Hot springs in Arizona: 9 soaks, from hikes to a resort

Arizona (Ringbolt) Hot Springs

From the Highway 93 trailhead near Willow Beach, the route drops through White Rock Canyon to a string of pools stepping down toward the Colorado River, each one cooler than the last as the water travels. Plan on 5 miles out-and-back, or 5.69 miles for the loop with the White Rock Trail, with steep sandy stretches and a 20-foot fixed ladder where the hot-spring canyon meets the river (NPS, Arizona Hot Springs Trail). Source water emerges at roughly 111–120°F and mixes cooler pool by pool, per trail descriptions. In a caution notice posted in May 2026, the National Park Service warned that fecal bacteria in water samples from Arizona Hot Springs frequently reach high levels that can transmit human disease. Its advice for anyone who still soaks: limit body contact with the water, wash up afterward and never put your head under (NPS, Lake Mead alerts and conditions). The National Park Service closes the Arizona Hot Springs, Goldstrike Canyon and White Rock Canyon trails every year from May 15 through September 30 for visitor and first-responder safety during extreme heat (NPS, Lake Mead seasonal trail closures); the springs stay reachable by boat or kayak from the river during that window. A $25 vehicle pass covers seven days at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Full details are on the dedicated Arizona (Ringbolt) Hot Springs page.

Verde Hot Springs

On the west bank of the Verde River across from the old Childs power plant site, in Prescott National Forest, though the whole approach runs through Coconino National Forest: about 20 miles of dirt Forest Roads 708 and 502 from Highway 260 to the Childs dispersed camping area, then a roughly 1-mile walk and a river ford that can run thigh-deep or higher after storms. The main pool, built into the ruins of a resort that burned down in 1962, holds around 98–102°F per trail reports; the NOAA thermal springs archive lists the source at 104°F (historical estimate, base year 1980). No fee or permit; the obstacles are the road and the ford. Full details are on the dedicated Verde Hot Springs page.

Castle Hot Springs

A restored 1896 resort north of Morristown, reopened in 2019 after a multi-decade closure, with spring-fed pools supplied by a source the NOAA archive lists at 115°F (historical estimate, base year 1980). Access is by overnight reservation only, with a two-night minimum and arrivals and departures fixed to Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday; there is no day pass. Rates start around $1,250 a night and include meals and activities (Castle Hot Springs). It's the one fully developed, ticketed stop on this list.

Essence of Tranquility

A private hot springs property south of Safford with a handful of outdoor soaking pools, open Tuesday through Saturday by the hour: $15 for one hour, $25 for two, $35 for three, per person (Essence of Tranquility). Towels and changing areas are on site. There's no standalone official website, so call ahead; hours and rates shift.

Kachina Mineral Springs Spa

About 6 miles south of Safford, Kachina offers private indoor mineral tubs and an outdoor mineral pond by appointment only, alongside massage and other spa services. It's the more developed, spa-style alternative to Essence of Tranquility a few miles away, and reservations are required rather than walk-in. Call ahead for current rates.

Kaiser Hot Spring

A flat, roughly 1.4-mile hike up a sandy wash from a pullout on US-93 near Wikieup, on Bureau of Land Management land along Burro Creek. Source water runs close to 99–100°F, matching both the NOAA archive's 99°F estimate (base year 1980) and current trail reports, and feeds a small rock-lined pool built into the canyon wall. Free, no permit.

Sheep Bridge Hot Spring

Reached from Carefree via about 33 miles of Forest Road 24 (Cave Creek Road), then 12 more on the rough, rarely maintained Forest Road 269, ending at a pedestrian-only suspension bridge over the Verde River in Tonto National Forest (Tonto National Forest, Sheep Bridge). The last miles require high clearance and sometimes 4WD, especially after rain. Primitive rock-and-tub pools near the bridge run around 99°F per trail reports. Free, with dispersed camping allowed nearby for up to 14 days.

Hooker's Hot Springs (Muleshoe Ranch)

Inside the Muleshoe Ranch Cooperative Management Area, a Nature Conservancy preserve in the Galiuro Mountains foothills at the end of a long graded dirt road from Willcox, the hiking trails, including the Bass Canyon-Hot Springs Loop, are open to the public at no charge (The Nature Conservancy, Muleshoe Ranch CMA). The historic bathhouse over the spring itself, though, is limited to Nature Conservancy members with an advance reservation; day hikers without a membership can walk the preserve but can't soak. Worth knowing before driving out expecting a public soak.

Hannah Hot Spring

The most demanding entry on this list: an isolated spring deep in the Blue Range Primitive Area on the Arizona–New Mexico border, listed at 133°F in the NOAA thermal springs archive (historical estimate, base year 1980), a figure Backpacker's route write-up repeats. The approach is a roughly 13-mile round trip, mostly cross-country navigation through washes and along Dutch Blue Creek, with repeated creek crossings that trip reports describe running waist-deep in spring. No trail signage for most of the route. Free, no permit, but this is a multi-day backcountry trip for experienced navigators, not a day hike.

This guide was compiled from public land-manager sources (the National Park Service for Lake Mead, the U.S. Forest Service for the Tonto, Prescott, Coconino and Apache-Sitgreaves national forests, the Bureau of Land Management, and The Nature Conservancy for Muleshoe Ranch), the NOAA/NCEI thermal springs archive, resort and spa operator sites, and published trail reports. We haven't visited these sites ourselves. Fees, road conditions and seasonal closures change, and this state closes at least one popular spring every summer by federal order; verify current status with the land manager before you go. Last checked August 2026.