Hot Springs of Arizona

(or a few of them anyway)

After discovering hot spring and a book that documents where many of them are located a road trip was required to the Safford,AZ area where there are several natural hot springs to check out. Safford is located in the far South east corner of Arizona East of Tucson. 1st stop was Roper State Park just south of Safford about 6 miles on AZ Hwy 191. The park is split into two parts. The bigger one on the north Part of a small lake the other on the south shore of the lake. We stopped firsts at the smaller park to explorer. It is really more of a way side rest or picnic area with a small hot water creek running through it.

From Hot Springs Arizona 2004

We spent about an hour here enjoying the little park, Here is the little creek with about 85-90 degree water flowing through it. It was very strange for us have never seen anything like it before.

From Hot Springs Arizona 2004

Moving on to the other side of Roper Lake is a full fledged State Park with a nice camp grounds and a few hiking trails around the Lake. We walked around the lake and inspected the campground vowing to return and stay in the park for a week sometime.

From Hot Springs Arizona 2004

From Hot Springs Arizona 2004

The highlight of the park for us was the in ground stone hot tub fed by the continually flowing hot springs on the east side of the park.

From Hot Springs Arizona 2004

We will absolutely have to try this out!

Here is Margaret ready to soak

From Hot Springs Arizona 2004

Nice tub. The stone is slippery, but oh so warm and inviting. Hot water from a pipe in the ground flows continually into the pool keeping it hot and clean. No spa chemicals involved.

From Hot Springs Arizona 2004

Moving on to Hot Well Dunes a natural hot Springs on Some BLM land south east of Safford about 30 miles. This spring is seriously located in the middle of no where. You must travel about 30 miles through the desert with absolutely nothing along the way. When you arrive you are in a BLM camping area that is frequented by 4 wheelers. You can camp free for 14 days anywhere in the area except right next to the hot springs. The hot springs is an improved area with toilets and parking. There are two different pools with fences around where water from the ground continually flows into the pools.

From Hot Springs Arizona 2004

From Hot Springs Arizona 2004

Dressed up with no place to go for 30 miles except the hot tub.

From Hot Springs Arizona 2004

Here is one of the pools with a local camper in it. We enjoyed the pool and spoke to him for awhile. The other pool was full of screaming children, but it was far enough away that they didn’t disturb us much.

From Hot Springs Arizona 2004

Overflow from the pools runs off into a sandy area where you can go wading.

From Hot Springs Arizona 2004

The next hot spring on our list is Watson Wash Hot Well. Located north of Safford in the small town of Thatcher. Following an unimproved road up a wash in a BLM area you come across this strange sight. Right in the middle of a clearing of willow trees is this hand built stone tub. When we arrived there was a couple of scruffy looking gentlemen soaking in the tub bare ass. I asked if they would mind if I took a picture and they indicated they were leaving anyway and we could have the place to ourselves.

From Hot Springs Arizona 2004

After they left we took a few pictures and jumped in for a quick soak, but the area was not very comfortable (not sure about the scruffy gentlemen) and while it was one of the neatest tubs of the trip we didn’t stay in it very long.

From Hot Springs Arizona 2004

We still have our hot springs book and look forward to exploring many more of the hot springs in the future.