In the middle of the eastern Arizona desert we found a hot spring that was as close to free as we've ever found. We drove to Hotwell Dunes from the Cochise Stronghold, a craggy, rocky set of mountains in southern Arizona that proved to be the Apaches' last refuge from the invading settlers. After several days in the hot Arizona desert we were itching for a soak. Just a few hours east, and after a brief chat with a state trooper who pulled us over on the highway, we arrived! Spiky mountains were visible in the distance, sand and small bushes filled in the flat lands. During the day the sky was a deep blue and during the night it turns a deep black between the bright silver stars.

Here we camped. The hot spring is located behind us here. One can see the bathrooms that surround the tubs.

The story is that hot water was mistakenly discovered here while drilling for oil. Now the area is home to two tubs and a huge area for camping. There is also an HOV area for those that enjoy ripping around the desert on their dirt bike, atv or dune buggy.

During the day, when the sun shines hot, solar panels power water pumps that fill the two hot tubs with natural hot spring water. When the sun begins to fall in the sky and the solar panels stop receiving the full force of the sun's rays, the pumps begin to slow and the tubs start slowly draining. Next to the two tubs are concrete pit toilets and change rooms, which are definitely not luxury facilities but they were clean enough and provided what we needed.

For us to camp next to the hot tubs we paid something like $3 for two nights. The charge was a little lower than usual because we had a National Parks pass.

For two days we enjoyed the natural hot tubs and the Arizona desert. We chatted with other bathers and made quick friends with several travelers who were passing through along their life's journey. Many were long term campers, out in the desert enjoying the sunshine and the ample space that the desert offers.
There are no showers at Hotwell Dunes so we took buckets of water behind the shrubs to shampoo our hair and wash our bodies from the desert sand and sweat.

In the great Hot Springs ranking, Hotwell Dunes does not stand out in anyway really. The tubs are fine but the fact that soaking is impossible at night, which is my favourite time to soak in the desert when the nights are cool and the water hot, is a real shame. We did meet a good friend at these tubs that we traveled with for a few days while visiting a few others hot tubs on this list so that was a big bright spot for us. Overall, Hotwell Dunes is nothing special but it is still a great place to camp in the desert for really cheap while enjoying the hot water.

Cleanliness - 3
Amenities - 2
Exclusivity - 1
Scenery - 3
Community - 4