Route #3
Mighty 190 and California Hot Springs  
104 miles - 458' to 7,221' elevation 

¤ From the Best Western head east on Hwy 190

¤ Turn right at the ‘T’ (Parker Pass)

¤ Follow the signs to California Hot Springs (curvy, winding road)

¤ Continue west on Hot Springs Rd

¤ Turn right onto M-109 at Fountain Springs

¤ Turn left on Hwy 190 back to Best Western 

This ride was originally run during the very first Porterville gathering. It cuts a cool 50 miles off of Route #2 and takes you to a local hot spring ‘spa’. 

It starts in much the same manner as Route #2. That is, east on Hwy 190, through Springville, past Pierpoint Springs and along the Western Divide. (See Route #2 for details.)

At the ‘T’ that marks Parker Pass, turn right. This road is tight, twisty and lightly traveled. It is sometimes dirty, so watch for sand/gravel in the turns. Follow the signs to California Hot Springs. This place dates from the turn of the last century and was once considered quite the happenin’ place. In recent years there has been a small snack bar/deli where you could get a quick bite to eat. (No guarantees that it’ll still be there this year). For a small fee you can also bask in the sun and enjoy the hot springs pool.

From the Hot Springs, continue west on Hot Springs Road. Once you cross a tiny one lane bridge, watch for the uphill blind right-hand turn that immediately upon cresting the rise becomes a decreasing radius left-hand turn. It’s been known to bite the unwary! Turn right at the Fountain Springs tavern and you’ll be back on the tail end of Route #2.

This is a nice ride if you want to take your time but still enjoy the variety of terrain this area has to offer.  

Note: If the weather is hot, you may want to run this ride counterclockwise. This will get you across the grasslands before it gets too warm and then you'll have the rest of the ride to enjoy the relative coolness of the mountain roads.