A Visit to Hot Springs National Park

Hot Springs National Park.  Another one of those destinations we had in mind on our road trip to Arkansas.  We arrived on a rainy afternoon, and stopped by the visitor center to get out of the rain and also get an idea of things to do at Hot Springs. 

The Visitor Center is at the Fordyce Bath House on Bath House Row in Hot Springs.  The National Park is extremely urban for being a National Park.  Essentially, it preserves seven historic bathhouses and an associated hillside of springs.  We took a walking tour of the Fordyce Bath House and saw a pretty well preserved snapshot of upper class living in the late 19th, early 20th centuries.  There are two bathhouses that are open for soaks and massages and the like, but they're a little pricy, and not really designed for young children, so we didn't visit them. 

Behind Bathhouse Row, and across the hillside are lots of green boxes.  These are the springs.  They've been capped to preserved the water quality.  Doing a drive on the east mountain, it was amazing how many of the green boxes one can count just from their vehicle.  It must have been quite amazing back in the day before they were capped to see them!

The Promenade is a great little walking area.  It's well paved in brick and has a nice view of downtown Hot Springs from along it. 

There are a few open springs, just around back from several of the bath houses.  I though they were the best part of the visit.  Unfortunately, they are closed to soaking.  They're still great to look at.  There are a few fountains that have fresh spring water that are open to the public.  After spending a night at the Guleph Gulch Campground, we drove over one morning and filled a few water bottles and used it to make our oatmeal.  The water comes out at 140 degrees! 

Overall, I'd have to say that Hot Springs National Park disappointed me.  A primitive hot spring to soak in would have been quite fantastic.  There were a few hiking trails, but it's definitely not on par with other National Park towns like Mammoth in Yellowstone, Estes Park right outside Rocky Mountain National Park, or Springdale outside of Zion National Park.  That and Hot Springs doesn't feel like a vacation destination by itself, in fact it seems kindof shabby and outdated. 

Nearest City: Hot Springs, AR
Location: N° W°
Time Needed: varies
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: borderline
Additional Info:

Fishing at Dankworth Pond State Park

We stopped at Dankworth Pond to see what was there.  I didn't intend to stay long because the kids were starting to get sleepy as naptime was approaching.  Right as you enter, there's a sign for a hot spring. It's more of a hot well that drains into the pond, with a small wading area before it gets there. 

We waded in the warm water since there's not enough to soak in past mid-calf. 

The pond looked pretty nice.  It used to be a catfish farm, but now is part of the Arizona State Park system.   It's a smaller subunit of Roper Lake State Park, and is just for fishing, walking, and boating in small motorless boats.  As far as fishing was concerned, we saw several fishermen there, and several of them were catching fish.  As we'd been skunked so far at the Gila River and Roper Lake, I gave in and we got out the fishing poles. 

We wandered down the dike that makes the north shoreline of the pond, found a fishy looking place, and casted out a few poles.  Fish on!  We had several nibbles and a few solid hookups.  Grasshoppers about 2 feet under a small bobber was the perfect meal ticket for the bluegills and bass.  The kids even were able to handle things all by themselves.  Can you spot the fish in the picture above? 

The fish we caught weren't very big, but the kids were determined to keep them and bring them home to eat for dinner.  Bluegills are great for helping kids learn to enjoy fishing- they're easy to catch and if you find them there will be plenty of action.  We caught enough for dinner, but not quite our limit then headed home.  If I'm ever back near Safford to go fishing, I'll pick Dankworth Pond over Roper Lake any day!

Nearest City: Safford, AZ
Location: N° W°
Time Needed:
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Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info:

Playing at Roper Lake State Park

Roper Lake State Park is about 7 miles south of Safford.  We stopped by to go fishing and soak in the hot spring.  Unfortunately, the hot spring has been improved since our last visit, and is now thoroughly surrounded by concrete.  I'm partial to primitive springs, but other then that it's still a great soak.  I didn't soak when we visited because it was just too hot out.  Weather in the 90's is just too hot!  We tried our hand at fishing to no avail. 

This little guy kept waiting for a fish to bite.  After about half an hour with no luck, we decided that it just wasn't our day. 

 



 The kids had a great time swimming at "the island" area of the park.  They could walk out quite a way and still not be in over their heads.  We had a great time splashing in the water, digging in the sand,  and picnicking.  It was a great afternoon.  After we left, we went to Dankworth Pond because the $7 admission fee to Roper Lake is good for over there as well.

