Verde Hot Springs
Spending 40 hours dispersed camping and soaking in the springs
One of the most difficult things about doing seasonal work is that you meet new people and if you're lucky some of them become your friends or maybe even become your best friends, but after your season is done, you often go different ways. You may see these friends once a year after that.
I am very lucky in that I have a handful of friends that I’ve met through seasonal work who keep in touch and make plans to get together more than the average once a year. Chiko and Dani both happened to be in AZ in April and we made plans to meet up at the Verde Hot Springs. Lisa and Sean were also free that weekend so all 5 of us met up and of course Riv and Kalo came along.
Lisa, Kalo, Riv, and I headed down on Friday midday. Dani was traveling from southern AZ and Chiko from northern AZ so we planned to meet at Childs Dispersed Camping Area around 3 pm.
The drive in on Fossil Creek Rd & Child’s Power Rd is long and rough. The majority of the road is washboarded, narrow, exposed, and with limited visibility around corners. You must have a high clearance vehicle and no distractions while driving. If you have a fear of heights or exposed roads, this trip would not be advisable.
Lisa drove us so I was able to take in the views of all the ocotillo that were blooming all throughout the canyons. Lisa looked at the agave stalks that had died and fallen over because she was on the hunt to grab one as a house decoration. She kept a look out for ones that she’d be able to easily and safely grab on her way out at the end of the weekend. She was able to snag one on her out and its a beautiful addition to her desert themed decor.
When we arrived at camp there was only 1 spot left along the river. We parked the cars there and did a little walk around camp to ensure there weren’t any other spots we might have missed and to get a lay of the land of who was all camping around us. We discussed our drives in, all the scenery we admired along the way, and the rattle snake Dani saw on the road. This heightened Lisa and I’s dog mom alters as we wanted to make sure to be on the look out for Riv and Kalo.
After our little walk we settled into camp a bit and had some snacks. Dani showed us her new car camping set up that she had just finished building. This trip would be the first time she tested it out. We compared Chiko’s build and what we liked about each. Car camping is something that I had no clue about before I moved to AZ, but now it’s just the norm. Being able to set up a bed in your car and sleep in the forest makes camping and recreating so accessible.
If you are going to disperse camp when you visit the Verde Hot Springs, please follow all Leave No Trace principles. Pack out all of your trash, use the pit toilet for all human waste, and follow quiet hours. We witnessed our neighbors not doing these things: poop in one of the campsites and someone playing a movie out loud at night. These things truly hurt the beauty of these places and disrespecting the land and others will lead to public land being shut down. These principles apply to all time sent outside while enjoying public land. It’s your land, you wouldn’t poop in your yard; don’t poop in your campsite.
Lisa was feeling sleepy and decided to take a little nap while Chiko, Dani, Riv, and I packed bags and headed to the springs. The hike is about 1 mile each way along sandy paths that were very overgrown with tall grass hindering our view of the path itself. There is also a little scrambling involved, which Riv effortlessly ran up and down, and a good amount of river rocks to hop along. Its a really beautiful hike and a great way to move the muscles before getting into the water.
This place feels like a treasure hunt. The first time I went here I was told, “When you see the palm trees, you’ll know you’re close.” And no, palm trees are not native to the Verde River. The Hot Springs are the remnants of an old resort. It was built in the early 1920s and was a popular destination for 40 years before it burnt down. The few pools and the palm trees are all that remain of the former resort.
In order to access the pools, you must cross the Verde River, which is often quite cold. There are 2 main approaches. The first is to cross right where you see the hot springs across the river. We tested this and almost immediately, the water was above the belly button and we weren’t sure that this was the best approach, assuming it would get deeper towards the middle of the river. We decided to retreat and try approach 2, which is hiking another .25-.5 miles upstream to where the path ends at a little pool of the river. This seemed to be a little shallower, so we continued with this approach and all crossed here. Then hiked on river right, back downstream to arrive at the pools.
We got to the springs at 6:30, cheersed with some drinks and sank into the hot water. Lisa and Kalo arrived about 20 minutes later. She went for the first crossing approach and we quickly learned that we should have as well. The part where the river hit above our belly buttons was the highest and it got lower as you crossed to the springs.
Just as they arrived, the sky lit up in a warm, golden glow. My heart did as well. Some of my favorite people, all together to soak in the springs and watch this magnificent sunset. How lucky am I? How special is this? I am overjoyed and thank the universe deeply for this moment as I know I am lucky; I know how special this is.
