From there Los Baños Creek heads north to Mud Slough, 2.5 miles (4 km) upstream from its confluence with the San Joaquin River.

[1] Los Baños Creek is reported to have taken its name from the pools, near its head, called Los Baños de Padre Arroyo for Padre Felipe Arroyo de la Cuesta, who was at Mission San Juan Bautista from 1808 to 1833 and conducted proselytizing missions into the San Joaquin Valley.

[6] Los Baños de Padre Arroyo is registered as California Historical Landmark #550.

The South Fork Los Banos Creek crosses northeast from San Benito County into Merced County to the confluence and is 19.2 miles (30.9 km) long.

[4] The North Fork Los Banos Creek originates east of Antimony Peak[7] and the border of San Benito and Merced Counties.