9 springs within 120 miles
Hot springs near Safford
9 hot springs are within 120 miles of Safford: the closest is Kachina Mineral Springs Spa (6 mi), the hottest is Faywood Hot Springs (up to 107°F), and 5 are free. Distances are straight-line; driving distances in the mountains can be much longer.
- Kachina Mineral Springs Spa6 mi
- Hot Well Dunes Recreation Area27 mi
- San Francisco Hot Springs56 mi
- Turkey Creek Hot Springs73 mi
- Upper Frisco Hot Springs87 mi
- Jordan Hot Springs89 mi
- Gila Hot Springs Ranch90 mi
- Lightfeather Hot Springs90 mi
- Faywood Hot Springs101 mi
Kachina Mineral Springs Spa
A family-run mineral spa near Safford, operating since 1993, with private indoor soaking tubs reserved for one party at a time and a reservable outdoor mineral pond and hot tub area. Massage and Reiki sessions include time in the tubs. Swimsuits are optional indoors and required outside, where guests must be 12 or older.
Hot Well Dunes Recreation Area
A remote BLM recreation area about 35 miles from Safford where two cement tubs are filled with about 106°F water from an artesian well and solar pump. The tubs fill from roughly an hour after sunrise to an hour before sunset and drain nightly. The site also has about 2,000 acres of off-highway-vehicle dunes and basic campsites.
San Francisco Hot Springs
A few undeveloped pools beside the San Francisco River about 2 miles southwest of Pleasanton, reached by Trail #250 from a signed Forest Service trailhead off US 180. The trailhead is day use (dawn to dusk) with no fee. State tourism notes a second trailhead with a short, scenic hike to another soaking spot.
Turkey Creek Hot Springs
Springs deep in the Gila Wilderness that reach about 165°F at the source and are cooled by Turkey Creek. State tourism says rock-lined pools are built here but often wash out, and a larger swimming hole with warm seepage gives a more reliable soak. Getting there takes a tough drive and a hike, and it is well known, so expect company.
Upper Frisco Hot Springs
A spring on the upper San Francisco River in the Gila National Forest, reached from the Forest Service's Upper Frisco Hot Springs trailhead on Frisco Divide Trail #124. The trailhead is at the end of Forest Road 35, 12.3 miles off US 180 between Reserve and Luna. The Forest Service does not publish the hike distance or pool details.
Jordan Hot Springs
A warm spring pool about 20 feet across and 3 feet deep at roughly 90-94°F, deep in the Gila Wilderness. It is about 7 miles one way from the TJ Corral trailhead via Little Bear Canyon, or 8.5 miles up the Middle Fork, with many river crossings either way. The NPS recommends it as an overnight trip and notes it is crowded at busy times such as spring break.
Gila Hot Springs Ranch
A family-run ranch in the hamlet of Gila Hot Springs, 4 miles south of Gila Cliff Dwellings, with apartments, a historic cabin, an RV park and tent sites. The ranch has a natural hot springs jacuzzi, and its lodgings and RV hookups are piped with hot spring water. NM 15 from Silver City is about 2 hours of winding road; rigs over 20 ft should use NM 35.
Lightfeather Hot Springs
A hot spring that pulses from the base of a hill into the Middle Fork of the Gila, about three-quarters of a mile up Trail 157 from the Gila Visitor Center. The source is scalding, about 130-140°F according to the NPS, so visitors soak in rock-lined pools in the river where the hot water mixes with river water. The short walk includes several river crossings.
Faywood Hot Springs
A rustic, gated geothermal resort between Deming and Silver City with separate clothing-required and clothing-optional public pools, four private pools and a group pool. Everyone needs a confirmed, prepaid reservation, and first-time visitors must arrive by 8 pm for orientation. Lodging includes cabins, RV sites and tent camping.