So while this is an easy hike it can be tricky to find. The roads have been closed for awhile due to wildfires, it was opened back up at the beginning of November. High clearance vehicle highly recommended - you go 14 miles on a dirt road ( not too bad ) then you make another 6 mile dirt road sketchy for sure ! The last bit of the road you will only be able to go in an off road vehicle. Honestly when you get to the plant there is a dirt road on your right with a closed road gate- this is going to be the easiest route - WARNING - if you want to adventure and find it yourself this is a spoiler alert Walk the road with the gate - stay on the dirt road there is a sign that says hot springs and has an arrow to the left - disregard and keep walking ... pay attention at about a mile for a foot path off to the left there is a rock with a patch of green paint on it ( it isn't super noticeable ) take that path straight toward the river. Once you reach the river you should be able to see a large rock with a big hole in it to your left and if you look carefully to the left you should see a palm tree from the old resort. Cross the river and head downstream for about quarter mile. If you happen to take the dirt road all the way until it dead ends into the river you can still cross here - about thigh deep - the part to crossing here is you have to cross the river twice and go through a grassy watery island then head downstream ... ( you'll see exactly where you should have crossed on your way to the springs. ) haha ... if you decide to take the path near the river - it isn't marked you just have to kinda follow others foot steps - you do have to scale some small rock formations if you find your self stuck in bamboo and find the road to your right you actually where you need to be . I suggest taking a picture of the trail since service is spotty . Definitely a place worth finding - but it is a little tricky - now that we adventures to find it it is easy but finding it the first time not so much - definitely give yourself a day to get there / enjoy and get back - the river was really cold and swift - grab a sturdy stick for balance .. bring water shoes !!! I did it barefoot and it is defining slick ...we got lucky to have only 2 people there when we showed up that left shortly after we got there but I have heard it can be really busy ( and naked ) read more

20+miles on dangerous wash boarded dirt rd. 4x4 vehicle is a plus, don't forget a spare tire. Pull over and let faster vechiles pass!! Camp ground is in Childs/Irving power plant. Clothing is optional, so if you bring children don't expect everyone will cover themselves. 18+ recommended. Hot springs are approx 1 mile upstream from campground. There are 2 different pools , one has a block wall around it. Expect to help clean the pools if there when it's time. I've had great experiences there and very negative experiences there. Honestly though 3 out of 4 times is mainly a bunch of swinging old richards that make it creepy. Respect the nature and pick up your trash either way. It's beautiful there as well. read more

Admittedly I had come here doing less research than I should've. I read some reviews about it being clothing optional, hippie, dirt road drive - but that was about the extent of my knowledge. I started the drive and it took more about 1-1:30 hours along the dirt road to get to the hot spring. I would've expected that this isolation from humanity would yield less people. I had taken a Tesla and this was for sure a mistake. A good amount of the road was washboarded - a result of too many vehicles and a lack of maintenance. One way to minimize this was driving toward the edges of the road. Anyway, my car was able to make it most of the way perfectly fine. But at the last 5 minutes the road got really bad - just right above the campsite. There was a sign saying that 'Nudity prohibited' - I'm guessing a result of large tourism, but nonetheless a sad statement - especially when looking at the reviews it used to be a popular for nudists. A few people choose not to abide by that government overreach, myself included. Finally, I managed to get to the bottom with a few hits against the bottom of my car. The campsite was very full. I luckily managed to find a spot next to another car. I walked along the River using the coordinates of Google maps as my guide. I found a spot where I could swim across. The hot springs was not that big and you can barely see the river directly from it. There's also a bunch of algae floating around. Had some great conversations with the locals and went back to the camp. Many cars drove in late at night parking next to me. I generally got the sentiment that there was way too much demand for this hot spring. The next day I went to the hot springs again and there were so many people that there was no space and people were standing outside for a spot - that's how busy it was. So I give this an below average rating: decently cool spot, way too busy, and not that big/poor water circulation. read more

