Castle Hot Springs is a remote luxury wellness resort in Arizona’s Bradshaw Mountains, about 50 miles northwest of Phoenix.
Courtesy of Castle Hot Springs
After more than three decades of living in Arizona, I’ve come to appreciate the desert state’s unexpected offering of natural hot springs, rock-cocooned swimming holes, and hidden oases. Perhaps because it is so unexpected amid the cacti and the rugged red-rock cliffs, finding water in the desert has always filled me with wonder—whether it’s a small natural pool near Sedona or a thermal-spring oasis in the Sonoran Desert not far from Phoenix.
Take the little stunner of a swimming hole found along the Sedona-area Bell Trail. Known as “The Crack,” it is no easy conquest, as my friends and I found out when we spontaneously stopped at the trailhead during a girls’ trip to Flagstaff. The rugged, exposed trail twists through a rocky canyon for about three and a half miles before revealing a secluded natural pool cradled by red rocks. Like many of Arizona’s swimming holes and hot springs, getting there takes work. But the effort is worth it: We ended the hike with a cooling dip before drying off in the sun on a smooth rock nearby.
Whether you’re looking for a challenging hike to a hidden pool or a serene soak in hot springs with desert views, these Arizona oases won’t disappoint.
Castle Hot Springs resort dates back to 1896, but the healing qualities of the mineral waters were known to the Indigenous Yavapai people.
Courtesy of Castle Hot Springs
Castle Hot Springs
This luxury wellness resort is deep in Arizona’s Bradshaw Mountains, about 50 miles northwest of Phoenix. It’s the epitome of a desert oasis. Set in a remote valley, Castle Hot Springs is home to rock-hugged natural thermal pools, a spa, a farm-to-table restaurant, and luxury cabins with private outdoor soaking tubs.
The resort touts unspoiled desert surroundings and a fascinating history. The Indigenous Yavapai people were the first to enjoy the healing qualities of the springs’ mineral-rich waters, before the resort opened in 1896, catering to wealthy guests, celebrities, and notable officials such as President Theodore Roosevelt. In the 1940s, injured servicemen of World War II were treated here, including future president John F. Kennedy. A fire in the 1970s destroyed the main building; another blaze in 1996 closed the resort. But after an extensive restoration in the 2010s, Castle Hot Springs reopened in 2019 as a luxury, all-inclusive retreat.
Today, guests can slip into three hot springs naturally heated to between 86 and 106 degrees—and that same spring water also fills the resort’s main swimming pool. All-inclusive rates start from $1,500 per night in the summer and $2,100 per night in winter and spring.
‘The Crack’ at Wet Beaver Creek
The chance to take a refreshing dip in the cool water of ‘The Crack’ after a demanding hike makes the Bell Trail (not to be confused with the nearby Bell Rock trails) one of my favorite hiking routes in Arizona. The swimming hole, about 40 miles south of Flagstaff, is popular among hikers, swimmers, and picnickers from spring to fall. Many revelers also jump into the clear, cool pool from the surrounding cliffs—some up to 20 feet high—of Wet Beaver Creek Canyon, but an abundance of caution is recommended before leaping. You’ll need a Red Rock Pass to access the Wet Beaver Creek area, which is available for $5 per day or $15 per week; it can be purchased from the federal government’s reservation website.
Sabino Canyon’s swimming holes can be reached on foot or by the open-air, electric Sabino Canyon Crawler shuttle.
Photo by Todd Brenneman
Sabino Canyon
With the sculptural Santa Catalina Mountains towering above it, Sabino Canyon’s honey-hued desert rock formations and vegetated wetlands are dotted with swimming holes, all fed by the Sabino Creek, which gets its water from summer monsoons, winter rains, and snowmelt. It’s best visited in spring when the canyon’s desert terrain, full of towering saguaro and prickly barrel cacti, erupts into colorful flowers.
There are several ways to get to the swimming holes. The open-air, electric Sabino Canyon Crawler follows a paved road through the canyon, stopping at spots where water cascades over rocks and creates pools during the wet season (mid-June through to September). On a recent visit, my friends and I took the Crawler on the ascent, which gains about 600 feet in elevation, and then we walked slowly back down the road. We stopped along the way to wade into a cool pool and relax on a rock shelf alongside a group of fellow water lovers. Hiking between pools offers wildlife-spotting opportunities, too: You might glimpse deer, rabbits, and coyotes, as well as birds like vermilion flycatchers, gray hawks, ravens, and Gila woodpeckers.
Hiking trails such as the challenging Seven Falls take more adventurous travelers deep into the surrounding desert terrain, toward waterfalls that spill down a rocky box canyon and form a stunning string of natural pools. Wherever you head, you’ll need a day pass for the Coronado National Forest ($8 per vehicle). A Crawler tram ticket costs $15 for adults and $8 for children.
El Dorado Hot Springs
El Dorado Hot Springs, about 50 miles west of downtown Phoenix in the small town of Tonopah, keeps the Sonoran sun at bay with an abundance of palm trees, cacti, and bamboo plants planted between its four private pools and community soaking area (where clothing is optional). Odorless desert springs feed pools that heat to about 102 degrees, and the silky, soothing water is rich in minerals including lithium, magnesium, and sodium. It’s quite rustic, but from some of the rock-built private pools and tubs, you’ll be able to enjoy stretching views across the Sonoran Desert’s spiny mesquite and palo verde trees. The private pools cost $25 per hour per person, or $120 for five hours, while the community pool costs $20 per hour per person, or $45 per day.
Fossil Creek is one of two rivers in Arizona designated as Wild and Scenic rivers, which means they are recognized for their scenic, recreational, historic, or cultural value and are preserved and protected.
Photo by Glanduin/Shutterstock
Fossil Creek
With its exceptional turquoise-blue water and travertine deposits (a type of limestone formed by mineral-rich hot springs), Fossil Creek lives up to its designation as a Wild and Scenic river, one of two in Arizona. Thousands of gallons of iridescent water flow continuously from underground springs, cascading over rocks into an enticing blue-green pool that maintains a constant temperature of about 70 degrees year-round. Other nearby trails lead to additional waterfalls and smaller swimming holes.
The creek is deep in a canyon, about 120 miles northeast of Phoenix, and getting to it isn’t for the faint of heart. You’ll need to drive about 14 miles along a rough, steep, and winding dirt road, so I’d recommend traveling in a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle. The best time to visit is from April 1 to October 1, when access is reserved for permit holders (available from the federal government’s reservation website for $6). In the fall and winter, the area is free to visit but closed from Monday to Thursday.
