Prior to European contact, the hot springs and the surrounding areas were used by the local Indigenous people for centuries as a summer encampment area. In 1857, John Jordan, a Texan, and his family moved to Tulare County during the
gold and
silver rush. Later, in 1861 he blazed a trail to the hot springs and filed a petition to build a toll road, called the Jordan Trail. The following year he drowned in the
Kern River while navigating a raft across the river. In the late 19th century a grouping of log cabins and a logging camp was built. In 1992, Jordan Hot Springs received
National Historic Landmark status. ==Description==