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Hi, can anyone tell me if it is possible to hike to Verde Hot Springs in the winter? My main concern is how to cross the river. Also can the road to the camp site be driven in by car and if so, how many miles is it from the main, paved road? Thanks in advance, Rob

In response to robinstuff's reply:

Well the only real way i know to the "verde hot springs road" is the Dugas Rd off of I-17 (slightly north of cordes jct.) From the interestate it is approximately 15 miles to the road you are speaking of on what i would call one of the top ten worst roads in arizona. I do not recommend descending the road to the hot springs by anything larger than a quad. After the town of Dugas, four wheel drive and high clearance is a must. This country is fairly remote and it will take some time for assistance to get there so be prepared if you go.

I did forget to add however that with the neccessary equipment and planning it can be a very good hike. Not sure about crossing the river in the winter however, check stream data and local weather before you go. Expect a full day. If Verde Hot Spring doesn't work out, checkout Castle Hot Springs, out near Lake Pleasant on the NNW side of Phoenix.

robinstuff wrote:Hi, can anyone tell me if it is possible to hike to Verde Hot Springs in the winter? My main concern is how to cross the river. Also can the road to the camp site be driven in by car and if so, how many miles is it from the main, paved road? Thanks in advance, Rob

Alternate to the Dugas route....

Leaving SR 260 to the Hot Springs camp area is about 20 miles +/- of dirt road. The last, say, 1/4 mile is, shall-we-say, a PITA. High clearance will get it done, but I've towed out two cars that tried to make it down.
The rest of the route in, prior to this section, is well-graded dirt.

From the HAZ description > "Pass through Camp Verde on 260 and continue on just past mile marker 228 to the somewhat signed turnoff to the right onto FR 708. Follow FR 708 13.7 beautiful but bumpy & sometimes scary miles to the junction with FR 502. Hang a right on FR 502 and follow this 6.2 miles to the campgrounds and trailhead. The last 0.2 miles straight down to the campground wil be too rough for a passenger car. It's fairly steep and washed. You might just want to walk that section and save yourself some trouble on the way out."

You can cross the river right at the camp area to get on the SW side of the Verde there, and then follow the river to the H.S. or follow the trail on the east side of the Verde down to where the "road" crosses over to a small ranch. (open the following link & you'll see where it says "ford" (top left of the map))
http://www.hikearizona.com/location_t.php?ZTN=136
This second option will take you somewhat PAST the H.S. and you'll need to backtrack on the west side some. It will be tempting to cross the river "early" to avoid the backtrack, but resist the temptation - the water is swift & deep in places.
I would doubt that the water would be above thigh-deep now (at the fords)- always use a hiking stick unless you're ready to swim, though - you may want to watch the gauge for any "spikes", too. > http://waterdata.usgs.gov/az/nwis/uv/?s ... 0065,00060
Clothing is optional @ the H.S..

Ahh yes the entrance from camp verde...for some reason i forgot about that one. Going in from that direction will save you some of the vertical coming off of the verde rim. Nice views from there though.

In response to robinstuff's reply:

I have visited the hot springs several times in the winter, way too hot in summer. I always enter there from Fossil Creek Rd. May be longer, but u can drive all but the last mile, and thats an easy hike. Go north on I-17 to General Crook Trail exit and go east approx 8 to 10 miles and turn right on Forest rd. There's a sign with Fossil Creek posted, from there its approx 20 miles on a real good dirt road other than a few washboard areas. Then turn RT, at an intersection to Clyde, from there its about 8 miles to the river, the very last 1/4 mile of road may be only passable with a high clearance vehicle, although last time I was there it was graded quite nicely. Lots of campsites along the river and a short hike to the springs from there.

justind145 wrote:I did forget to add however that with the neccessary equipment and planning it can be a very good hike. Not sure about crossing the river in the winter however, check stream data and local weather before you go. Expect a full day. If Verde Hot Spring doesn't work out, checkout Castle Hot Springs, out near Lake Pleasant on the NNW side of Phoenix.

You mention Castle Hot Springs, near Lake Pleasant. How do you get to that location? I know there used to be a Resort of some kind there years ago, but it's fenced off, isn't it?

Castle Hot Springs is located on private property, no public access.

careful all you out there with an itch to get to the springs...

Authorities: Man slips crossing Verde River, drowns

Brittany Williams
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 18, 2010

A man who authorities say attempted to cross the Verde River to reach Verde Hot Springs on Wednesday was swept away and drowned.

Yavapai County Sheriff's deputies responded to reports around 1:45 p.m. that a man had been swept away in the Verde River near the Fossil Creek area between Camp Verde and Strawberry.

The man reportedly tried crossing from the east side of the river, from rock to rock, when he lost his footing and fell in, according Yavapai County Sheriff's deputies.

Friends attempted to help him out of the river but were unable to reach him, deputies said. At one point, the man tried to hold onto a tree, but the swift current caused him to lose grip.

A state Department of Public Safety ranger out of Flagstaff began conducting an aerial search and around 4:30 p.m., the crew spotted a body about a quarter of mile south of the hot springs. The man was hung up against a tree and submerged, deputies said. The Sedona Fire District Swift Water Rescue Team recovered the body just before nightfall. Further details were pending.

Yavapai County Sheriff's rescue personnel urge people to be aware of the dangers of river waters. They warn that river banks are swollen from rainstorms this winter and that the current in some areas is five times faster than normal.

