Castle Hot Springs

4.4/5 (19 reviews)
Confusion between indigenous petroglyphs and Egyptian hieroglyphs led to the name of a sprawl of rugged Hieroglyphic Mountains west of present-day Phoenix. In 1865, Army Colonel Charles Craig led a troop of soldiers pursuing Yavapai Indians through the misnomered mountains and remarked that the peak...Read More
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Highlights of Castle Hot Springs

Beginner Category IconBeginner
Camping Category IconCamping
Desert Category IconDesert
Overland Category IconOverland
Wash Category IconWash
Highest Elevation
3334 ft
Shape of Trail
Straight Through
Typically Open
Year Round
Best Direction
North
Official Trail Name
Castle Hot Springs
Nearest Town
Surprise
Nearest Services
Surprise
Management Agency
Bureau of Land Management
District
Hassayampa Field Office

Overview

Confusion between indigenous petroglyphs and Egyptian hieroglyphs led to the name of a sprawl of rugged Hieroglyphic Mountains west of present-day Phoenix. In 1865, Army Colonel Charles Craig led a troop of soldiers pursuing Yavapai Indians through the misnomered mountains and remarked that the peaks looked like castles. The troop stumbled upon hot springs that flowed into a desert wash and named them Castle Hot Springs and Castle Creek. The wash became a road, and the hot springs became a resort.

An underground reservoir pushes out 200,000 gallons of 122-degree water daily. Indigenous peoples had long frequented the hot spring for its supposed healing powers. In 1896, the enterprising Arizonan Frank Murphy began luring people to the Castle Hot Springs, and they've been coming ever since. Eastern dandies wintered at the remote hot springs resort, including Theodore Roosevelt, the Wrigleys, Rockefellers, Cabots, and Carnegies. During World War II, the Defense Department commandeered the spa to serve as a recuperation facility for wounded servicemen. Its most famous patient was future President John F Kennedy, who spent the winter of 1945 recovering from injuries suffered when his boat, PT109, was destroyed. A 1976 fire destroyed much of the resort, but it has reopened. The palm trees around the resort are not native to Arizona.

The resort is not the only feature of this highly scenic drive. Castle Hot Spring Road passes the scenic Lake Pleasant Reservoir before dropping into Castle Creek. Feral burros roam the rugged landscape and are often seen from the trail. The center of the trail follows a colorful canyon formed by Bitter Creek. Remnants of present and past mining operations and cattle ranches dot the surrounding hills and mountains. Each switchback reveals another vast vista of a rugged mountainous landscape, and connecting trails beg for further exploration.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Guide Overview
18 Waypoints
56 Trail Photos
1 Trail Concerns
19 Community Reviews
1 Video
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