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| - This is a very fun hike, just a bit past the the Nevada/Arizona state line. It was a little bit of everything... Amazing scenery, a chance to see some wildlife, the ability to push yourself with multiple routes of varying difficulty, and most important to me when it comes to a hike in the desert... year round water!!
This is not an easy stroll by any means. 5 to 6 miles round trip, depending on the route(s) you take, and the way back is uphill, this hike is no joke. The trail is not always clearly marked, it's sandy/gravel in places, and, depending on the route you take back there are some pour overs to scale that can be a little challenging.
A word to the wise: This is not a hike to do in the summer months, UNLESS you go about it intelligently. We did the hike in June but we were parked and on the trail by 6 am... and back to our car ready to head home by 10 am!
My husband and I started out by taking the White Rock Canyon route to the river and hot springs, which you can read about here:
http://www.birdandhike.com/Hike/LAME/AZ_Hot_Spr/_AZ_HotSp.htm
The trailhead begins in Arizona, at mile marker 4 on the 93. There is a parking area on the lefthand side, watch for the sign indicating your turn is coming up.
After you park you walk under the freeway bridge and start heading to the Colorado River via a sandy wash.
The scenery is gorgeous, you walk through an amazing canyon of red, coral and white striped rock walls that are absolutely stunning. There are many places where I couldn't help but stop and take in the natural beauty that surrounded me.
Keep your eyes peeled for the big horn sheep that call this area home. We had one come within 10-20 feet of us as he crossed from one side of the canyon to the other.
Once the canyon opens back up to a wash you are close to the Colorado River. When you reach the river, head to the left and keep a look out for the trail signs. We got a little lost here... If you see the outhouses, head back into a smaller canyon to your left. There was water running when we were there, if you see this you are on the right track. Follow the canyon/creek back until you see the metal ladder... You made it to the hot springs!!
The ladder is stable, but due to the wetness still use care when climbing. There are multiple pools of varying levels of heat to check out. As noted on the signs, the water contains bacteria that you should not allow to get in your eyes or mouth. We just waded through the pools, the water was much deeper then keen level.
After checking out the hot springs, we made the decision to make a loop rather then backtrack and return to our car the same way we came. We took the Hot Spring Canyon route back which you can read about here:
http://www.birdandhike.com/Hike/LAME/Hot_Sp_Cyn/_HotSprCyn.htm
PLEASE NOTE: The Hot Spring Canyon route back is shorter but MUCH harder in my opinion, especially if you are wearing wet shoes. There is an area where I thought I was going to be stuck, a 4th-class climb 30-40 feet climb to bypass a pour-over. Take your time, choose your steps carefully, and it's doable.
There are a couple other spill overs that require a bit of scrambling, but otherwise the route is similar to the White Rock Canyon route but slightly steeper. I found it more rewarding to complete though! On our return hike we saw a group of 7-9 big horn sheep... absolutely magnificent to see them in their natural habitat from such a short distance away... Sadly the photos I tried to get did not turn out due to the bright sun.
If you want to experience a different side of the desert and challenge yourself a bit physically in the process, try this hike out. Please take the warnings and advice myself and other reviewers have written seriously and use common sense, and this is a very enjoyable way to spend a day!
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