Horrible place, don't come here, it's too long and far. stay home. No need to try to make it hear if you are from out of town. stay in your hotel room. LOL If you decide to visit this paradise, please have a 4x4 or a high clearance vehicle. Ignore all these horrible reviews from these morons who have never been and can't appreciate working a little hard for something that is worth it. Had one of my best days ever here. read more

See all

Verde Hot Springs was awesome! Boyfriend and I took SR 260 not sure the exit but it's PAST the DOUGAS exit, then the 708 to fossil springs. There will be a fork in the road, go right the road conditions are pretty decent for a dirt road. We made it the whole 19 miles in and out in a Kia Soul, so As long as your clearance is better than that, you're good to drive in but go slow. No permits required, you do have to cross a river to get to the springs but the water is very refreshing after the mile hike read more

Probably my favorite "easily" accessed hot spring in Arizona. The Verde springs are about midway between Camp Verde and Payson. Access via long dirt road. No problem for 2wd, but take it slow. Lots of washboards, lots of javalina, and it's a long way down if you're stupid. Decent campground that you'll likely share with a few others. The springs are about a mile hike which fords the river three times. The river can be surprisingly powerful, as attested by a recent drowning. The springs are situated at a decent elevation, so nights can be quite chilly. I've spent several nights in the springs, not wanting to walk wet and cold back to the campsite after dark. No problem, the springs are nice. The springs were an old resort which burned down. The foundation and some walls remain, covered with some questionable artwork over the years. The "indoor" pool is warmer, though a few degrees below ideal. You're likely to see another group or two on your visit, but I've always enjoyed the company of the people that make the drive and walk the river for the spring. Clothing optional seems to be the rule. All in all, one of the nicer springs in Arizona. Most of them are developed resorts or the water just isn't hot enough. I'd choose the Gila River Campground near Silver City if I was planning a hot spring weekend from Tucson, but this is a great place to visit if you're in the area already. read more

Beautiful place, wonderful vibe, easy trails, and it's quite a free place to just exist.

My sister had to be rescued by a recovery team trying to take her boyfriend out to this spring! The road is treacherous with jagged rocks which popped the tire of their SUV. AAA could not come to their aid because of the road conditions and they had to call the national forest service who turned them over to the Yavapai county sheriff's dept who had Underdog Towing come to their rescue. 8 hours later they were safely back in Prescott Valley. If you're reading this from a weak phone signal on your way to the spring because your vehicle is destroyed from your attempt, save time and just dial 911!!!! read more

If I could give this a 0 rating I would. Thanks to all the positive reviews I wasted 4 hours of my vacation. Unless you have a beast of an all terrain vehicle it's next to impossible to make it to this location. Not only is this a dirt road it's full of massive rocks and shear cliffs. I would have rather stuck my arms in a meat grinder than go through that. Go enjoy Jerome and sedona instead. read more

Great spot to relax and enjoy nature. Don't come if you're easily offended or if being far off grid is unappealing. Will take you an hour minimum to get here from Camp Verde and that's driving fast for the old forest road. Then you have a mile hike and a cold river crossing to make before you get to the hot spring. There will likely be drink, smoke and music if others are there. It's not obnoxious but it ain't church camp. You may see private parts as many like to soak in the buff. Once again, everyone I've ever encountered was polite and pleasant. It's not uncommon to get the place to yourself at times, especially during the week but I have seen double digits in the tubs on Saturday nights. It's a special place and I encourage everyone to see it at least once. read more

This hideaway is certainly a nice trip up from Phoenix. The hour long dirt road is a nice ride albeit bumpy. The last decline to the campground puts your car to the test but it is possible to get back up. Believe in your car! The quick hike to the river and a short walk across to the other side. The art is unique and worth a read. Why not jump in and enjoy the warm temperature?! Then jump into the river! What a contrast! read more

