Dixie (Laverkin) Hot Springs
Dixie Hot Springs flows at 108°F just 25 meters from road access in Washington County, making it one of southwestern Utah's hottest and most accessible thermal features. At 3,062 feet elevation near LaVerkin, the spring runs 45 degrees above ambient air temperatures in a region averaging 62.9 degrees annually. Total dissolved solids reach 8,890 mg/L, indicating deep circulation through mineralized formations.
The spring emerges from red Navajo Sandstone terrain characteristic of Utah's Color Country, where the transition from Colorado Plateau to Basin and Range province creates dramatic escarpments and fault-controlled valleys. Blackbrush, creosote, and Utah juniper cover slopes rising above the Virgin River's broad floodplain, while cottonwood bosques mark the riparian corridor a mile north. At this elevation, annual precipitation totals only 10.4 inches, with 14.8 inches of snow falling in brief winter storms that rarely persist more than a few days. Red Cliffs National Conservation Area occupies terrain immediately west, where ancestral Puebloan sites cluster near reliable water sources.
The spring's Dixie designation references the Mormon settlement of Utah's southwestern corner, promoted by Brigham Young in the 1850s as a cotton-growing region to supply the church's textile needs. LaVerkin, established in 1857, became one of several farming communities relying on Virgin River water. The alternate name LaVerkin Hot Springs appears in twentieth-century documents, though earlier references remain sparse. No records document Indigenous thermal bathing at this site, though Southern Paiute bands inhabited the Virgin River drainage for millennia before displacement.
Visit during fall through spring when temperatures moderate and the 108°F output feels therapeutic rather than overwhelming. Summer ambient heat exceeding one hundred degrees makes soaking impractical for many visitors. Road access eliminates hiking requirements, though the spring's proximity to populated areas means privacy cannot be guaranteed. Red Cliffs Campground sits 12.2 kilometers northwest, offering developed sites within the National Conservation Area and access to dinosaur trackways and Ancestral Puebloan sites.
Is Dixie (Laverkin) Hot Springs worth visiting?
Best for
- Hot spring soaking
- Easy day trips
- Overnight camping trips
- Mineral-rich therapeutic bathing
The water at Dixie (Laverkin) Hot Springs contains 8890 mg/L total dissolved solids. It is notably rich in total dissolved solids (higher mineral concentration for therapeutic soaking).
Overview Red Cliffs Recreation Area includes a campground, day use areas, a non-motorized trail system, and interpreted public use sites. Dinosaurs left their footprints, now visible in the sandstone. Ancestral Puebloans lived here in the 10th century, growing corn, beans, and squash along Quail and Leeds Creek. Mid-19th century pioneers farmed here, supplying the area’s silver miners with food. Located within the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, the Recreation Area is managed to cons...