Nearest City: Safford, AZ
Location: N° W°
Time Needed:
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Kid Friendly:
Additional Info: Roper Lake State Park Website

Camping and Soaking at the Hot Well Dunes

A soaking pool at the Hot Well Dunes

The first weekend in May we went camping out at the Hot Well Dunes.  We didn't start packing until I got home from work on Friday, so the late start set us back quite a bit.  We drove up to I-10, then east to Bowie.  We got to Bowie in the late dusk and after a short delay while waiting for a train to cross, the rest of our drive was in the dark.  We drove 19 miles on mostly-dirt roads north of Bowie to the Hot Well Dunes.  The road is well signed, so there's not much risk in getting lost if you follow the signs.   There's regulated primitive camping at the dunes, so we drove in, found a spot, and set up for the night listening to the country music blasting from some campers 1/4 mile away.  I didn't even bother putting on the rainfly, so we fell asleep under the endless stars of the desert sky.  There's an official campground there at the dunes, but all of the roads and sites are just camping in the sand.  Camping is pretty much allowed anywhere, but the BLM encourages the use of a few sites by having tables and fire rings out.  A few pit-toilets are available for use as well. 

The drilling rig used to drill the hot well

We woke up at what felt like the crack of dawn.  The sun was up, it was time for everybody to get up!  Sleeping in while camping is hard.  Sleeping in while camping when you have kids is impossible.  I dragged out of my bag got out of the tent, and started boiling water for oatmeal.  The kids started hollering about going potty, so I dragged them out of the tent to help them "take care of business".   Before long the water was done, and everyone was filling their tummies.  After breakfast, we put everyone back in the tent to put on their swimming suits to go to the hot springs.

We drove 1/2 mile down the road, and parked at the hot well.  Surprisingly, nobody else was there.  The BLM has the well pump on solar panels, so there is only water in the pools in the daylight hours.  As we got there, the pools were just filling. The water is about 106* and is a delightful soak.  The two pools are well kept, and the area is fenced off to keep ATVs out of the immediate area. 

We soaked for nearly an hour, first in the eastern pool, then we moved to the western pool to take advantage of the shade of some big cottonwoods that are between them.  I'm sure in the afternoon, the pools on the east are shaded and probably preferable.  We eventually dragged ourselves out of the pool and toweled off and headed back to camp to change into dry clothes and play in the sand.  On the way we stopped and looked at the drilling rig just west of the fenced off pool area to look at the rig used to drill the well.  The well was drilled in something like 1928 by some folks looking for oil.  1/4 mile down, they struck a pocket of hot water that's been flowing ever since. 


A cardinal at the Hot Well Dunes

Nearest City: Bowie, AZ
Location: N° W°
Time Needed: Several hours
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes (no nudity allowed at the hot springs)
Additional Info: http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/recreation/camping/hot_well.html

The Hot Spring at Roper Lake State Park

Saturday we made a trip up to Safford.  We planned a stop at Roper Lake State Park to soak in the hot spring after we finished everything else.  We pulled in about 4, and had the spring to ourselves.  The spring is about 100 feet from the parking lot, with all of the path either cement or asphalt.  Really the only complaint I had about the spring is there's no changing room for soakers.  There is a pit-toilet at the parking area, but it's "less than ideal" for changing into swimwear.  Even a small room with a bench and wall hooks would make this place better than it is currently.  The pool itself is semi-primitive, and is built out of rocks and concrete.  Water comes in that's usually about 100 degrees- great for a long soak.  I would guess it could hold about 12-15 soakers at max capacity.  The sign says to take turns every 15 minutes if it's crowded.  We had a great soak, and after an hour or so in the bathwater warm water, we called it a day to drive back to Sierra Vista. 


Nearest City: Safford, AZ
Location: N° W°
Time Needed:
Difficulty: Easy
Kid Friendly:
Additional Info: The entrance fee to the park is $7 per vehicle.

Lightfeather Hot Springs at Gila Cliff Dwellings NM

We took a family vacation to Southwest New Mexico around Labor Day.  Gila Cliff Dwellings was one of our destinations.  We got there too late to see the dwellings the first day, but we did have a nice little hike to the Lightfeather Hot Springs.  The springs are located 1/2 mile or so above the visitor center, along the Gila River.  You have to wade across the river twice on the way to the springs.

The hot water comes out of the ground, then flows to some pools right in the river itself where it mixes with the river water to cool down to a suitable temperature.  The pools were pretty filled up with junk and detritus from the fires of 2012 when we got there.  I spent a while cleaning out the pools and redirecting the river water to help flush them out.   The water was nice and the kids sure liked it too!

