Verde Hot Springs

Do not - I repeat - DO NOT follow the driving instructions on AllTrails (or Google or AppleMaps) that tells you to take Orme or Dugas Road. This is NOT a safe way (or THE way) to go to get to the Hot Springs Trail. We got into a pretty sticky situation (to say the least) in our Jeep. We also came upon someone else who had been given the wrong information (and was in a tricky spot) as well as a seriously messed up abandoned vehicle in a very questionable area. The CORRECT way is: * To reach Verde Hot Springs from Camp Verde, follow these steps: * From the White Bridge in Camp Verde, head east on Hwy 260 for 6.8 miles to FR 708 (Fossil Creek Road). * Turn right and continue for 15 miles to the junction of FR 708 and FR 502. * Go south on FR 502 for 6 miles to reach the Childs Power Plant and the Verde River. ** Be prepared for a rough and possibly muddy road, especially after rains, and consider a high-clearance vehicle for the final stretch of the road. The best way to cross the river is where others said: follow the small rock placement on the path formed into an arrow (pointing left/West). However, the arrow was messed up when we got there, so we reset it into the shape it needed to be, to be helpful. With that being said, this trail was fun (once we got past the excessive amount (about an hour) of washboard road to get there). The hot springs were fun to soak in but would I do it again? Absolutely not.

Verde Hot Springs is a great little getaway here in Arizona! The hot springs are the only remaining part of an old, abandoned hot springs resort and are situated on the banks of the Verde River! Access to the hot springs is via the Child’s Power Road! High clearance and 4-Wheel Drive are definitely recommended as the last part of the road is a little rough! Parking is at the Child’s Power Dispersed Camping area, and requires an easy mile long hike with a short river crossing! The hot springs features 3 pools, all situated above the Verde River, with one large main pool, and much smaller, interior pool and a small, single person plunge pool! Each pool gets progressively hotter as you go down in size! Definitely a great way to spend a fall/winter/spring day in Arizona!

DO NOT DRIVE ON TRAIL UNLESS EXPERIENCED WITH OFF ROADING. When the signs say primitive roads, they mean it. There are no guard rails, and it is completely unmaintained. I drive a Pilot for reference, the comments mostly said to have a lifted vehicle at minimum but even in mine it became scary. The ground is loose, and the rocks are tall. We had to turn around 12 miles out because you couldn't drive without sliding around on the edge of cliffs. I would have loved to see this place, and this isn't a rating on the place itself, but a needed rating for others who see these pictures and want to go. Please drive safely to this spot.

One of my absolute favorite Hot springs. Definitely worth the drive and the three-quarter of a mile hike. From the deck of the pool, you can jump into the river. There’s also cleaning tools. And since nobody posted a picture of the other side of the cave, I’ll post one from when a friend of mine and I dug out over 4 feet of dirt out of it after the Verdi River flooded and became the fifth largest river in the country for like five days.

Long drive down on a dirt road. Then a good hour hike to the spring with very little markers. But that wasn’t the bad part. The spring wasn’t a clean place. Lots of human feces all around. The spring was hot but dirty. The other people there were not very friendly and looked like they had been living there for quite some time. Look up the history of this place before you make plans to visit.