We stayed in the springs for nearly 3 hours before convincing ourselves to get out and cross the cold Verde. Dani told us all about her insane Chilean Patagonia trip she has just returned from. If you’re interested in reading about this and seeing some pictures (of course you are!) check them out on her Instagram: @walkingwithdanielle. I am constantly in awe of my friends and how adventurous, whimsical, smart, and strong they are.
Around 8pm we saw headlights coming down Child’s Power Rd that we knew had to belong to Sean. We waited an hour and 15 minutes past that without seeing him, and decided it was time to get out and head to camp. Chiko hoped that Sean would be at camp with a fire going for us. That thought made crossing the Verde a little easier.
We took turns, Lisa carrying Kalo first, as he refuses to get wet. Followed by Dani who graciously took Riv with her. I was next and hoisted my pack above my head to not get it wet (why did I have my laptop with me anyway???). Chiko brought up the rear and then we took a few minutes to change out of our wet suits and into some nice dry hiking clothes.
The hike back was a little nerve racking, as somehow we all forgot our headlamps. I buckled the hand loop of Riv’s leash in my hip strap, held my phone with one hand to use as a flashlight, and had her lead the way through the tall grass. She was a little anxious, as she always is. I felt myself feeling a little frustrated by her looking back or stopping often and realized I was also just feeling anxious. I started to encourage her and give her little pets anytime she did stop, which became less often with the positive encouragement.
When we got to camp, Sean was waiting for us by a glowing fire. We were all so happy to see this. Putting our packs down and grabbing camp chairs, we joined him around the fire. Riv was quite excited to see her dad. We all sat around the fire until almost midnight when we all retreated to sleep in our vehicles.
I really love sleeping in the GFC, a truck topper and tent all in one, that Sean had when we met. It has allowed us to travel all across the country and sleep comfortably without paying hotel prices, or paying anything at all. We always disperse camp and we definitely recommend this set up for this type of travel. We aren’t sure if its what we want to travel in Pan Am, but that’s for latter.
Sean woke me up, “Hey babe, it is raining. We have to close the windows.” I groggily sat up, just enough to reach the zippers, let down the solid window panel, zipped it and the mesh one, and snuggled back into my sleeping bag.
A few hours later we woke up and snuggled with Riv who loves to put herself in between us. We don’t mind; sleepy and snuggly Riv is definitely one of the cutest Riv’s.
We were the first the wake up and just layed in the GFC, snuggling Riv, listening to the birds while the sun slowly brightened the day. Dani was the next to wake up. We saw her open her car door and greeted her, “Good morning.” “Good morning. Did you guys hear that rain last night? It was so peaceful.” “Yeah it was. It woke us up, but it was a nice sound to lull us back to sleep.”
Lisa and Kalo were the next to wake they sat in the chairs from the previous night while Sean and I started to cook breakfast. Sean made pancakes while I made potatoes. Vegan chocolate chip pancakes of course and sliced canned potatoes just the way my dad makes them. My friends always say, “I’ve never had canned potatoes before.” as I’m making them. But as they are eating, “Wow these are great! I’m going to start buying canned potatoes from now on.”
Chiko woke up last and was greeted with a large chocolate chip pancake topped with butter and real maple syrup. We only had 2 plates so we were serving as the pancakes were ready.
One of my favorite parts of camping, especially with friends, is having a slow morning at camp and really enjoying the morning. By about 11 we were ready to pack up camp and head back to the springs.
We passed 2 guys fishing who told us they had just seen a rattle snake on the trail about 5 minutes prior. This made us a bit anxious to walk through the tall grass with the dogs. Chiko and Dani went first and acted as a look out for the sake, as Sean, Lisa, Kalo, Riv, and I followed. Luckily, we didn’t see it and didn’t have any encounters with it.
This time when we arrived, there were a bunch of other people and we were worried there wouldn't be any room at the springs for us. Just as we were changing into our suits to cross the river, this time going straight for approach 1, the large group that included a bunch of children were crossing back over. They were very cute and kept saying, “I love your dog!” “Your dog is so cute!” There was also a couple there that were fighting about the river crossing. She was in her suit and already about a quarter of the way across the river. He kept standing on the shore in his jeans and work boots. She said, “ I told you we had to cross the river and that you’d be getting wet!” He still just stood there. Eventually she got out and we could all see how frustrated she was. C’mon man, just get in the water!
