Indian Hot Springs (near Eden, Arizona)

First timer? In this formerly once-a-day blog (and now pretty much a once-a-week blog) I use an app that provides a random latitude and longitude that puts me somewhere in the continental United States (the lower 48).  I call this “landing.”

I keep track of the watersheds I land in, as well as the town or towns I land near.  I do some internet research to hopefully find something of interest about my landing location. 

To find out more about A Landing A Day (like who “Dan” is) please see “About Landing” above.  To check out some relatively recent changes in how I do things, check out “About Landing (Revisited).”

Landing number 2571; A Landing A Day blog post number 1016

Dan:  Today’s lat/long (N33^o 1.530’, W109^o 51.320) puts me in southeast Arizona:

Now wait a second.  This is a way-too-familiar landing area.  Check out this local landing map:

The “N33^o 1.530′” landing is today’s.

Here are my posts associated with each landing:

December 2009:  Eden
August 2010:  Morenci
November 2017:  Solomon
February 2021:  Arsenic Tubs and Morenci
February 2022:  Fort Thomas and Solomon
April 2022:  Indian Hot Springs

You won’t see Indian Hot Springs on the map unless you zoom way in:

I’ll hop over to Google Earth (GE) to get a look at my local drainage (and a look at my landing as well):

Note that the Orange Dude went as far north as he could. Here’s what he could see (before he made his u-turn):

It turns out that the above road continues north to Indian Hot Springs.  Bummer that the Google Mobile driver didn’t deem it worthwhile to continue on the dirt road.

So, I landed in the watershed of Hot Springs Draw, on to the Gila River (46^th hit).  As most of you know, the Gila discharges (at least occasionally) to the Colorado River (196^th hit).

Here’s an oblique GE shot showing that I landed right in Hot Springs Draw:

The OD let me know he found a nearby bridge over the Gila, and here’s his view from there:

Before looking closely at Indian Hot Springs, I must point out that the Landing God (who’s hand guides my “random” landings) decided to plunk me down once again near all these other landings.  I suspect I know why.

In the ALADus Obscurus section of my previous landing (Rome NY), here’s what I said (while complaining about yet another OSer):  “Yo Landing God.  What gives?”

Even as I typed those words, I feared that I might be paying a price for my audacity – I mean, really – one should not address a powerful deity with “Yo.”  And pay a price I did.  I’m sure that the Landing God chuckled to himself and thought:  “Let Greg suffer through yet another Gila Valley landing in SE Arizona.  He’ll have to dig deep to find something to put in that pesky blog of his.”

Well, I quickly figured out a work-around.  While researching the last three Gila Valley landings, I had noted the existence of the Indian Hot Springs, and even contemplated writing about it.  But I was always distracted by some other tidbits that were more interesting, so I never wrote about it.

Let’s take a GE look at the Hot Springs:

A closer look:

And an even closer look of the big pool:

So, what’s the story?  I found a piece by Dan Haralson, posted on the Graham County website.  He visited Indian Hot Springs as a child, last visiting in 1966.  Here are some excerpts:

The “Jewel in the Desert,” as it has often been called – consisting of numerous hot streaming springs – was well known to native Americans.  For many years before white men arrived, they enjoyed the healing relief from pain that the hot springs provided. 

It was in the late 1870s and early 1880s when the springs became commercial property [i.e., the Indians were banished to a reservation] and the streams were diverted into pools.  The soldiers of Ft. Thomas often frequented the springs and relaxed around tents between the dips in the ponds.

It was not until the construction of the Gila Valley, Globe and the Northern Railway in 1895 that the venture became prosperous.  Customers were transported from the train station in Pima by stage to the hot springs.   In 1903, construction was completed on the beautiful three-story hotel, replacing tent cottages.  

Here are a couple of shots of the hotel, taken in 1936:

Back to the article:

The famous (or infamous) killer Jerry Barton, in declining health, was offered room and board to live there and sit on the porch telling of his many exploits in his halting and stuttering voice.  Jerry was an attraction that many came to see and hear.   

[Jerry Barton was a Saloonkeeper in Chareston AZ.  From True West Magazine:  “In October 1880, four men came into Barton’s establishment, drunk and looking for some cash they could use for gambling.  Barton turned them down, and one of the boys – E.C. Merrill – pulled a gun.  Barton was faster, and killed him.  Barton was arrested but got off on a self-defense plea.”]

Jerry died the year before the largest swimming pool in Arizona was built at the Hot Springs in 1905.  It was 255 feet by 70 feet.  It was enlarged and cemented in 1916.  In total, the facility had 1.5 million gallons of daily flow into pools, tubs and mud baths at four different temperatures.   

Here’s a 2007 GE shot:

Here’s a 1936 picture of the pool with the hotel in the background:

Here’s an old ad for the Hot Springs.  Take your time and read the entire ad.  It’s great!

It was in 1966 that the health department closed the pool, deciding that the water not being chlorinated was unsafe and could not be used for swimming.  

The property began to decline, and changed hands many times.  It was once owned by a group including Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones. It was a nudist colony populated by hippies in the 1970s.  After that it became a retreat for the environmental group “Earth First” and a group called “Ruckus.”  

It is currently known as “Return to Eden Hot Springs Retreat.”  Here’s a picture from their Facebook page:

And excerpts from their “About” section:

The Retreat combines the undeniable healing power of 7 geothermal hot spring, vortexes of the ancient land, sacred ceremonies, inspiring speakers and information, the most amazing earth to table cuisine, yoga, hikes and meditation, bodyworkers and inspiration to change your daily life.

The Retreat can also be utilized to relax deeply and commune with nature. Most importantly, it is an immersion into a community that is helping to create the new earth paradigm where connection, community support and living in harmony with nature are essential. We invite you to join us on this Return to Eden adventure!

Check out Cosmic Chris “hooping” at Eden Hot Springs.  This is definitely worth your time!

I’ll close with a couple of pictures posted on GE.  First this, of one of the Hot Springs, by Debra Goldfine:

And this, taken less than 3 miles northwest of my landing, by Lon Brehmer:

Teague Spring Canyon – McEuen Road, N of Fort Thomas, SE of Globe, AZ

That’ll do it . . .

KS

Greg

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