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Arizona, 2 public soaking sites

Hot Springs in Arizona

Arizona's agency listed soaks are the Arizona Hot Spring in Lake Mead National Recreation Area and the BLM hot tubs at Hot Well Dunes near Safford.

2
Sites listed for soaking
run by National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management
Set by site
Fees
each one quoted from the agency page
60
Thermal springs on NOAA’s list
hottest listed feature 180 F
September 22, 2026
Agency pages read
each quote links the page it came from
Site by site

Public hot springs in Arizona

2 hot springs in Arizona are listed for soaking by the agencies that run them. Each card below carries that agency’s own fee, season, access and rules, quoted and linked, as the page read on September 22, 2026. A fee line that says nothing about cost is written as a question for the managing office rather than as free.

Arizona Hot Spring

Primitive spring

National Park Service, Lake Mead National Recreation Area

FeeCheck fees with Lake Mead National Recreation Area
SeasonThe park closes certain strenuous trails every year from May 15 to September 30 because of heat, with extra closures when Willow Beach is forecast at 95 F or higher.
AccessA very strenuous hike with a 750 foot elevation change and steep scrambling; one route climbs down a 20 foot ladder to the White Rock Canyon trail.
Water111 to 120 F
  • Pets must stay on a leash no longer than six feet.
  • Pack out trash and human waste; pit toilets are 200 yards downstream along the Colorado River.
The water in the Arizona Hot Spring has been heated by the natural geothermal temperature conditions of the earth.
Hike the Arizona Hot Springs Trail, National Park Service, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Pets must be kept on a leash not to exceed six feet in length at all times.
National Park Service on Arizona Hot Spring. Read it at the source
Pit toilets are located 200 yards downstream of the Arizona Hot Springs along the Colorado River.
National Park Service on Arizona Hot Spring. Read it at the source
The amoeba enters the body through the nose only, it will not harm you if swallowed. Plugging your nose when going underwater, or keeping your head above water will prevent any infection.
National Park Service on Arizona Hot Spring. Read it at the source

Hot Well Dunes Recreation Area hot tubs

Developed pool

Bureau of Land Management, Safford Field Office

FeeA recreation fee per vehicle is collected at the site, and an annual pass is sold by the Safford Field Office.
SeasonMost use is in fall, winter and spring; summers are extremely hot. The tubs fill from a solar pump, are typically full an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset, and drain nightly.
AccessAbout 35 miles from Safford on BLM roads such as Haekel Road; generally passable by all vehicles but can be rough. No electricity, drinking water or phones. Construction runs June 2026 to January 2027 while the site stays open.
Waterabout 106 F
  • No public nudity, especially in the hot tubs.
  • Pets must be leashed or otherwise restrained.
  • Camping is limited to 14 days in any 28 day period.
  • Adults must supervise children in the tubs.
Hot Well Dunes provides the opportunity to ride 2,000 acres of sand dunes, set up a camp, and then soak in relaxing hot tubs, all in the same location.
Hot Well Dunes Recreation Area, Arizona, Bureau of Land Management, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Nudity : Public nudity, especially in hot tubs, is not allowed.
Bureau of Land Management on Hot Well Dunes Recreation Area hot tubs. Read it at the source
Pets : Pets must be leashed or otherwise physically restricted at all times.
Bureau of Land Management on Hot Well Dunes Recreation Area hot tubs. Read it at the source
Camping is limited to 14 days within a 28-day period to ensure fair access for all visitors.
Bureau of Land Management on Hot Well Dunes Recreation Area hot tubs. Read it at the source
Adult supervision is always required for children using the tub.
Bureau of Land Management on Hot Well Dunes Recreation Area hot tubs. Read it at the source
People with high blood pressure heart ailments or other serious medical conditions should consult a doctor prior to using the tubs.
Bureau of Land Management on Hot Well Dunes Recreation Area hot tubs. Read it at the source
This water may also be too warm for children, especially the very young.
Bureau of Land Management on Hot Well Dunes Recreation Area hot tubs. Read it at the source
A small waterfall pouring between two pale boulders into a clear green pool, with steam drifting off the top of the fall
The falls and a lower pool at Goldbug Hot Springs, Idaho. The first quarter mile of the trail crosses private property on a public easement, and the BLM asks for dogs on a leash there. “Goldbug Hotsprings (25920311177)”, BLMIdaho, Public domain
How many springs

Thermal springs counted in Arizona

NOAA’s Thermal Springs List for the United States counts 60 thermal features in Arizona, the hottest listed at 180 F, out of 1661 across 23 states. The count is a measure of geology: Natural surface hydrothermal features (springs, pools, mud pots, mud volcanoes, geysers, fumaroles and steam vents) at 20 C (68 F) or warmer; temperatures are the maximum reported surface reading. Most sit on remote ground, on land with no public access, or too hot to approach, which is why the soaking list above is the shorter one. The hottest reading can belong to a fumarole or a steam vent rather than a pool.

Thermal Springs List for the United States, compiled by George W. Berry, Paul J. Grim and Joy A. Ikelman, NOAA Key to Geophysical Records Documentation No. 12, 1980; published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (formerly the National Geophysical Data Center). Data file read September 22, 2026: the thermal springs list and its documentation. Every state’s count is on the national table.

The water

What the CDC and the Park Service say about soaking

Two hazards come up in every agency’s own words: what lives in warm water, and how hot the ground and the water can be. Both are quoted below as the agencies write them, and they apply at every site above.

Always keep your head above water in hot springs and other naturally hot (geothermal) water.
CDC, Preventing Brain Infection When Swimming, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Naegleria fowleri lives in soil and warm freshwater lakes, rivers, ponds, and hot springs around the world.
CDC, Naegleria fowleri Infections, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Hold your nose shut or use a nose clip if you jump or dive into the water.
CDC, Preventing Brain Infection When Swimming, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Avoid digging in, or stirring up, sediment in shallow fresh water. Naegleria fowleri amebas are more likely to live in sediment at the bottom of lakes, ponds, and rivers.
CDC, Preventing Brain Infection When Swimming, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
All thermal waters contain organisms that may cause illness, including skin rash, gastrointestinal illness (vomiting and diarrhea), or other infections that can be life-threatening.
National Park Service, swimming in Yellowstone, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Burns from thermal features are a common cause of serious injury and death in the park. The ground surrounding these features may look solid, but it can be just a thin crust with super-heated water below.
National Park Service, Yellowstone safety, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Even thermal runoff can be extremely hot and cause burns.
National Park Service, Yellowstone safety, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Toxic gases may accumulate to dangerous levels in some hydrothermal areas. If you begin to feel sick while exploring a geyser basin, leave the area immediately.
National Park Service, Yellowstone safety, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Pets are not allowed in thermal areas or on boardwalks, even if they're on a leash or carried in arms, strollers, or backpacks.
National Park Service, Yellowstone safety, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

Arizona hot springs questions

Hot springs in other states

Arizona snowpackHow deep the snow is on Arizona's mountains, for the trails and roads into the springs.First snow in ArizonaWhen the first snow usually falls in Arizona, the start of the season for a warm soak.Hot springs by statePublic soaking sites in every state, Hot Springs National Park and Yellowstone, and NOAA's thermal springs counts.

Compiled September 22, 2026 from National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management pages, one per site, each linked beside its quote and read on September 22, 2026. Site types above: primitive spring and developed pool. Fees, seasons and access change between seasons, a spring can be closed by flood, fire or repair at short notice, and a soak is at the soaker’s own risk, so the managing office is the one to check before a trip. Every state is in the national hot springs guide.