Fossil Springs car camping?

[domromer]

I've got some relatives visiting who are not real strong hikers but would like to show them fossil springs.

I was thinking of camping at the verde hot springs campsites and I heard that the flume trail is now open so was going to hike in thre and save them from having to go the old way up and down the big hill.

So I guess my questions are;

1. Is the flume trail open and can we hike all the way into the waterfalls on it?

2. Is the verde hot springs campsite the closest car cmaping site to fossil?

3. How far up the flume trail do they need to hike to reach the nice spring water if they just wanted to play in the nice water?

[chumley]

Unless there's something that I've missed, the flume trail is still closed. It is the former access-road to the dam, and is in the process of being returned to a more natural, single-track, hiking trail. I was there a few weeks ago when they reopened access via the actual Fossil Springs Trail, but that's the steep hike that your relatives probably don't want to make.

For the record however, the old flume road trail is about 4 miles from the TH to the dam site, so even though its an easy grade, it's still a long way for inexperienced hikers.

As for car camping, there are numerous sites along the road, though many are not what you would consider pristine. And on any given weekend, it can be a fairly popular area, filled with beer-drinking, music-blasting visitors.

But the creek itself is quite nice all the way downstream if they just want to play in the water. The water doesn't get dirty in the miles it travels from the dam.

Also, keep in mind that since decommissioning the dam, things look very different by the springs. Check out my recent photoset taken last month.

[Jim]

I had been planning on making a trip back to the dam and the features just below it this June as I had a great time there last June. I don't know if I will do that or not, since it looks totally different and everything I liked about the area is filled in with rock and debris. Those pictures are worth a look to see if you even want to make the trip there.

[chumley]

I'll be keeping my eye on new photos people post from this spring and summer. Depending on the kind of snow melt and runoff the creek gets, much of the sediment might wash away. I'm guessing it will take a more serious flash-flood event from monsoon storms though before that happens. But certainly there will be new lush green growth in a few months as opposed to the barren look of winter in my photos. But the swimming hole below the dam may not ever recover. There's a lot of rock and debris and the kind of flood needed to clear that away will also deposit more there.

[domromer]

So the deep hole below the rope swing is gone? What a pain. I was going to bring my underwater camera and take some pics.

[Dschur]

Flume Trail
Closure Order

07/26/2005
to
Ongoing There is an "area closure" in effect for the Flume Trail and Fossil Creek area to the wilderness boundary north of the Irving Power Plant. This closure is expected to remain in affect over the next several years during the deconstruction activities of the flume structure and facilities. The Flume Trailhead located near the Irving Power Plant along FR708 is officially closed including access to Fossil Creek south of the springs. The Fossil Spring Trail and trailhead located on the Tonto NF along FR708 above the spring will remain open. Access to the Flume Trail from Fossil Spring is closed.