Just a little over an hour’s drive from downtown San Diego is a remote little unincorporated town on the border of Mexico called Jacumba Hot Springs. Surrounded by rocky desert wilderness and full of history and culture, this tiny border town in Southern California is a truly unique place to visit.

The town of Jacumba, along the southern edge of California, and the tiny village of Jacumé across the border in Mexico once functioned as a fairly tight-knit community. People could walk from one to another in a matter of minutes.
Perdelsky (talk) / Perdelsky at en.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Families would cross the border to go to a market or other business, or to visit friends and family, and children from families in Jacumé sent their kids to school in Jacumba.
A border fence was installed several years ago that divided the communities. The fence ends about two miles from Jacumba, where the mountains make crossing difficult. The nearest actual border crossing is now almost an hour’s drive away in Tecate.
David Zaitz/Photographer’s Choice RF via Getty Images
Eventually, someone purchased most of the buildings in the declining town of Jacumba in hopes of revitalizing it and it has become an incredibly unique and quirky place to visit.
The area was renamed Jacumba Hot Springs after the natural mineral pools that have been utilized for their warm, therapeutic water for thousands of years. The desert town has a population of somewhere around 500 and the area in and around the town itself is strewn with relics of the past.
Nevada Rogers/Google Local
The Old Bathhouse, near the edge of Lake Jacumba, was part of a health resort developed in the 1920s where people could enjoy mineral baths, massages, and mud packs. A fire closed the property which then fell into disrepair.
Old building ruins are not the only relics to be explored. You can step inside several abandoned and decaying train cars also at the edge of town.
Johnathan Bradley/Google Local
Jacumba is full of character and influences from all over the world, even seen in private homes.
Daniel Castleberry/Google Local

Related Stories

I Rediscovered A Favorite Local Spot For Delicious Mediterranean Food

I Rediscovered A Favorite Local Spot For Delicious Mediterranean Food

 The Magnificent Lakefront Airbnb In Southern California That Is Perfect For A Spring Retreat

The Magnificent Lakefront Airbnb In Southern California That Is Perfect For A Spring Retreat

 You Will Never Forget This Incredible Cosmic Experience In The Southern California Desert

You Will Never Forget This Incredible Cosmic Experience In The Southern California Desert
In 1959, a small hotel was built with a focus on the world-famous mineral springs. Two spring-fed pools and a spa were created so tourists could come and soak in the 100-degree “magic water” of Jacumba.
David Miller/TripAdvisor
Along the highway, on the outskirts of town, is found the Desert View Tower in Boulder Park. It was built in 1922, with the lower-level extension being added in the 1950s. The tower is five stories tall and houses a museum, observation deck, and a gift shop.
Seauton, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Boulder Park is just that - a strange little theme park of sorts comprised of rocks and boulders with carved stairs throughout to climb and explore. Animals and other figures were sculpted among the rocks by a man named Merle Ratcliff.
Johnny Trekkie/TripAdvisor
Both Desert View Tower and Boulder Park are considered works of folk art and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Johnny Trekkie/TripAdvisor
Another star of Jacumba Hot Springs is this roadside attraction, Coyote’s Flying Saucer Retrievals and Repairs. The name of the entire collection of alien-based items comes from a stenciled sign on a rusted van near the center.
Seauton, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Jacumba seems almost forgotten in time, yet still working quietly to attract visitors. And you almost have to see it to believe it. Have you ever heard of or visited Jacumba Hot Springs? Would you want to? Let us know what you think, and check out a few more of Southern California’s tiniest towns.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Related Articles

Featured Addresses
Jacumba Hot Springs, CA 91934, USA