The San Juan Hot Springs will be...
The San Juan Hot Springs will be dedicated as Orange County’s 38th historical landmark during a noon ceremony Monday. The hot springs, 12 miles east of San Juan Capistrano on Ortega Highway, were first documented by Spanish missionaries visiting the Mission San Juan Capistrano in the late 18th Century. The local Indians believed the 100-degree mineral water had spiritual healing powers.
In the late 1880s, a hotel and other attractions were built at the hot springs to lure travelers to the area. The waters were billed as the perfect cure for one’s aches and pains.
Today, water from the hot springs is filtered and piped into 25 outdoor hot tubs. The business is open 24 hours a day, operated under a lease from the county-run Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park.
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