Verde Hot Springs: road, ford and temperature

Verde Hot Springs sits on the west bank of the Verde River, across from the old Childs power plant site, reached by about 20 miles of dirt Forest Roads 708 and 502, a short walk and then a river ford that can run thigh-deep or higher after storms. There's no fee and no permit; the road and the ford are the only obstacles. It's one of the stops in our hot springs in Arizona guide; for other states, start from the hot springs locator map.

1 reviewed pick with directions and access notes

Fact box

Field	Detail
Coordinates	Approximate, 34.357°N, 111.710°W, per the NOAA/NCEI thermal springs archive; west bank of the Verde River across from the old Childs power plant site
Water temperature (NOAA archive)	104°F, historical estimate, base year 1980
Pool temperature	About 98–102°F in the main pool, per trail reports
Road in	About 20 miles of dirt Forest Roads 708 and 502 from Highway 260 to the Childs dispersed camping area, as of August 2026
Approach on foot	About a 1-mile walk plus a river ford that can run thigh-deep or higher after storms, as of August 2026
Fee	Free; no permit required
Legal status	Public, Prescott National Forest (trailhead on the Coconino NF side)
Season	No seasonal closure noted in the sources we checked (September 2026); summer heat and monsoon flooding of the ford shape timing, see Before you go
Clothing policy	No posted policy found in the land-manager or operator sources we checked

Getting there: the road and the ford

The drive in runs about 20 miles of dirt on Forest Roads 708 and 502, from Highway 260 to the Childs dispersed camping area, as of August 2026. From there, reaching the springs takes a roughly 1-mile walk followed by a ford of the Verde River, which can run thigh-deep or higher after storms upstream. No fee applies anywhere along the route and no permit is required.

The springs and the ruins

The main pool at Verde Hot Springs is built into the stone ruins of a resort that burned down in 1962, on the west bank of the river across from the old Childs power plant site. Trail reports put the pool itself around 98–102°F, while the NOAA/NCEI thermal springs archive lists a separate historical estimate of 104°F at the source, dated to 1980. Which agency manages the springs is less clear-cut than usual: secondary sources agree the springs sit in Prescott National Forest while the approach road runs through Coconino National Forest, but no U.S. Forest Service page we checked names the springs directly, so treat the Prescott attribution as a well-supported consensus rather than an official land-manager statement.

How this guide was researched

This page was compiled from published trail reports describing Verde Hot Springs' access roads and land status, cross-checked against the NOAA/NCEI thermal springs archive. We haven't visited this site ourselves. No U.S. Forest Service page naming the springs was reachable in our most recent check; road conditions and the ford can change quickly after storms. Last checked September 2026.

Before you go

Don't cross the Verde on a rising river. A storm upstream can turn the ford from thigh-deep to impassable within hours, so check the forecast before you commit to the walk in. Arizona's summer monsoon season, roughly July through September, is when that risk peaks. Summer heat is the other seasonal risk: daytime temperatures on desert approaches like this one regularly pass 100°F by mid-morning, so plan for fall through spring, or start before sunrise in the warmer months and carry more water than you think you need.

The 98–102°F figure comes from trail reports, not a posted reading, so test the pool with your hand before easing in. Keep your head above the water throughout a soak: the CDC recommends against submerging your head in warm, untreated freshwater because of the rare but serious risk of Naegleria fowleri (CDC, Preventing brain infection when swimming). See our hot spring safety guide for more on burns and on this risk.

Verde is free in the sense our free hot springs guide uses: no fee to soak. Here there's nothing to pay for parking or a permit either; the drive and the ford are the whole price.

FAQ

How do you get to Verde Hot Springs?

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.

How deep is the Verde River ford?

It depends on the river. Trail reports describe it as thigh-deep or higher after storms upstream, and a storm can make it impassable within hours. Don't attempt it on a rising river.

Is Verde Hot Springs open?

No seasonal closure turned up in the sources we checked (September 2026), and no Forest Service page naming the springs was reachable. In practice the river decides: after a storm upstream the ford can be impassable for a while, and the Forest Roads in can be rough after rain. Check road conditions with the Coconino National Forest before you go.

How hot is Verde Hot Springs?

Trail reports put the main pool around 98–102°F. The NOAA/NCEI thermal springs archive separately lists a historical estimate of 104°F at the source, dated to 1980.

Is Verde Hot Springs free?

Yes. There's no fee and no permit; the dirt road and the river ford are the only real obstacles.

Is Verde Hot Springs clothing-optional?

We didn't find a clothing-optional policy in any land-manager or operator source we checked. Without a stated rule, plan on a swimsuit as the safer default.

We haven't visited these places ourselves, and every page says so rather than implying otherwise. Details are compiled from public land-manager, USGS and NOAA sources and cross-checked where possible; conditions, access rules and fees change without notice, so confirm with the managing agency before you go. Page last checked September 2026. Read our full methodology.