The Hot Spring:

  Stanley Hot Spring is a nice series of pools at the end of a steep 5.5 mile hike.  At the end of the hike you ford Boulder Creek which can be very dangerous during spring run off.  Camping is available at the springs with a very mellow vibe, where people are reading, soaking, or cooking some food.  120 degree F source water flows out of the hill creating a small hot creek.  Volunteers have created several pools with logs dams where the hot water meets a small cold creek.  The temperature of the pools is changed by moving rocks along the cold creek controlling the amount of cold water entering the pools.  The largest pool is one of the upper pools and can fit 8-10 people comfortably in the 2-3 foot deep water.  It is common custom to leave the upper pools hot so the lower pools are still warm, but sometimes people cool off the largest pool to a cooler temperature leaving the lower pools a bit too cool to soak.