Verde Hot Springs

What to expect

Verde Hot Springs is what is left of a resort on the west bank of the Verde River, in the canyon country between Camp Verde and Strawberry. Hot water comes out of several springs along the bank and from a small cave. In the 1920s, developers built a hotel and bathhouse around it, and the Verde Hot Springs Hotel drew visitors to this remote canyon for decades. It burned in 1962. Concrete foundations, stone walls and the pools are what remain.

There are two main pools. One sits in the open beside the river and usually runs around 98°F37°C. The other is inside the shell of the old bathhouse, under walls covered in layers of graffiti, and runs a little hotter, around 102°F39°C. Published spring data puts the source and the cave at about 104°F40°C, and a few smaller rock pools downstream range from roughly 92°F33°C up to 104°F40°C. The water carries boron, calcium, iron, lithium, magnesium, sodium and other minerals, and has a faint sulfur smell.

It is an odd place: graffiti and ruins on one side, the river and the canyon on the other. On a cool, clear winter day it is one of the better soaks in central Arizona.

Getting there

The springs and the parking are on opposite banks. You drive to the Childs Dispersed Camping Area on the east bank, in the Coconino National Forest, then walk upstream and wade the river to the pools, which are on the Tonto National Forest.

The drive from Camp Verde is the route the Forest Service gives:

1. From the White Bridge in Camp Verde, drive east on AZ 260 for 6.8 miles.
2. Turn right on FR 708 (Fossil Creek Road) and follow it 15 miles to the junction with FR 502.
3. Go south on FR 502 for about 6 miles of what the Forest Service calls very bad road, down to the old Childs Power Plant and the Verde River.

The Forest Service describes the approach as paved and gravel roads, some always steep and rough and usually muddy after rain, and recommends a high-clearance vehicle. Four-wheel drive may help. Ignore phone routing that sends you on other roads on the west side of the river: those roads have been abandoned or have fallen apart, and most maps of them are out of date.

The Strawberry side is not a shortcut. From April 1 to October 1 each year, the 4-mile stretch of FR 708 from the East Entry Gate near Strawberry is closed to public vehicles for the Fossil Creek permit season. During those dates, FR 502 between FR 708 and FR 502E is also inside the Fossil Creek permit area, where parking against posted signs, camping, fires and glass are banned. Driving through to Childs is fine. Stopping along that stretch is not.

The walk is about a mile each way, flat and mostly easy, over sand, gravel and river rock along the bank. The river crossing is the real obstacle. On a calm day it can be ankle-deep. After rain it can be knee to waist deep and fast. Bring water shoes, a dry bag for your phone, and dry clothes for the walk back.

When to go

October to April is the season for a hot soak. Summer days in the canyon are very hot, and July to September monsoon storms can raise the Verde fast and turn FR 502 to mud.

Pick a dry spell. Look at recent rain, not only today’s forecast, because a storm upstream can raise the river without a drop falling at Childs. Weekdays are quieter. Weekends and holidays can put several groups in the pools at once.

Closures do happen. After the 2021 Backbone Fire, the Coconino closed the Childs area and Fossil Creek, and the Childs area was still closed in May 2022 when the lower Verde reopened. We found no closure for Childs or the springs on the Coconino or Tonto alert pages in October 2026, but check both before you go.

Rules and etiquette

• Swimsuits. The pools are on Tonto National Forest land. Tonto order 03-12-00-26-02, in force from February 20, 2026 to February 19, 2031, bans public nudity on all forest land, waters, roads and trails, and bans camping at trailheads. Violations are Class B misdemeanors with fines of up to $5,000. Older guides call Verde clothing optional. That is out of date.
• Fires. The river is part of the Verde Wild and Scenic River. Order 03-04-06-23-25 (Coconino, Prescott and Tonto, to December 1, 2028) allows fires within a quarter mile of the river only in a camp stove or a metal fire pan at least 16 inches across, and you have to carry the ash out. People staying within the Childs camping area are exempt. Overnight boaters need a portable toilet.
• No fee. There is no charge for the springs or Childs camping.
• Pack it out. There is no trash service at Childs. Carry out everything, including what you find in the pools.
• No soap, no glass. Pools this small foul quickly.

Where to stay nearby

• Childs Dispersed Camping Area (Coconino NF, Red Rock Ranger District, 928-282-4119) sits below the old power plant buildings on the Verde, at about 2,600 feet. It is free, open year-round, with a 14-day limit, a vault toilet, and no water or garbage service. Campfires are banned whenever Stage 1 or Stage 2 fire restrictions are on. Gas stoves with an on/off switch are allowed.
• Camp Verde, about 30 miles back, has motels, food and fuel.
• Strawberry and Pine have lodging on the rim to the east, but the route over is limited in permit season (see above).

Safety notes

• The ford. Cold water, a slippery rock bed and current are the main hazards. Unbuckle your pack’s hip belt when you cross, face upstream, and turn back if the water is above your knees and moving fast.
• Flash floods. Debris lodged high in the riverside trees shows how big Verde floods get. Do not linger in the canyon when storms are building.
• Water. Do not drink spring or river water. Keep your head above water in the pools.
• Road. Carry a full-size spare and extra water. FR 502 is not a road to tackle in a low car after rain.
• Broken concrete and glass. The ruins have sharp edges and old debris. Wear shoes until you are in the water.

Nearby stops worth adding

Fossil Creek, reached by FR 708 on the way in, is one of Arizona’s most popular swimming spots, with travertine-blue pools and waterfalls. From April 1 to October 1 you need a parking permit, sold through Recreation.gov, to stop there. Downriver, Sheep Bridge Hot Springs is another warm spring on the Verde, but it is a separate long drive from Carefree.