At another time, an Indian trail went from the hot springs down the Rice Fork canyon to the mouth of the river where it entered Gravelly Valley, then crossed the river at the upper end of the valley, then went up Squaw Valley Creek to the north of Big Squaw Valley and over the ridge to the Indian village at Bloody Rock. A portion of this trail is now under Lake Pillsbury
Lake Pillsbury
Lake Pillsbury is an artificial lake in the Mendocino National Forest of Lake County, California, created from the waters impounded from the Eel River by Scott Dam. Elevation is with of shoreline and covering . Activities in the Lake Pillsbury Recreation Area include powerboating, fishing,...
.
There was also a well used Indian trail from Upper Lake to the hot springs, as it was a spa for them. The large boulder at the springs is called, Medicine Rock.
Deaths
MITCHELL, Todd(before 1900). When it was legal to kill and sell deer meat, there were two commercial deer hunters camped near the hot springs who peddled the meat in the Clear Lake area. One time, Mr. Crabtree went to civilization to get supplies and on his return found one of the hunters dead as he had accidentally killed himself. He is buried and his grave is near the springs.Small animals, birds & lizards are often killed on coming down to the river to drink. There is an immense amount of carbonic acid gas bubbling up through the water of the river and that which flows out of the hillside at these hot springs. Sulfuric gas fumes are also present.
J.F. Crabtree(1824-1915)
John Fletcher Crabtree was born in Virginia on April 13, 1824. When a young man, John moved to Missouri where he met, and then married Elizabeth Davis on Nov 28, 1844. The couple traveled west to California in 1852, and first homesteaded in Contra Costa CountyContra Costa County, California
Contra Costa County is a primarily suburban county in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 1,049,025...
, before finally settling in Lake County around 1870, first at Twin Valleys and then Crabtree Hot Springs. John built his home about 150 yards southwest from the junction of Rice Fork and Salt Creek, on a bench on land. John & Elizabeth had 12 children(4 daughters & 8 sons). He died on April 3, 1915 and is buried in the Upper Lake Cemetery.
S.T. Packwood(1842-1924)
Sheriff Samuel T. Packwood, Kittitas County, Washington. Served as the county's second sheriff from 1884-1889. As president of several irrigation canal enterprises, Packwood was a recognized authority, and leader in the promotion and successful completion of large scale irrigation projects. However, Mrs. Packwood suffered from asthmaAsthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
, and with hopes of benefiting her health, the Packwood's moved to Upper Lake in 1905. With gratifying results, her afflicition practically disappeared with the change of climate.
In Lake County, Packwood owned a large farm near Upper Lake, served on the Board of Directors of the Farmer's Merchant Bank in Lakeport
Lakeport, California
Lakeport is an incorporated city and county seat of Lake County, California. Lakeport is located on the west shore of Clear Lake, at an elevation of 1355 feet...
, and planned to build a resort at Crabtree Hot Springs. About 1907, he concreted the middle hot springs, at the swimming hole, into a small bathtub with drain. Sometime later, the Packwood's moved back to Kittitas County, Washington.
Map & Nearby
Nearby
Hale Ridge Research Natural Area(RNA), Mendocino National Forest. Established by the Forest Service in 1987 to represent the Knobcone PineKnobcone Pine
The Knobcone Pine, Pinus attenuata, is a tree that grows in mild climates on poor soils. It ranges from the mountains of southern Oregon to Baja California with the greatest concentration in northern California and the Oregon-California border....
Forest for the North Coast Ranges, the RNA includes an impressive selection of Knobcone Pine, is a designated critical habitat
Critical habitat
Critical habitat is a habitat area essential to the conservation of a listed species, though the area need not actually be occupied by the species at the time it is designated. This is a specific term and designation within the U.S...
for the federally protected Northern Spotted Owl
Northern Spotted Owl
The Northern Spotted Owl, Strix occidentalis caurina, is one of three Spotted Owl subspecies. A Western North American bird in the family Strigidae, genus Strix, it is a medium-sized dark brown owl sixteen to nineteen inches in length and one to one and one sixth pounds. Females are larger than males...
, and a winter range for Black-tailed Deer
Black-tailed Deer
Two forms of black-tailed deer or blacktail deer occupying coastal temperate rainforest on North America's Pacific coast are subspecies of the mule deer. They have sometimes been treated as a species, but virtually all recent authorities maintain they are subspecies...
. Within the RNA, dense stands of Knobcone Pine and mixed conifer forest, dominated by Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...
, also provides a dispersal habitat for a Forest Service listed sensitive species, the Northern Goshawk. The RNA northwestern boundary is adjacent to the hot springs.
Bear Creek Campground(USFS), Mendocino National Forest. Free & open all year, maximum stay 14 days, 16 picnic tables & grilles + 2 toilets, elevation 2,000 feet(610 m). Set beside Bear Creek near its confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
with Blue Slides Creek, on Forest Road M-10(county road 301-C) about 9 miles (14.5 km) northeast from its junction with Elk Mountain Road. Located near the southern edge of the Snow Mountain Wilderness
Snow Mountain Wilderness
The Snow Mountain Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area located north of Santa Rosa, California, USA in the Mendocino National Forest. The U.S. Congress passed the California Wilderness Act of 1984 which created 23 new wilderness areas including Snow Mountain. It lies within the...
, about 6 miles (9.7 km) northwest of the hot springs.