I want to comment to warn people that this is a VERY DANGEROUS endeavor. I am a very experienced swimmer , and my friend is also a very experienced swimmer. She got carried away by the rapids while trying to cross as she was trying to help a struggling dog. I went in after to try to help her, and we both got carried away and almost drowned. The rapids forced me under water and banged me up against rocks. I say this to really paint a picture here of how PREPARED you must be. I suggest a life vest honestly, and shoes with a grip bottom are needed. and do NOT go barefoot. I had regular shoes, she had hiking sandals. We both got carried away. Please PLEASE be careful. I cannot imagine a kid crossing in this water. By the way, it was only about Thigh-height. And it didn't look too strong at first, but once you get carried away, you literally are powerless. Please PLEASE be careful. The springs were so beautiful but the dangerous water crossing MUST be considered. Also, there is a pretty significant hike to be made aware of from the road, we attempted to make this with a cooler which was an awful idea. read more

Oh yeah! Best place to relax in Arizona and it's FREE! Beware of naked people... sometimes lots of naked people... many of them you'd prefer not to see naked. If you can get over that you'll have a good time. Cheers! read more

I loved the back to nature hot springs in verde - worth a camping trip. Road is pretty tough for the last couple of miles so a 4x4 is a better choice for the trip. Enjoy! read more

I don't really care what was at the end of this "rainbow." The dirty, rutty, winding, rocky road was 21 miles long. There was a poorly marked hike when the road ended. You had to ford the river which was quite high when I was there....and then hike another half mile. You have to be insane to do this. read more

Don't Google maps this! If you do it takes you down a terrible road with no way of actually getting there unless you own a high clearance 4x4 vehicle. However, take exit 285 off the 17 and go to at 206 to fossil creek road and then map to child's power rd. Go the the campsite and hike/walk (it wasn't hard) in. Beautiful area well worth enjoying read more

Definitely worth the moderate effort to make it to this once historic oasis. You can probably drive the 20 mile off road trail in 2WD if conditions are dry and with a high clearance vehicle, but 4WD is highly recommended. Fossil Creek Road is easy-moderate, and after making that right turn at the 3-way intersection, it does become more moderate in some areas. As long as you take it slow, be courteous of oncoming vehicles, and not get too comfortable, even the novice off roader (like me) should be able to handle this trail with no problem. It's all dirt and there are no boulders to crawl over or anything like that, and 4WD high was all we used. Once you end at the campground area, it's a less than a mile hike to the river that you'll need to cross (something no reviews I read had stated). You can follow the dirt road trail that runs parallel to the river and then make your way to the river bank to a clearing in the brush. We were guided by some nice locals who showed us the way and probably couldn't find it on our own. We had our 6 year old son and our 2 year old Lab as well. You have to wade across about a 20 foot distance in about 2-3ft of running 40 degree water. Just go slow. A pair of amphibious type footwear will feel much better in which I wish we had brought with us. Once you cross, take the trail to the left and it's about 5 mins to 3 pools of hot springs. The first pool you come to is quite deep and is the warmest of the 3. The 2nd is enclosed in concrete decorated rock walls, and the 3rd is just on the other side of the enclosure. There's more hydrogen present in these springs so you do get a mild rotten egg smell. If you have gas, it's a perfect place to have it! There are some "free spirited" souls that visit so be prepared to experience/participate in it! We had a great time! read more

Just made the drive out to Verde hot springs with our quad cab dually truck and 26' airstream. We followed our friends in their school bus and small subaru. The road out was just graded and dry. Most of the road was smooth. There were a few crazy places where we bit our nails. The last grade is very steep and windy. We hoped we would not meet another car on the way because of how narrow it was. At the bottom right before the campground we had to build up the road with rocks to make it through the dips without dragging the airstream. We camped along the river and went to the springs. It was nice but hard to relax thinking about how we were going to get out of there. It wasn't too bad. As with the way down we stopped many times to give our tranny/brakes a rest. We kept getting rocks stuck in our tires and one put a hole in the sidewall of a tire. Luckily we have a dually. I don't think we will make this trek again in the same set up but it was a very nice place to camp. The river was a beautiful blue green color and the springs were the perfect temp. There were a lot of people there playing theory stereos and being obnoxiously drunk but one they left it was very peaceful. The river was very cold to cross but we changed into dry clothes for the hike home and it was fine. read more