Somehow after all that, we ended up getting the hot springs to ourselves. For a little bit at least. A couple that was traveling from Maine, Emily and Sam, showed up and we all chatted about the area and also about New England as Sean, Lisa, and I are all from MA. It was really nice connecting with them and chatting about the trip they were on and giving them recommendations for their last couple of days.
Another large group showed up, again with lots of children, but they were just checking it out. Someone in the group was flying a drone and we were grateful that they weren’t staying awhile. While they were hanging out, another guy showed up and asked if we wanted to share his joint. We all declined. He got in the second pool that still has walls around it. Eventually the large group left and it was just our group and Emil and Sam in the main pool.
After a couple of hours, Lisa, Kalo, Chiko, and Dani got out and packed up to head back. They all had other obligations they had to attend. I was sad to say goodbye, but so grateful for the 21 hours we got to spend together.
As the day was warm and the springs were hot, I decided it was time for a cold plunge. I invited Sean, Emily and Sam to join us in the Verde. It was cold at first, but quickly felt amazing. We hung out in the river for awhile as Riv sat on the bank watching us, wondering why we would willingly get in the cold water. I swam upstream and floated down a few times, admiring the cottonwoods above.
Floating is something I wasn’t able to do for the longest time. I only learned how to do about 4 years ago. It was a mindset shift that did it for me. I was at the creek in Sedona with friends and Lilli was floating and I said I was so jealous of the fact that she could. She said that the water would hold me and I had to let go control of my body. No one had ever explained it to me like this before. Thinking about it, I put trust in my Mother and tried to float, said to myself to let go of control and let the water hold me. And it did. I’ve been floating ever since.
Getting back in the hot springs, the guy who offered us the joint was in the main pool. He was talking nonstop about himself and Sean and I didn’t have much interest in it. We chatted amongst ourselves and tried to ignore him as he continued talking about himself to Emily and Sam. He got to telling them about Burning Man and his experiences there and how he was planning to partake in sexual aspects of the festival this year, in completely inappropriate detail. I looked to Sean, “Ready to leave?” “Yup!” We got out of the pool, said bye to Emily and Sam, and crossed the Verde.
We were disappointed that’s how the afternoon went as we were really enjoying chatting with our new New England friends. Hot springs are said to attract weirdos, but that was a whole new level of uncool.
When we got back to camp, our friends had left and it was just the truck, our table, and our 2 ½ person chair. I laid down in the chair and quickly fell asleep. The sun takes a lot of energy out of me. It was a really nice setting to take a nap in. When I woke up, Sean had a meal prepped for us. I set up the table in front of our chair and he brought over and beautifully plated stir fry for us. Aside from spending time at camp in the morning, we really enjoyed cooking and eating at camp. It just makes it feel more special.
After we ate, we hung out for a little while and I did some work. It’s nice to set up my “office” on public land and write about the adventures I’m taking.
We packed our packs one more time and headed to the springs again. On the hike there, we passed the guy who wouldn’t stop talking. After he was a little ways past us, we turned to each other and celebrated.
When we got to the springs there were a couple of groups, but everyone was respectful and kept to themselves and the vibe was much better than when we left it. The sunset was nothing compared to the night before but it was still lovely. We stayed until the daylight faded away and was replaced with a blanket of stars. It was a nice night, just the three of us, looking at the stars and chatting.
The hike back in the dark is always a little anxiety provoking, but Sean had his headlamp which made the hike a bit easier. We had no issues getting back. We changed into pajamas and got cozy in the GFC. As we were laying there, we could hear noise coming from the neighboring camp. It took a little while to figure out what it was, but I realized someone was playing a movie out loud. Sean was pretty sure it was the same guy who ruined our experience earlier in the afternoon because he overheard him talking about what vehicle he drove. Some people really are so focused on themselves and don’t care about how they are impacting others. Please don’t be this person, especially on public land. We go to camp to listen to the bugs and sleep under the stars, not to overhear some movie playing at 11 pm.
Eventually we were able to fall asleep. We had discussed waking up early to go back to the springs for a sunrise soak, but when the time came, I was not willing to get out of bed. Once we did get up, Sean made some coffee, we packed up, and hit the road.
The Verde Hot Springs are a magical place. If you plan to visit, please keep it magical. Clean up after yourself, keep your discussions appropriate, and be a good neighbor. This public land is ours to take care of. Treat it well.