I can't imagine anyone trying to cross the Verde now. The water looked pretty angry when I drove by on Monday.

azdesertfather wrote:Authorities: Man slips crossing Verde River, drowns

I believe he was an ASU student.

big_load wrote:I can't imagine anyone trying to cross the Verde now. The water looked pretty angry when I drove by on Monday.

All the rivers are crazy right now. Verde looks high. Gila out by Buckeye is high. Madness, water-wise this year.

I would suggest that you cross (if it doesn't look too threatening) where the dirt road that runs upstream of the powerplant (on the east side) crosses over to the ranch that's on the west side (on most maps it will show 'ford' at this spot. You can then, once on the west side, walk downstream about 300 yards down the west bank to the hot springs.
If you ever find yourself washed away, remember to climb like hell if you are washed into submerged brush/branches/trees - do not ever get pinned.

I just drove up Dugas Road (FR 68G) about 2 miles past the Pine Mtn turnoff, which was as far as I could go in a 2 wheel truck. I'd still recommend a quad or small 4x4 past that point, it's rough and still unmaintained past that point.

In related news..

3/18/2010 4:24:00 PM
Editorial: Time to stay out of and off the Verde



A driver attempted to cross Mormon Crossing, Thursday morning. Like all other waterways, the Oak Creek is swollen from the warm temperatures melting snow above the Rim. The south-flowing waters are filling reservoirs and topping low water crossings, like this one.

If you question why the highly popular Canoe Challenge was cancelled this year just because the water is up, the death of a man in the Verde River is a stark reminder of the dangers of swift water.

The tragedy followed by less than a week a Phoenix rafter’s separation from his group on the Verde, a situation that required a five-hour rescue effort. The Verde is high and it is fast. The creeks and streams that feed into it are in the same state. Save a life, possibly your own, by staying out of and off of the waterways.

Yavapai County collects a lot of runoff from the high country snow melt each spring. That may make the Verde River look like a lot of fun for recreationists, but it is simply not worth the danger. And each time one person gets swept away, it means someone else must endanger his or her life in a rescue effort.

The organizers of the Verde River Canoe Challenge keep a very responsible limit to the running of the event. If the water gets over 1,000 cubic feet per second, it’s a no-go. Lately, the Verde has been running near 4,000 cfs, and that is expected to increase as the days stay warm.

Just as organizers are not endangering the lives of their participants, everyone else getting out into the outdoors for the warmer weather should be even more cautious than usual with the waterways. There was a lot of snow in the high country this winter, and much more of it is expected to melt in the coming weeks.

Verde Valley residents love their rivers and streams, and we implore everyone not to take unnecessary risks during encounters with the Verde this spring.


High water cancels Canoe Challenge
CAMP VERDE - With more than a million acre feet of snow lurking in the highlands, and flows of the Verde River already exceeding five times normal, a decision has been made to cancel this year's Verde River Canoe Challenge. The event, scheduled for Saturday, March 27, was to have brought nearly 175 canoeists and kayakers to Camp Verde for a race from White Bridge to Beasley Flat.

"We have been talking with Salt River Project and the Forest Service guys, and all of us agree that the water is going to continue to go up," said Chuck Hammersley of Northern Arizona University's Parks and Recreation Management Department. Hammersley, whose students manage the event each year, says that the best guess is that the river's flows will continue to exceed the maximum flow considered safe by the organizers. "At 600 cubic feet we would only allow qualified boaters. At 1,000 cubic feet we don't feel it is safe for anyone," Hammersley said. "I should also note that 80 percent of our entrants are listed as beginners."
The river is currently flowing at above 3,800 cubic feet per second.

Hammersley said they had considered postponing the event and rescheduling two weeks later, but the best guess estimates were that the river's high flows would continue long into April.

It is a bittersweet decision, according to Greg Kornrumph of Salt River Project, the primary sponsor for the event. "It's great to have all that water up there, but it does create problems," he said. According to Kornrumph, SRP has agreed to roll their sponsorship funding to next year's event.

A couple of my buddies from work were down at the Verde when that guy died. The saw the chopper lifting him out . They said that there were still some idiot kids trying to across the river after the fatality.

The upper Salt, where my river trip event will take place, is slowly going up. I am not sure at what cfs level the river rafting companies have to cancel. The trip is still 3 weeks off, so we'll see. It was definitely runnable yesterday, at around 2,000-2,400.

FR 68G - which splits off from Dugas Road to go towards the Verde Hot Springs is definitely 4WD.

Responding to the original question in this post, when I went to the hot springs the last week of December, it was totally fine crossing the river.

Hi! Has anyone who has gone down to the Verde Hot springs by way of Fossil Creek Road in the past few weeks? If so, what was the road like? We have an annual camping trip down there, and this year it is set for the weekend of May 8th, but we are concerned about the road. Any input will be welcome! Thanks! Regan

There's a forum post from March 30th that makes it seem like it should be just fine:
http://www.hikearizona.com/dex2/viewtop ... ngs#p51912

My husband and I drove down fossil springs road yesterday (March 30) from Strawberry. It was very passable although much steeper than I expected. I found it a bit nerve racking, but no problem really.

As for the "annual camping trip" please be aware of all the new camping restrictions in effect this year. If you're camping down on the Verde or near the hot springs it shouldn't affect you. But anywhere in the Fossil Creek area will be subject to the new restrictions. They are outlined in this PDF issued by the Forest Service.
More info here: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/news/2 ... ions.shtml