Mercey Hot Springs, California

Coordinates: 36°42′15″N 120°51′37″W / 36.70417°N 120.86028°W / 36.70417; -120.86028

Mercey Hot Springs
—  Unincorporated community  —
Mercey Hot Springs Location in California
Coordinates: 36°42′15″N 120°51′37″W / 36.70417°N 120.86028°W / 36.70417; -120.86028
Country	United States
State	California
County	Fresno County
Elevation[1]	1,161 ft (354 m)

Mercey Hot Springs (formerly, Mercy Hot Springs) is an unincorporated community in Fresno County, California,^[1] about 60 miles (97 km) west-southwest of Fresno.^[2] It is a resort along Little Panoche Road (Fresno County Road J1) located at the western edge of Fresno County. The unincorporated area is about ten driving miles west of Interstate 5. NAD83 latitude and longitude for the site are listed as 36°42′15″N 120°51′37″W / 36.70417°N 120.86028°W / 36.70417; -120.86028 in the National Geographic Names Database (NGND).^[1] The NGND shows a feature ID number of 1659109. The facility is along the San Andreas Rift Zone. Located in the Panoche Valley, the facility includes a campground and natural hot springs. The ZIP Code is 93622, and the community is inside area code 559. It lies at an elevation of 1161 feet (354 m).^[1]

History

The springs were discovered in 1848 and the resort opened after 1900.^[2] The name is in honor of J.N. Mercy, an early stockman.^[2]

Nearby

The Mercey Hot Springs Resort has served as an oasis of quiet and relaxation for hundreds of years -- first for Native Americans and later for all Californians since the 1800s. The Resort offers several options for enjoying the hot springs, including both clothed and clothing-optional choices. Lodging includes rustic cabins, tent camping, and RV spaces (no hook-ups; a dump station is available.) No amplified music is allowed in the Resort, and visiting motorcyclists should restrict their riding to entering and leaving the resort only. More information in avaialble at the Resort's website: https://merceyhotsprings.com. The campground also serves visitors to the nearby US Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Panoche Hills Management Area. The Panoche Access Road, entrance to the Area, is just east of the resort. The BLM reservation is used, in part, by off-road driving enthusiasts.

About 7 miles (11 km) south, in San Benito County near the intersection of Panoche Road and Little Panoche Road, is the Panoche Inn. The bar is popular with motorcyclists on weekends in good weather. NAD27 latitude and longitude for the Inn are 36°36′25″N 120°53′07″W / 36.60694°N 120.88528°W / 36.60694; -120.88528.

Four miles northwest, the county lines for Merced County, San Benito County, and Fresno form a "T".

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mercey Hot Springs, California
2. ^ ^{a b c} Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Quill Driver Books. p. 1071. ISBN 9781884995149. 

Sources

• National Geographic Names Database
• "Mercey Hot Springs, California," 7.5-minute quadrangle, US Geological Survey, 1981.

See also

• Ophiuroidea (area fossilized starfish)

External links

• Mercey Hot Springs Resort web page
• BLM web page for Panoche Hills.
• Nearby Little Panoche Reservoir.
• US Bureau of Reclamation Panoche Dam page.