Arizona Hot Springs and White Rock Canyon Loop in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, AZ

Hike Arizona Hot Springs and White Rock Canyon Loop Lake Mead National Recreation Area, AZ

Class 2 7.8 miles 900 gain 3-5 hrs Loop Oct 31, 2015
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Arizona Hot Springs and White Rock Canyon Loop GPX Track

I need to offset my substantial website costs somehow! You can download a hike/drive GPX to assist you here. Before sharing my GPX tracks with others, please remember my site is otherwise a free resource.

Arizona Hot Springs is a delightful hot spring on the Arizona side of the Black Canyon Wilderness. Officially named Ringbolt Hot Spring, it seems that name has since been somewhat overruled by its more popular predecessor. I highly recommend doing this hike as a loop, which requires hiking down to the hot spring on an official trail before continuing north along the Colorado River in order to return via White Rock Canyon. This is rightfully a popular loop that serves as a great introduction to the Black Canyon Wilderness and all it has to offer.

From the standard trailhead, we headed underneath an overpass and followed a wash heading southwest. A sign points for the trail to reach Arizona Hot Springs, but there are multiple trail options all leading there. On my attached map you'll note an alternative Class 3 option, which uses the main drainage system rather than the trail. Going this way results in some scrambling down dryfalls before merging with the official trail farther down, though it seems the NPS would prefer folks use the trail instead. The official trail ascends a couple hundred feet to a minor pass with a great viewpoint to the surrounding buttes before descending through a drainage and down into the wash below.

Now within Arizona Hot Springs Canyon its clear where to go since the trail just follows the wash. There are a couple of short narrow sections with some light scrambling, but overall it's an open hike down with nice scenery. Quickly the canyon narrows for a final time and a slot is formed. Shortly after entering the narrows the first and hottest pool is encountered. I'm never able to sit in this one because of the temperature, but the pools decrease in heat until the slot opens at the top of a short waterfall. There was an old rickety ladder in place for a long time to aid in descending the drop, but the NPS has recently installed a full-on set of stairs. Most people see to turn around at the hot spring, so the remainder of the hike is a bit less crowded.

The canyon continues pleasantly with flowing water and colorful walls until reaching a junction with the bypass route that would take us over to White Rock Canyon. Continuing within the drainage leads to the Colorado River, where often people are camped out on the beach after accessing it with their boats. We took the bypass trail into the cliffs, some light navigating required since there are a few misplaced social trails, but much of the time the route is marked and we quickly made our way up and down over rock outcroppings along the bank of the Colorado River.

We entered the mouth of White Rock Canyon, a much longer and wider canyon from the slot we'd been through earlier. The sheer walls are pretty stunning, though the ground is sandy and might be annoying to some after a while. After a few miles hiking through the gorgeous canyon we emerged into the wash we left earlier to take the Arizona Hot Springs Trail.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!

After passing the underpass, we headed down this wide wash.
After passing the underpass, we headed down this wide wash.
The trail to Arizona Hot Spring heads to the left. On the right is the drainage we'd be ascending from after returning via White Rock Canyon.
The trail to Arizona Hot Spring heads to the left. On the right is the drainage we'd be ascending from after returning via White Rock Canyon.
A bit of ascending to a minor saddle viewpoint.
A bit of ascending to a minor saddle viewpoint.
Viewpoint before descending a drainage into Arizona Hot Spring Canyon below.
Viewpoint before descending a drainage into Arizona Hot Spring Canyon below.
Lower within the drainage, the canyon seen ahead.
Lower within the drainage, the canyon seen ahead.
Image 5 from gallery
View back up the drainage.
View back up the drainage.
Entering the canyon below.
Entering the canyon below.
Looking back the way we came. If you'd taken the alternative Class 3 drainage option, this is where the two routes merge.
Looking back the way we came. If you'd taken the alternative Class 3 drainage option, this is where the two routes merge.
Some light scrambling in a mostly open wash.
Some light scrambling in a mostly open wash.
Narrows within the canyon.
Narrows within the canyon.
Image 11 from gallery
View back toward the narrows after the canyon opened up again.
View back toward the narrows after the canyon opened up again.
Continuing to descend.
Continuing to descend.
Another shot back at some imposing walls.
Another shot back at some imposing walls.
Another short section of narrows.
Another short section of narrows.
Image 16 from gallery
Image 17 from gallery
View back up the canyon.
View back up the canyon.
Approaching the final set of narrows that houses the hot spring.
Approaching the final set of narrows that houses the hot spring.
Short scramble to enter the narrows.
Short scramble to enter the narrows.
View back at the short scramble.
View back at the short scramble.
A hairpin turn just before the hot spring (left).
A hairpin turn just before the hot spring (left).
Arizona Hot Spring's upper pool.
Arizona Hot Spring's upper pool.
Arizona Hot Spring.
Arizona Hot Spring.
View back through the slot.
View back through the slot.
At the end of the spring, where a ladder leads down a waterfall.
At the end of the spring, where a ladder leads down a waterfall.
Shot of the ladder from below.
Shot of the ladder from below.
Just for memory's sake, here's the old ladder that used to be in place.
Just for memory's sake, here's the old ladder that used to be in place.
Continuing down the canyon.
Continuing down the canyon.
Image 30 from gallery
Image 31 from gallery
Some pretty features and colorful walls.
Some pretty features and colorful walls.
Image 33 from gallery
Image 34 from gallery
Junction with the bypass route to get to White Rock Canyon on the right. Left leads to the Colorado River.
Junction with the bypass route to get to White Rock Canyon on the right. Left leads to the Colorado River.
Colorado River.
Colorado River.
Ascending the bypass route.
Ascending the bypass route.
The trail leads along the bank of the Colorado River.
The trail leads along the bank of the Colorado River.
View back.
View back.
Class 2 scramble.
Class 2 scramble.
Continuing along the Colorado River.
Continuing along the Colorado River.
View back.
View back.
Approaching White Rock Canyon.
Approaching White Rock Canyon.
Starting up White Rock Canyon.
Starting up White Rock Canyon.
Wider, taller narrows than Arizona Hot Spring Canyon.
Wider, taller narrows than Arizona Hot Spring Canyon.
Image 46 from gallery
Lots of hairpin turns within the canyon.
Lots of hairpin turns within the canyon.
Image 48 from gallery
A short open section a bit before halfway up.
A short open section a bit before halfway up.
Lots more narrows to come.
Lots more narrows to come.
Image 51 from gallery
View back within White Rock Canyon.
View back within White Rock Canyon.
Image 53 from gallery
Image 54 from gallery
Image 55 from gallery
Image 56 from gallery
The canyon begins to fade as we ascend to its head.
The canyon begins to fade as we ascend to its head.
View back into White Rock Canyon before merging with the wash we started in on.
View back into White Rock Canyon before merging with the wash we started in on.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!