RonnieAdventure #0248 - Arizona Hot springs and Spooky Canyon, Mohave County, Arizona

There are four main hiking trailheads that start from a common asphalt paved parking lot in Arizona, about three miles south of Hover Dam - Liberty Bell Arch, White Rock Canyon (aka Ringbolt Rapids), Arizona Hot Springs, and Spooky Canyon. The White Rock Canyon and Arizona Hot Springs trails both terminate at the Colorado River, so most people typically do the two trails as a single loop hike by following the Colorado River between the two trails.

We did not do the White Rock Canyon-Arizona Hot Springs trails this year, but I have made the hike in the past. After crossing under the new Interstate 11 bridges the White Rock Canyon trail stays in the main wash, while a connector trail to the original Liberty Bell Arch trail goes to the right. The new "short-cut" Liberty Bell Arch trail exits the wash about 0.75 miles from the bridge and saves going up-and-down a hill to connect to the original trail; plus taking the second trail to Liberty Bell Arch saves about one mile walking distance.

When we did the White Rock Canyon-Arizona Hot Springs loop, we decided to go in a counterclockwise direction by following White Rock Canyon all the way to the Colorado River.

White Rock Canyon is fairly open until the second Liberty Bell Arch trail exits to the right, then the canyon becomes much narrower and deeper for the remainder of the hike to "Ringbolt Rapids" on the Colorado River.

This area of the Colorado river was originally called Ringbolt Rapids, because in 1866 ringbolts were driven into the canyon walls to "allow the pioneering steamboat Esmerelda to affix a line to it and draw itself up through the rapids by means of its capstan, to complete its voyage to Callville." After completion of Hoover Dam, the Ringbold Rapids were covered by the Colorado River.

The Colorado River between Hoover Dam and Willow Beach (about 20 miles downstream) flows through an area known as Black Canyon. This part of the Colorado River is very popular with Kayakers. Just as we reached the river, a number of kayakers passed by, which made me add this float trip trip to my bucket list. .

We then followed the Colorado River downstream to Arizona Hot Springs.

The hot springs originate up the canyon from the river, so a metal ladder has been installed in the canyon to assist people in climbing up a steep pour-over. Once above the pour-over, the trail stays in a narrow canyon and the water is only several inched deep, except in placer where people have made sandbag dikes between the canyon walls to create deeper swimming pools. Since many people like to swim or lay in the pools in their birthday suits, it is not wise to take too many group pictures in the narrows.

Continuing up Hot Springs Canyon there are several different trails that can be followed, but they all arrive back at the same trailhead parking lot.

DIFFERENT HIKE: The Spooky Canyon trailhead leaves from the same parking lot and is one main slot drainage systems in the area that also has a few side canyons. This canyon is a popular resting place for Desert Bighorn Sheep and sheep scat can be found throughout the canyon.

There is very little vegetation in the canyon because the canyon is always cool and there is almost no direct sunlight that reaches the canyon floor. Toward the end of the canyon there is a large arch over a side passage that is worth visiting. Since "a picture is worth a thousand words," I'll end with 27,000 "words!"