Arizona Hot Spring Trail

Arizona Hot Springs is a 5-mile round-trip hike from the shared U.S. 93 trailhead to the hot springs and back by the mountain route. The approach crosses a ridge and drops through Hot Spring Canyon; allow about six hours, including time at the pools. The National Park Service gives a 4–8 hour range and a 750-foot elevation change. This is a very strenuous, unmaintained route, not a casual stroll to a soak. Go for the narrow canyon and the geothermal pools, and skip it if steep, rough desert hiking is not your thing.

A signed path drops from the parking area into White Rock Wash and passes under the twin highway bridges. At about half a mile, leave the main wash by the old road and climb out toward the ridge. The regular White Rock Canyon route continues down the wash toward the river, so watch for the turn if you are following the five-mile out-and-back. The wash is open and exposed, with little shade; the narrow canyon sections begin farther down.

The old road crosses low ridges and washes before reaching a high point where the two Hot Spring Canyon routes divide. Take the mountain route. Its slickrock start can be faint, so look ahead for the use trail crossing west toward a shallow canyon and saddle. From there the path drops steeply over rocky slopes into Hot Spring Canyon. Expect a few Class 2 scrambles and careful footwork. The alternate washes route is longer and has several pour-overs, including a 30-foot fourth-class drop; it is not the route described here.

The pools sit in a deep, water-polished canyon only about eight feet wide, among volcanic walls and natural rock sills. The spring water rises through faults and fractures, flowing at roughly 30–50 gallons per minute; the source water is 111–120°F. Do not block or redirect the free-flowing water with sandbags or other objects. Rocks near the water can be slick, especially after you track wet sand onto them. The hot spring is a short way up the canyon from the river junction.

The National Park Service also describes a 5.69-mile loop that returns by White Rock Canyon. From the springs, that option uses a 20-foot ladder down to the river trail. The return is longer but less steep than retracing the mountain route; braided footpaths along the river can make the correct line hard to pick out, so follow the numbered signs. Pit toilets are about 200 yards downstream of the springs, along the river.

Most of the canyon is volcanic rock and ash. Pale granite boulders washed down from the Black Mountains are scattered through the darker walls; that contrast is the reason for the name White Rock Canyon. Wilson Ridge is the exposed granite core of an older volcano. On the ridge route, brittlebush and its yellow spring blooms stand out against the volcanic formations, while the wash supports plants such as catclaw acacia, Mormon tea and cheesebush.

The shared Arizona Hot Springs / White Rock Canyon trailhead is just off U.S. 93, south of Hoover Dam and before milepost 4. There is no drinking water at the trailhead, and this is a park fee area. Pets are allowed on a leash no longer than six feet. The NPS closes this strenuous trail annually from May 15 through September 30 and can close it outside those dates for forecast heat of 95°F or higher at Willow Beach or possible flash floods. Check current access before driving out.