Arizona Vacation Travel Guide

KAISER WARM SPRING

From Burro Creek Campground, take Highway 93 North 5.5 miles to Kaiser Springs bridge. Go left on dirt just North of the bridge; close the gate behind you. Go 0.1 mi. to the end. Walk to the right, down the wash and into the canyon, for 1.5 miles. You're in a natural heaven.


Kaiser Warm Spring is in Nothing, Arizona, which doesn't appear on most maps, since it isn't something. As you may have guessed, Nothing has nothing ~ no phones, no post office, a burgeoning population of five (count 'em, 5!), and no electricity, we kid you not! Nothing has LOTS of balancing rock formations and one business, which doubles as the residence for the entire population; it's a general store, tire repair, museum, towing service, used car lot, fuel station, cactus garden, and FREE ADVICE center, all powered by a diesel generator.

Nothing is 25 miles from Nowhere (Population 0), an equal distance south of Wikieup, Arizona (Pop. 200), and 50 miles north of Wickenburg, Arizona (Pop 4,500). It's also a well known historic site - absolutely NOTHING has ever happened there!

Kaiser Warm Spring is MUCH more than just a spring, it's a BLM owned home-run with the bases loaded! The walk is just far enough to keep litterers out and, verily, was just about the most litter free spot visited in years. There's complete privacy and the scenery beggars description with all manner of desert flora and fauna, several bird songs not before heard, wild burro tracks (and skat all over the place), 800 foot high canyon walls, and several natural caves.

Shortly before reaching the spring, there's even the abandoned Touch Hole Gold Mine, so named because the claim holders kept destroying the visitor-built pool at the spring in an effort to keep soakers away. After the claim was vacated, a couple from Hawaii rebuilt the pool and it's been great soaking ever since; THANK YOU to them. The mine is just before the spring on the right.

UNLIMITED hiking and fourteen day camping and two tepid tubs a few yards downstream from the warm spring add to this world-class area, but the icing on the cake is that less than 200 yards from the spring, Kaiser Canyon meets Burro Creek with its sandy beaches, good sun window, massive red sandstone sunning boulders, and dipping in the refreshing creek water. Who could ask for more?!

Flowing at 12 gallons per minute and 95 degrees, Kaiser isn't hot in our book, but those waters must be HEAVENLY in summer. An advantage of spring water below about 99 degrees is that one can stay in much longer without becoming overheated; marathon soakers will be at home at Kaiser.

Words cannot describe the feeling of freedom and closeness with nature, strolling amidst the breathtaking scenery. Kaiser Spring is at the bottom of a (dry) river cut. Visitors have done a great job placing rocks to prevent flash floods from washing away the sand and rock pool. Kaiser is different from many spots because there are rocks of ALL shapes and sizes all around the spring, irregular rocks stay put better than round ones. If all visitors would please move a few stones each time they're there, worry about future floods washing away the eight foot diameter by eighteen inch deep, sandy bottomed pool would be considerably lessened.

DO NOT ENTER Kaiser Canyon if rain is expected and if rain begins, leave, a-lá-PRONTO. The canyon is prone to flash floods. Flash flooding may occur only once or twice a year or not for a year or two, but when it does happen, one would be well advised to be elsewhere, like up on the rim admiring the swirling brown waters. Always remember, please, that discretion is the better part of valor.



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©CArizona, 1999 Special thanks to Camilla Van Sickle & Bill Pennington of El Dorado Hot Spring in Tonopah, Arizona who provided details of their visit to Kaiser Spring which was used in preparing the content of this page! If you would like to provide information on Arizona natural attractions, please email info@carizona.com. Thanks!