Arizona Hot Springs

What to expect

Arizona Hot Springs (the USGS name is Ringbolt Hot Spring) is the best-known soak in Black Canyon, the stretch of the Colorado River just below Hoover Dam inside Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The water rises through faults in dark volcanic rock and spills down a narrow side canyon toward the river. The National Park Service puts the flow at roughly 30 to 50 gallons a minute and the spring temperature at 111 to 120°F44 to 49°C.

The canyon is tight. In places the walls are only a few feet apart, and the warm water runs over gravel and bedrock along its floor. For years visitors stacked sandbags to back the flow up into a series of tubs. The park no longer allows that. Its current guidance says the springs are free-flowing and that blocking the water with sandbags or anything else is not permitted, both because it changes the spring system and because it creates health risks. Expect to sit in the natural channel and shallow spots the water has carved, not in built pools. Water near the source is hot enough to scald; it cools as it moves downstream.

This is undeveloped desert. There is no drinking water on the route, no shade for long stretches and no staff on site. Pit toilets stand about 200 yards downstream of the springs on the riverbank.

Getting there

The trailhead is on the Arizona side of the river, off US Highway 93 south of Hoover Dam. From Las Vegas or Boulder City, take I-11/US 93 east, cross the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge into Arizona and continue south. The NPS describes the parking as a shared trailhead just off US 93 before milepost 4. The same lot serves the White Rock Canyon trail.

From the lot there are two ways down:

• Arizona Hot Springs trail: 5 miles out and back, about 750 feet of elevation change, rated strenuous. This route drops through the hot springs canyon from above, and partway down you reach a 20-foot ladder.
• White Rock Canyon trail: 6.5 miles out and back, about 885 feet of elevation change. It follows a sandy wash down to the Colorado River, and from the river you can walk to the springs.
• The loop: combining the two gives a 5.69-mile round trip. You go down one canyon and up the other, using the ladder to move between them.

Neither route is maintained. The park describes a dry wash of soft sand, gravel, rocks and boulders, steep grades and rock ledges you have to climb down. The trip takes 4 to 8 hours for most people, and the climb back to the car comes at the end, in the warmest part of the day.

By water, the springs are at about river mile 59.75 on the Black Canyon Water Trail. Paddlers either launch at the base of Hoover Dam (river mile 64) with a permitted outfitter shuttle, or put in at Willow Beach (river mile 52.5) and paddle upstream. See Boy Scout Hot Springs for more on the river trip.

When to go

The hiking season is short. Lake Mead NRA closes the Arizona Hot Springs, White Rock Canyon, Goldstrike Canyon, Liberty Arch, Lone Palm and Sugar Loaf trails every year from May 15 to September 30. Outside those dates it can close them on short notice when the forecast for Willow Beach reaches 95°F35°C or higher, or when flash floods are possible. Check the park’s alerts page on the morning you go.

The closure follows a long record of heat emergencies. In April 2025, before the summer closure began, a hiker died on this trail in a suspected heat-related incident and rangers rescued 33 people over two days, including a school group of 28. The park closed the trail early that year.

November to March is the realistic window. Winter weekends are crowded, and the trailhead can fill early. A weekday start at first light gives you cooler air for the climb out and fewer people at the ladder. The springs themselves stay open to boaters during the summer trail closure.

Rules and etiquette

• Entrance pass: the trail is in a fee area. Carry a Lake Mead NRA pass or an America the Beautiful pass in your vehicle. Standard passes run $15-25 and the Lake Mead annual pass is $45. The park takes cards only.
• No pool building: do not move rocks or stack sandbags to dam the water.
• Groups: groups of more than 20 need a permit. The school whose group was rescued in 2025 was cited for leading a group over 20 without one.
• Pets: allowed on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Clean up after them, and never leave them in the car.
• Leave it: removing plants, wildlife, rocks or artifacts is illegal.
• Waste: pack out all trash, and pack out human waste unless you use the pit toilets by the river.
• Clothing: the park publishes no clothing-optional allowance, and this is a busy public trail. Bring a swimsuit.

Where to stay nearby

• Willow Beach on the Arizona shore, about 14 miles south of Hoover Dam off US 93, has a campground and RV park, a marina with kayak and canoe rentals, a store and a restaurant. It is also the main take-out for river trips.
• Beach camping in Black Canyon is a common way to make this an overnight paddling trip. Paddling guides describe camping on open beaches along the water trail, with the pit toilet at Arizona Hot Springs the only facility. Confirm current camping rules with the park (702-293-8990) before you plan around it.
• Boulder City, Nevada is the nearest town for motels, food and fuel. Las Vegas has everything else.

Safety notes

• Heat: this is the main danger. Summer canyon temperatures can reach 120°F49°C, and the park advises against summer hiking. Carry at least a gallon of water per person even in winter, eat salty food, and turn around early if anyone in your group feels sick. The climb out is the hard part.
• Hot water: the source runs up to 120°F49°C. Test the water with your hand and move downstream to cooler spots. Keep your head above the water, as you should in any warm natural spring.
• Water quality: a park alert posted on March 4, 2026 says fecal bacteria in samples from the springs frequently reach high levels. The NPS advises limiting body contact and never putting your head under.
• Ladder and scrambling: the 20-foot ladder and the boulder steps are slick when wet. Go one person at a time and keep three points of contact.
• Flash floods: do not enter the canyons when thunderstorms are possible, even distant ones. Monsoon storms from July to September can also wash debris onto roads.
• Car break-ins: lock the car and take valuables with you.

Nearby stops worth adding

Gold Strike Hot Springs sits across the river and upstream on the Nevada side, in Goldstrike Canyon, with its own trail from near Hoover Dam and the same summer closure. Paddlers can add Boy Scout Canyon and the Sauna Cave on the way down from the dam. The Hoover Dam visitor area and the walkway over the memorial bridge are a short drive north of the trailhead.