Turkey Creek Hot Spring
Turkey Creek Hot Spring produces 165°F water in the Gila National Forest at 5,163 feet elevation -- a full 106 degrees above ambient air temperature and far too hot for direct contact at the source. Located approximately 3 miles from Turkey Creek Road near Silver City in Grant County. Open-access federal land managed by the US Forest Service. No published water chemistry data exists for this spring.
The spring emerges in the Turkey Creek drainage, a narrow, rocky canyon cut through Tertiary volcanic formations in the western Gila wilderness. Cottonwood and sycamore line the creek corridor, while the canyon walls rise steeply with exposed tuff and rhyolite formations. Surrounding hillsides carry pinon-juniper and oak woodland. Annual precipitation is 12.9 inches with 8.8 inches of snow at this relatively low mountain elevation. The canyon bottom alternates between bedrock narrows and wider gravel bars where hot and cold water mix to create soakable temperatures downstream from the source.
Turkey Creek Hot Spring is one of the better-known backcountry thermal features in the Gila region, attracting hikers willing to make the multi-mile trek. The Gila wilderness, surrounding this spring, became America's first designated wilderness area in 1924 through Aldo Leopold's advocacy. Indigenous peoples used these canyons for millennia before European contact. The spring has never been commercially developed and remains in its natural state, with informal soaking pools created by visitors where hot spring water mixes with cool creek water.
The 3-mile hike from Turkey Creek Road involves multiple creek crossings that can become impassable during summer monsoon floods (July-September). Water shoes or sandals with good grip are essential for the rocky creek bed. The source at 165°F is dangerously hot -- soaking is only possible downstream where hot water mixes with cold creek water. Test temperatures carefully before entering. Spring and fall provide the best balance of comfortable hiking and adequate creek flow. Forks Campground is 27 kilometers away; closer dispersed camping along Turkey Creek Road may be available.
Is Turkey Creek Hot Spring worth visiting?
Best for
- Observing powerful hot springs
- Overnight camping trips
Not ideal for
- Casual soaking
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.