I went to the Byron Hot Springs Hotel today, which resides in, you guessed it- Byron, CA. There are 4 stories filled with beautiful graffiti, and in these 4 stories there are around 20 or so rooms.
There are hidden rooms under the stairs, and no squatters, but I did come across a couple other UE's doing some photo shoots. I recommend getting onto the roof, as that's where the best of the graffiti. The roof is sturdy, but you will have to find a way on, and should leave someone at the bottom.
Reminder This is not a place to go alone.
Here is what's supposed to be the pool room, there is now like a catwalk on the third story going around into the rooms, with the floor taken out in the middle that leaves you dangling over the pool room. Which now is basically just this large roomy space filled with columns and staircases, but very cool.
*Apologies for photos, my partner took all the other ones with her and only allowed me these few... I hope it gives you enough of a preview into what this place is like!
Here is the entrance to the hotel. It has a grand stair case but you can see clearly into the garage level below it, as the walls are all knocked down, so you can just get in there.
Speaking of entrances, there are hardly any obstacles in your way of entering.
There is a wired fence which stands about 4 feet or so, guarding the premises. You can park your car right there and have no problems. After you jump the fence, it is maybe a 1/2 a mile walk or less to the hotel itself. However, on the walk you will come across little cute signs saying to "turn back", "hell begins here", or some other foreboding warning. Also the path is lined with weeping willows once you walk a ways. That could be assumed to be the driving path to the hotel- the road lined with willows.
A quick history lesson
-The first two hotels built there only lasted around 12 years and both ended in fires. The first from 1889-1901, and the second in 1901-1912.
-Then the third hotel was built in 1913 and closed in '38 after the founder of the hotel died.
-In 1941 the building became Camp Tracy, a WWII Interrogation camp for German and Japanese prisoners of war. This camp actually utilized cultural understanding, offered the prisoners access to the hot spring
- Then it was sold to the greek orthodox church to be used as a mission and in 1956 it changed many more times after that
it does have a current owner and his plans with the property are unknown, so check it out while you can!
DIRECTIONS Quality Scales Unlimited, 5401 Byron Hot Springs Road, Byron, CA 94514
Plug this address in your GPS once you are here take a right onto Hot Springs road. You will have to park off site and walk to the entrance of the Hot Springs road. Palms partially obscure a spray-painted sign reading "Danger - No Trespassing," and a bent barbed-wire fence is at the entrance to the trail.