Here's where the water comes out of the ground.  It is extremely hot- don't jump in here!  I found it interesting that there's a wilderness boundary about 50 feet past where the hot springs are, leaving the springs NOT in the wilderness.

There's a small rock overhang nearby with a roof blackened from countless fires.  Geronimo was born near the headwaters of the Gila, perhaps nearby.  He undoubtedly soaked here a time or two himself. 

This was one of the three hikes in the park that are shorter.  We had the place to ourselves and as dusk began to fall, we hiked back to the car and drove down the road to our campsite. 

Nearest City:
Location: N° W°
Time Needed:
Difficulty: Moderate (river crossings)
Kid Friendly:
Additional Info:

Croney Hot Springs

As I was looking around for more fun things to do in the Lava Hot Springs area, I found a primitive hot spring on the banks of the Portneuf River.  It didn't really have a name, so I'll just go with Croney Hot Spring since it's accessed via the Croney Road Sportsmans Access.  It's less than half a mile to the springs, but it involves a river crossing to get there.

We crossed the river and hiked over to the spring.  It obviously hadn't been visited for a while, judging from all of the moss and algae.  It doesn't look very appetizing, does it!  I felt the water and it felt great!  I felt like Goldilocks eating the baby bear's porridge- this one feels just right! 

We had a great little soak and watched a rainstorm roll in and felt a few drops fall.    

My 2 year old really liked the hot spring and kept saying " I Yike It! I Yike It!"  I "yike" hot springs too. All too soon it was time to get out and move on.

Here's a last shot of us crossing the river.  The deepest it got was about mid-thigh, but I'm sure there are deeper spots.  Back at the car, I talked to a local who enjoys the spring during the duck hunt.  He just sits and soaks, waiting for ducks to fly overhead. 


Nearest City: Bancroft, ID
Location: N° W°
Time Needed: 1 hour +
Difficulty: High (only because the river crossing)
Kid Friendly:
Additional Info:  Don't dunk your head at this or any hot spring!  Hot springs can have some pretty funky bacteria and it's just not worth risking a stay at the hospital. 

Free Soak at Lava Hot Springs

It took a little bit of searching, but I was able to find a free primitive hot spring along the Portneuf River in Lava Hot Springs.  Most of the springs in town are commercialized and cost $6-7 to go to, but the undeveloped springs are so much more fun! 

The springs are on the south bank of the Portneuf River and are accessible two ways.  One way is to float across on a tube or raft, the other way is to just walk in.   Walking south on 3rd Avenue East, take the first road to the left.  It's a dirt road and goes through the middle of a camp trailer area.  On the other side of the trailer area, follow the path along the river until you come to the springs. 

The hot water comes out at river level, with room for 3-4 people to soak.  A rock wall has been built to help pool the water and divert the cooler river water away.  You can adjust the temperature by moving some rocks.  The hot water flow would fluctuate when I was there, so it took quite a bit of adjustment to get the right mix. 

Nearest City: Lava Hot Springs, ID

Location: N° W°
Time Needed: Varies
Difficulty:  Easy
Kid Friendly:  It depends on the people there. 
Additional Info:

Salt Lake City Warm Springs

Saturday we also stopped to see the Salt Lake City Warm Springs.  They're about 1/2 mile north of downtown in a park just east of Beck Street.  Most people don't stop to find them because the area is frequented by homeless people and is in a little rougher of an area (for Salt Lake anyway). 

There are several plaques and signs at the site telling about the geology of the springs, the history of native and immigrant use of the springs, wildlife, and plants of the area.  It's really pretty interesting.  Water seeps down about 3/4 of a mile, gets heated, then rises back to the surface along a fault line.  When it comes out it's about 100 degrees, and has a slight sulphur smell to it.  The signs say that soaking isn't allowed, but at one point it was quite a popular site for baths and soaking for the early settlers of the area. 

We also enjoyed the numerous small mosquitofish in the springs.  They're up to 2 inches long and can live in the warm water.  They eat mosquito larvae and the algae in the springs.  The water is really clear, and does feel pretty good.  We splashed in it a little bit. 

As we wandered back to our car we stopped and talked with 2 homeless guys.  They looked rough, but were sociable and respectful. 

Nearest City: Salt Lake City, UT
Location: 400 N and Beck Street
Time Needed: 30 min.
Difficulty:
Kid Friendly:
Additional Info:

Ogden Canyon Hot Springs

I had Thursday off for Veterans Day, so we took a little drive up to Ogden. After we ran a few errands, I wanted to go up Ogden Canyon to try to find the hot springs.

I thought I had read that they were just past the bridge or pipeline, or whatever it is. Sure enough, we pulled off at the first pulloff past the bridge, then followed the trail downstream to the steam rising in the cold morning.

