Kaiser Hot Springs

What to expect

Kaiser Hot Springs is about as simple as a hot spring gets. Warm water seeps out of the rock in a narrow desert canyon south of Wikieup and collects in a small pool that visitors have rimmed with stones and packed dirt. There is a drain hole at the low end. The main pool fits a few people. Visitors in recent years have reported water between 95 and 100°F35 and 38°C, which is warm bath temperature rather than scalding, and a good match for a cool winter day in the Mohave County desert.

The setting is the real draw. The walk in follows Kaiser Spring Wash (some hikers call this stretch Warm Spring Canyon) through a short narrows between tall rock walls, with a small arch on the left wall near the start. Past the narrows the canyon opens up into a greener riparian strip, and the spring appears on the left side of the wash about 1.4 miles in. A short walk beyond, the wash meets Burro Creek, which usually carries water.

Do not expect a clean, clear tub every time. A hiker in January 2024 found three pools: the main one clean and warm, and two others lined with blue tarps and holding cold, algae-green water. Algae builds up in the warmer months, and one visitor in March 2026 described the stream below the spring as full of green algae. Conditions change with floods and with whoever last rebuilt the rocks.

There are no facilities at all: no toilets, shade structures, signs at the pool or trash cans.

Getting there

The trailhead is off US 93, the main road between Kingman and Wickenburg, near milepost 135. That puts it south of Wikieup and about 60 miles northwest of Wickenburg.

• From Kingman: Take I-40 east about 17 miles to the US 93 exit, then head south on US 93 through Wikieup. Look for a sign for Kaiser Spring Wash near milepost 135.
• From Phoenix or Wickenburg: Drive north on US 93. Burro Creek Campground (milepost 140.2) comes first; the Kaiser turnoff is about 5 miles farther north.

At the sign, a narrow dirt road leaves the highway and loops under the US 93 bridge to a small dirt parking area. Ordinary cars can usually reach the lot. High-clearance 4WD vehicles can go a little farther under the bridge, but there is no need.

From the lot, drop down a short, sometimes slippery slope into the wash. Make sure you are in the main wash and not the smaller side wash next to the parking area. Then follow the sand downstream:

• The narrows begin almost right away. A small dry fall and a large boulder can be climbed or bypassed on the left.
• At about 0.7 miles an old road comes in from the right and runs the rest of the way.
• At about 1.4 miles the spring is on your left.

The round trip is roughly 3 to 3.5 miles with around 400 feet of elevation change, mostly on soft sand. Hikers rate it easy. Expect ATV and side-by-side traffic in the wash, since the old road is still used.

When to go

October through April is the season. Summer heat along this stretch of US 93 is routinely extreme, and lukewarm water in a sun-baked canyon has little appeal. Winter mornings, by contrast, are cold enough to make a 100°F38°C pool feel properly hot.

Avoid the canyon whenever storms are forecast anywhere upstream, and especially during the July to September monsoon. Kaiser Spring Wash and Burro Creek drain a large area and can flood fast.

Weekends in the cool season bring more people and more off-road traffic. A weekday visit is your best chance at a quiet pool.

Rules and etiquette

• Land: the trailhead and most of the canyon are public land run by the BLM Kingman Field Office. The BLM’s land-status map also shows small private parcels in the canyon, including one at or very close to the mapped spring location, possibly old mining claims (the Burro Mine is just downstream). No source we found reports a closure or posted signs. Obey any signs or fences you see.
• Fees: none.
• Clothing: there is no posted rule. This is a public canyon used by hikers and off-road drivers, so a swimsuit is the safe default.
• Leave it as you found it: do not dig, dam or reroute the spring, and do not add tarps or plastic. Use no soap.
• Pack out everything, including toilet paper. Bury human waste well away from the wash and the pool.
• Mine: the Burro Mine adit, about 0.4 miles past the spring, holds a lot of bat guano. Stay out.

Where to stay nearby

• Burro Creek Campground (BLM) is off US 93 at milepost 140.2, about 5 miles south of the Kaiser turnoff, on a paved access road. It has 23 individual sites, a group site, flush toilets, a dump station, picnic tables, fire rings and drinking water, but no hookups. Sites 7, 9 and 10-17 and the group site can be reserved on Recreation.gov at least 7 days ahead; the rest are first come, first served. Call the Kingman Field Office at (928) 718-3700 for current rates.
• Dispersed camping is allowed on BLM land in the area. Islands reports level, free sites off Signal Road, about 4 miles from the Kaiser lot, with no services.
• Wikieup has fuel and a few places to eat. Kingman, about 65 miles north, has the nearest full range of hotels.

Nearby

Cofer Hot Springs, closer to Wikieup, is a Hualapai sacred site on tribal land and is closed to the public. Do not confuse the two. The Black Canyon springs below Hoover Dam, such as Arizona Hot Springs, are the next public soaking option to the north.

Safety notes

• Flash floods: the biggest risk. Check the forecast for the whole Burro Creek drainage and turn back if clouds build.
• Heat: carry more water than you think you need, even for a 3-mile walk.
• Water quality: the pool is small, shallow and warm, which suits bacteria and algae. Keep your head above water and skip it if you have cuts.
• Footing: the slope into the wash and the boulders in the narrows are slick when wet.
• Traffic: watch for ATVs in the wash and fast trucks on US 93 when you turn off.
• Signal: coverage is patchy in the canyon. BLM says Burro Creek Campground has spotty service with 5G in common areas on some carriers.