Spring
This unnamed spring in the Gila National Forest produces 111°F water at 5,800 feet elevation — 53°F above the area's annual average. USGS measurements confirm 52°C. The alkaline water (pH 8.1) has low sulfate (22 mg/L) and moderate chloride (59 mg/L). Located on open-access Forest Service land, the spring requires a 743-meter walk from the nearest road through national forest terrain.
The spring surfaces in the deeply incised canyon country of the upper Gila River watershed in Grant County, where the West Fork and other tributaries cut through volcanic tuff and basalt. Ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, and streamside cottonwood and willow line the canyon bottoms, while piñon-juniper covers drier ridgelines. Annual precipitation of 15.3 inches and 18.1 inches of snowfall support a relatively green landscape compared to surrounding lowlands. The Gila Wilderness boundary lies nearby, and the dramatic cliff walls along the West Fork frame the broader setting.
The spring has no recorded historical name. It lies within the Gila National Forest, the birthplace of America's wilderness preservation movement — Aldo Leopold advocated for the Gila Wilderness designation in 1924, making it the world's first formally designated wilderness area. The broader Gila hot springs corridor has been used by Mogollon culture peoples and later Apache groups for centuries. The spring is documented in NOAA's 1980 thermal springs data.
The 743-meter walk crosses uneven forest terrain — wear sturdy hiking boots and carry a trail map. Forks Campground sits just 2.4 km away along the West Fork of the Gila River, with dramatic cliff scenery and access to longer backcountry routes. At 111°F, test water temperature carefully before any contact. Spring and fall provide the best conditions; summer monsoons bring flash-flood risk to canyon bottoms. The Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is 15 miles north.
Is Spring worth visiting?
Best for
- Hot spring soaking
- Overnight camping trips
The water at Spring is slightly alkaline (pH 8.1).
This campground features beautiful cliffs along the West Fork of the Gila River.This campground is a great place to stop on the way to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument (15 miles north). Overnight camping is allowed in the upper portion of Forks; however, the lower portion of the Forks Recreation Site along the West Fork of the Gila River is day use only.