The hot springs is actually a series of pools. There's 2 at the upper end, and 2-3 a little further down.

The hot waterfall looked really nice to me. The water is a little murky, and there's a small amount of trash strewn around, but I was surprised at how kept up everything was since there is so much potential to be trashed.

A few more pics.

Nearest City: Ogden, UT

GPS Coordinates: N 41* 14.150 W 111* 55.465

Time Needed: 30 minutes plus

Difficulty: Easy

Kid Friendly:

Additional Info:

Meadow Hot Springs

The Meadow Hot Springs are amazing. There are 3 pools, each one warm but different than the others. What a great place to stop while traveling between the Wasatch Front and St. George or Las Vegas!

The first pool is the warmest and clearest. I dove down but couldn't touch the bottom. Even though we visited in mid summer, it wasn't overly hot.


The second (most southern) pool is cooler and a tiny bit cloudy. This was the best soak for us.

The overhanging edges of the second pool are pretty cool. It somewhat reminded me of Yellowstone.

The last pool (westernmost) of the 3 has the coolest water. It's still a hot spring, but there's more vegetation growing in it.

Nearest City: Meadow, UT
GPS Coordinates:
Time Needed: 1 hour minumum.
Difficulty: Easy
Kid Friendly: Yes
Additional Info: No nudity!

Hobo Pool Hot Spring, Saratoga WY

Saratoga, Wyoming: home of the Hobo Pool. The Saratoga Swimming Pool and Hobo Pool Hot Spring are right on the bank of the North Platte River. The pool is around back, and is FREE!

The hot pool is nice and large and pretty well maintained. There are dressing rooms and restrooms onsite. The day we visited, the water in the pool was high because the river is in early runoff stage. The pool was also really hot. Several locals stopped in and said it was higher and hotter than normal. We waded around and took a really quick soak. The water was much to hot to really enjoy it.

We heard also that finding the spot in the river where the pool drains can have some good soaking as the hot water mixes with the colder river water. We poked around for a bit but didn't find the spot.

The source:

Nearest City: Saratoga, WY
GPS Coordinates:
Time Needed: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Kid Friendly: Yes
Additional Info:

Midway Hot Springs Turkey Soak

UPDATE! Sorry it's taken me a month to do this, but I stopped by in early November and there were fences up with "No Trespassing" signs. As far as I know, these springs are no longer open to the public. There is still hope though, because as far as I know, the water rights are not owned by the landowner, but by other homeowners nearby.

If you learn othewise or have more information, please leave a comment.

I called the realtor, and the land sold for $5.9 million.

We've made it somewhat of a tradition to visit hot springs on holidays. There's nothing quite like a warm soak on a cool day. Thanksgiving morning we went over to the hot springs near Midway, Utah. The water today was really hot. Other times we've been, the water has stratified with the top 18 inches being hot, and the rest being warm. It was hot the whole way through on Thanksgiving. We retreated to the coolest part and enjoyed the warmth.

The best spot (normally) for a soak.

The source.

The pool.

Someone has done a lot of great work cleaning it up, placing gravel on the bottom of the pool, removing garbage, etc. If you read this, thank you!

Nearest City: Midway, UT
GPS Coordinates:
Time Needed: 30 minutes plus
Difficulty: Easy
Kid Friendly: During the day: yes. At night: no guarantees.
Additional Info:

Taos and Black Rock Hot Springs

On Monday we arrived in Taos late at night and decided to camp. We drove out into the country and found a place to stay. Lets just say it was cold! As we were drifting off to sleep, a pack of coyotes started yapping and serenaded us for a while until we both drifted away. Well, I slept really warm, thanks to the 7 blankets we had brought along, including we both had sleeping bags and thermarests- but in the morning it was hard to get out of the tent!!



Me not wanting to get out from under the warm pile of blankets- but Ben was letting all the cold air in!

Ben doing his dragon imitation. He hasn't graduated to flames yet.

Ben was brave and got out and got some water going for hot chocolate and started on breakfast- toad-in-the-roads and bacon! I came out cause he said hot chocolate was ready. You could definitely see his breath! COLD!





Because it was so cold we decided to go and hit up some hot springs to warm up. While driving there we saw the beautiful Rio Grande.




Ben and I enjoyed soaking in the hot springs, and eventually the sun came up enough to warm up the world so we got out and headed out to see Taos.


We wandered around the tiny downtown and enjoyed all of the southwestern culture. Then we headed off to Bandelier National Monument....

Nearest City: Taos, NM
GPS Coordinates:
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