The creek begins in the eastern Sierra Nevada named as Mammoth Creek. The stream is primarily sourced from melted snow water at 8,500'. It is quite cold, rarely being above 50 °F. As Mammoth Creek leaves the Sierra and flows east into the Long Valley Caldera it is joined by warmer water from geothermal springs. From this confluence the stream is named Hot Creek. In the Hot Creek Gorge, numerous hot springs near and in the stream bed add hot water into the stream.
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